Armed riot policemen were again deployed in the streets of Ado Ekiti on Thursday as rival factions of road transport workers engaged in violence in which five people were feared dead.
The town square around the oba�s palace and the main market were deserted as early as 9am as traders hurriedly closed their shops.
The fighting erupted between members of the National Union of Road Transport Workers and the Road Transport Workers Employers Assocciation of Nigeria.
By 1:30pm intermittent report of small arms fire could still be heard from around the town square. The police were, however, able to restore order as several patrols vans and armed men were stationed around the town square.
The crisis led to panic in the city as people ran for safety at the peak of the violence.
Sources told our correspondent that the violence was over the control of the new bus park built by the Ado-Ekiti Local Government Area for the unions.
In the free or all that broke out, dangerous weapons were freely used and five people were reportedly killed.
Our correspondent could, however, not confirm the number of people who lost their lives in the incident.
The prompt intervention of riot policemen, however, prevented the situation from getting out of control.
Several cannisters of tear gas were fired into the densely populated commercial area. This forced the feuding factions to spill into neighbouring side streets, shops, residential homes and compounds.
NURTW Chairman, Chief Omolafe Aderiye, said although they had earlier met with the Director of the State Security Service, who brokered a truce and advised them not to do anything that could lead to a break down of law and order, the RTEAN had ignored the advice.
Aderiye said several members of his association received severe machete cuts as the violence broke out during the morning rush hour.
Sep282007