In a dramatic turn of events, the President of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Alhaji Tajudeen Ibikunle Baruwa, along with three other national officers of the union, have been detained by the Nigerian police in Abuja amid a leadership crisis gripping the union.
The unfolding situation was marked by a clash between factions within the NURTW in Abuja, leading to a series of events that culminated in the detention of Baruwa and his associates. It was reported that Baruwa was invited to a meeting by the FCT Commissioner of Police, Haruna Garba, on Wednesday. The meeting also saw the attendance of Musiliu Akinsanya, popularly known as MC Oluomo, who had previously led the disbanded Lagos Park Management Committee.
Sources suggest that Baruwa, in good faith, attended the meeting, believing it was convened to address the issues within the union. However, it turned out to be an attempt to lure him into custody. Accompanying Baruwa to the FCT Police Command were the union’s General Secretary, Anthony Chukwudi Asogwa, Deputy General Secretary, Abdulkadir Musa, and another officer whose name remains unconfirmed at this time.
Following the meeting, they were detained and subsequently moved to the disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) facility located in Guzape, which is colloquially known as the “abattoir.” In a curious turn of events, the Lagos State Park Management Committee, led by Alhaji Tajudeen Agbede, which had forcefully taken control of the NURTW secretariat in Garki 2 after a violent altercation with national officers and staff, was not detained and was allowed to leave freely.
Baruwa had previously raised concerns and sought the intervention of the Nigerian Police and the Department of State Services (DSS) regarding the plot by MC Oluomo‘s group to launch a violent attack on the union’s secretariat.
However, the security agencies had seemingly ignored his warnings
The situation had escalated to the point where the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) issued a 48-hour ultimatum to the Nigerian Police to vacate the union’s secretariat or face a shutdown.
In a communiqué signed by NLC President Joe Ajaero and General Secretary Emmanuel Ugboaja, the union threatened to mobilize its affiliates in support of the legally elected NURTW leadership. The NLC accused the Nigeria Police Force of interfering in the internal affairs of the NURTW and other unions, asserting that the police had overstepped their role in dispute resolution, contrary to established industrial relations statutes.
The NLC further alleged that the Inspector General of Police had allowed the invasion of the NURTW national secretariat to oust the elected leadership and install a puppet regime. The unfolding situation raises concerns about the internal disputes within the NURTW and the response of law enforcement agencies. It remains to be seen how this complex issue will be resolved and its impact on the transportation sector in Nigeria.
