By Achile Danjuma
Tajudeen Ibikunle Baruwa, the court-recognised president of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), was arrested on Monday by operatives of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command alongside some of his supporters.
The arrest occurred when Baruwa and his team arrived at the NURTW national headquarters in Abuja to enforce a court ruling affirming him as the authentic president of the union.
The situation reportedly turned violent, with one of his supporters shot and several others assaulted by police personnel deployed to the scene.
The development follows a prior ruling by the National Industrial Court of Nigeria, Abuja, which ordered officials of a rival faction of the union, including the management team led by Musiliu Akinsanya, to vacate the union’s national secretariat in the Federal Capital Territory.
In the judgment delivered on March 6, 2026, in Suit No. NICN/ABJ/203/2025, Justice E. D. Subilim directed that the claimants led by Baruwa take immediate control of the union’s affairs.
The court further ordered that the defendants and anyone occupying the office through them vacate the premises and hand over possession to Baruwa’s leadership.
The claimants in the suit include Baruwa, Bello Adamu, Eugene Eze Job, Dajuma Saidu, Prince Isah Dahiru Usman, Suleman Adamu, Odion Olaye (JP), Chief Herbert C. Iwuji, and Muhammed Bello Madu.
Others are Olajide Abideen Abimbola, Lekan Salami Folorunsho, Monday Eleazar, Comrade Chukwudi Asogwa, as well as the NURTW.
The defendants are Alhaji Najeem Usman Yasin, Alhaji Tajudeen Badru Agbede, Alhaji Kayode Agbeyangi, Kayode Agbeyangi, Alhaji Alhassan Haruna, Aliyu Tanimu and Alhaji Hakeem Adeosun.
In the suit, the claimants had asked the court to restrain the defendants from occupying the union’s national secretariat in Abuja or parading themselves as officials of the NURTW.
After reviewing the arguments and evidence presented, Justice E. D. Subilim ruled in favour of the claimants, ordering the defendants to immediately vacate the premises and cease all further occupation.