By Ogungbayi Adeyemi S. | adeyemi@ddnewsonline.com
Editor, DDNews |
The leadership crisis in the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) took a violent turn on Monday, March 23, 2026, when Tajudeen Ibikunle Baruwa the president recognised by court judgments was arrested by operatives of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command shortly after arriving at the union’s national secretariat to enforce the rulings.
The arrest occurred during a confrontation that reportedly turned chaotic, with one of Baruwa’s supporters shot and several others assaulted by police personnel deployed to the scene.
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The takeover attempt was based on two key court decisions affirming Baruwa’s leadership: The National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN), in suit No. NICN/ABJ/203/2025, delivered by Justice E. D. Subilim on March 6, 2026, directed officials of the rival faction led by Musiliu Akinsanya (MC Oluomo) to vacate the secretariat immediately and hand over all union property, documents, and facilities to Baruwa’s executive. The ruling also restrained the defendants and their agents from collecting tickets or levies from union members nationwide. A subsequent appeal challenging the decision was dismissed, reinforcing Baruwa’s position.
Baruwa and his team arrived at the NURTW headquarters in Abuja on Monday morning, backed by supporters from various states. He addressed journalists, reiterating that the move was peaceful and in full compliance with court orders.
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He stated that the union had formally notified the police on multiple occasions, attaching copies of the judgments, but received no encouraging response. Despite this, Baruwa said they proceeded without violence.
“Today, as you can see, we are taking over in a peaceful manner… it is not a forceful takeover but just carrying out the court’s orders,” he told reporters.
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However, police personnel reportedly resisted the entry, leading to a clash. Teargas was fired to disperse the crowd, and one supporter was shot. The victim’s condition was not immediately confirmed, but Baruwa said the situation was brought under control.
Baruwa was subsequently arrested, though his exact whereabouts remained unclear at the time of filing this report.
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Before his arrest, Baruwa maintained: “We decided to resume back at the office today without causing any violence, and here we are. Although the other faction attacked one of our members, who is now in the hospital, the situation is under control. We are still open to reconciliation as we are a lawful organization and not a troublemaker. No one is above the law.”
General Secretary Suleiman Musa added that repeated appeals for the rival faction to vacate had been ignored, prompting the move to enforce the court orders.
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The violent confrontation at the secretariat has heightened concerns over the enforcement of court judgments in Nigeria’s powerful transport unions and the role of security agencies in such disputes.
This is a developing story. DDNewsOnline is monitoring for updates on Baruwa’s detention status, the condition of the injured supporter, and any official police or union statements.
DDNewsOnline – Lagos
By Ogungbayi Adeyemi S. (Beedee)
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