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By Abdullahi Abubakar
There was pandemonium on the premises of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) FCT Council Secretariat Utako Abuja on Thursday,as a group allegedly loyal to the embattled Musiliu Ayinde Akinsanya popularly known as MC Oluomo attacked a group under the aegis of Bus Conductors Association of Nigeria (BCAN) an affiliate of National Union of Roads Transport Workers (NURTW) at the venue.
The group who had hired the main hall of the secretariat for their official inauguration got more than what they bargained for when a group of thugs wearing caps with the portrait photograph of MC Oluomo violently invaded the hall and disrupted the event.
Trouble started when the thugs led by one Segun Aluwaye who claimed to be the chairman of Berger Park forced the main gate of the NUJ Secretariat open and unleashed mayhem on the government officials, guests and participants, injuring many of them in the process.
The attackers brandishing dangerous weapons such as machetes, knives, bottles and sticks chased out the participants in the hall as they destroyed cameras, chairs, tables, fans and other valuable items.
It was gathered that the attackers arrived at the premises of the Secretariat to carry out the terror shortly after the Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, who was the special guest of honour left the venue of the event.
People were seen running in different directions scurrying for safety.
Some of the security agents including Nigerian police, Department of State Service(DSS) and Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC) invited for the event were and staff of the NUJ were not spared in the attack.
Speaking after the incident, the Chairman of the association, Comrade, Prince Israel Ade Adeshola, expressed shock and described the incident as unfortunate.
“We are at the NUJ Secretariat today to inaugurate our association Bus Conductors Association of Nigeria (BCAN). In the cause of the event, some miscreants stormed the venue of the event with cutlasses, dager, knives and other dangerous weapons and chased all the dignitaries and invited guests out of the hall while they injured many of our members.
“They were wearing face caps bearing Oluomo pictures and destroyed many items.”
Israel said the inauguration of the association was aimed at combating and eradicating rampant cases of “One Chance” in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and keeping accurate data of conductors.
They also attacked security agents including police, DSS operatives and Vehicle Inspection Officers (VIO). They chased people into different offices and injured them.”
Meanwhile, it cannot be ascertained as at time of filing this report if there was any arrest but police vehicles have been stationed in front of the Secretariat to prevent further breakdown of law and order.
The association had vowed to take necessary action against the ignoble act just as they called on President Bola Tinubu and all security agencies to call MC Oluomo and his thugs to order
