The Osun State branch of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) has officially halted the operations of all transport unions throughout the state. This move comes in response to increasing clashes between rival factions that have threatened public safety and security.
Vice Chairman Lanre Balogun, speaking for the association in Osogbo, stated that the suspension applies to all public motor parks. He noted that recent fighting within the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW)—which resulted in the death of a child and injuries to an elderly man—made this decision unavoidable. These violent encounters prompted retaliatory attacks and frequent police raids, leading the local government to conclude that the parks had become dangerous hubs for criminal activity.
On Monday, renewed protests at several transport facilities heightened public anxiety until police intervened. Consequently, the ban now covers all transport associations, including motorcycle and tricycle operators. ALGON has requested that security forces occupy all motor parks across the state’s 30 local government areas and the Ife East Area Office to maintain order. They also called for the arrest of individuals involved in the unrest, specifically naming NURTW factional leader Nurudeen Alowonle.
Balogun emphasized that local governments possess the legal authority to regulate these spaces under the 1999 Constitution. He asserted that local chairmen must act to prevent public facilities from becoming security risks, even if such decisions challenge political interests.
