Several Reportedly Injured As Osun Tricycle Operators Allege Attack By Alado, Others

Seven tricycle operators plying the Kelebe-Idi-Ogungun route in Osogbo, Osun State, have reportedly been hospitalised after an alleged attack by some transport union leaders.

The operators, in a video circulating online, alleged that the attack was carried out at their park on Wednesday by suspected thugs led by Alado.

Apart from Alado, the operators also said Olosun, Alowonle and the branch chairman for Olorunda Local Government, identified as Kaka, were part of those who allegedly invaded the park with thugs.

Narrating the incident, one of the operators who did not mention his name in the video said their unit has 72 registered tricycles, with 68 currently active, all operating within the Kelebe to Idi-Ogungun corridor.

The man who spoke in Yoruba language, said they had, six months ago, resolved not to admit new tricycles into the unit due to poor patronage and the limited route.

According to him, the crisis began when the leadership allegedly forced a new tricycle operator on them three months ago despite their plea.

The operator said trouble started again when another tricycle owner was being forced to join the unit.

“We insisted that we would not accept him. They harassed some of our members and left. We thought that was the end until they came back today with thugs and attacked us,” the man stated.

He added that they currently pay N400 daily per tricycle for ticket, lamenting economic hardship and alleging plans to increase the ticket fee to N700 after the governor is sworn in for a second term.

The operators appealed to Governor Ademola Adeleke to intervene and prevail on Alado to stop alleged intimidation and imposition of new members on their unit.

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In the video, a man who was allegedly among those attacked was seen with a cut on top of his left eye and bruises all over his back and body.

Efforts to get the reaction of the chairman of the tricycle sector of the transport union in the state, Comrade Sikiru Oyeniyi, popularly known as Ado-Igbona, proved abortive, as calls to his line were not picked and messages sent to the same line were not replied to at the time of this report.