Following a violent altercation between road transport workers, known as agberos, and supporters of a local monarch, chaos broke out in the Alaba Rago neighbourhood of Iba, Lagos State, on Sunday.
An unidentified passenger was killed in the altercation, which allegedly started early on Sunday morning, after being struck by a speeding car.
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According to several eyewitnesses who spoke to news correspondents, the fight started when a motor park that was purportedly built by the monarch for cars traveling from Lagos to northern and eastern parts of Nigeria was launched.
“The monarch built a park at the Alaba Market side of the road. It was unveiled on Saturday for vehicles going to the North and East,” a resident said.
“But the road transport workers were not comfortable with the development. The Lagos state CP (Commissioner of Police) was even there. There was a tussle over the park between the monarch and some of the agberos. That’s what led to the fiasco,” the resident added.
Residents claim that the Agberos perceived the new park as a challenge to their current method of obtaining levies from nearby traffic.
Tensions escalated when supporters of the monarch and the transport workers clashed on Sunday morning.
“In the process of chasing themselves and fighting, a passenger was trying to cross the road near the new park when a speeding vehicle hit and killed the person on the spot,” another resident, correspondents.
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A group of supporters gathered at the scene of the incident, according to footage that was shared with our correspondent.
One video showed the victim’s lifeless body lying in a pool of blood, while another showed locals covering the body with a wrapper to hide the gory scene from onlookers.
Benjamin Hundeyin, the spokesperson for the Lagos State Police Command, responded to the altercation by confirming that attempts were being made to defuse the situation and mediate a settlement between the opposing groups.
“The CP was personally on the ground yesterday for an on-the-spot assessment,” the spokesperson said.
“He also met with all parties today (Monday) at the command headquarters in Ikeja to find a lasting solution to the problem,” Hundeyin added.
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