The police in Lagos have declared Mustapha Adekunle, popularly known as Seigo, wanted over the violent disruption of the All Progressives Congress, APC, rally held in Lagos on Tuesday.
Adekunle is a chieftain of the National Union of Road Transport Workers, NURTW.
He was declared wanted just as two persons were arrested in connection with the violence which left several people injured.
During the violence, guns and other dangerous weapons were freely used before the situation was brought under control by policemen.
In a statement by the Public Relations Officer of Lagos State Command of the Nigeria Police Force, CSP Chike Oti, Adekunle and some members of his group were involved in the violence.
“The said Mustapha Adekunle aka Seigo, an NURTW chieftain, came to the rally with a group of people and were identified at the entrance as supporters of the party .
“However, at the tail end of the event, Seigo and his group for a reason yet to be determined, violently engaged other supporters of the party. In the ensuing melee, one MC Oluomo, another NURTW chieftain, was stabbed and was rushed to EKO Hospital where he is currently recuperating while two other victims of the attack were taken to the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital for treatment. The crisis was quickly contained by policemen at the venue,” Oti said.
The police spokesman said a few hours before the rally started, the Commissioner of Police, Lagos State, held a meeting with the leaders of the NURTW, Road Transport Employers Association and other affiliate groups where all the parties agreed to eschew violence before, during and after the electioneering.
It was therefore surprising, Oti said, that a prominent member of NURTW would attempt to violently disrupt a peaceful political rally.
“In view of the development, the Command wishes to encourage members of the public with useful information on the whereabouts of Mustapha Adekunle popularly known as Seigo to report such at a nearest police station,” Oti declared.
Meanwhile, the Lagos State chapter of All Progressives Congress, APC, has expressed regret over the violence that characterized the campaign, assuring that it would never happen again.
The Publicity Secretary of the party, Joe Igbokwe, in a statement blamed it on crisis between two factions of NURTW.
“We regret that towards the end of the rally two factions of National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) engaged themselves in a brawl that led to some people sustaining various injuries. We deeply regret this ugly and unacceptable rude behaviour with a firm promise that such an incident will not repeat itself again in the cause of the campaigns,” APC said in the statement.
