By Peter Omopo
The Federal Capital Territory Police Command has arraigned factional Chairman of the National Union of Road Transport Workers, Tajudeen Baruwa, alongside the union’s factional General Secretary, Sulaiman Musa, and five others over the forceful takeover of the union’s national secretariat in Abuja.
The development follows a prolonged internal crisis within the NURTW, which has persisted for about two years after a disputed delegates’ conference meant to produce new leadership.
Baruwa, said to be leading one of the factions, reportedly stormed the national secretariat in Garki II on Monday morning with supporters in an attempt to enforce a court order reinstating him as the union’s leader. The group allegedly overpowered security personnel on duty and took control of the premises.
In a statement issued by the command’s spokesperson, SP Josephine Adeh, the police said the action was carried out without the presence of court sheriffs or other authorised officials, rendering the enforcement unlawful.
Those charged include Ibikunle Baruwa, Sulaiman Musa, Nasiru Ibrahim, Sadisu Musa, Dalha Suleiman, Abdullahi Garba, and Saheed Fojebi.
The police also dismissed viral social media reports claiming that officers opened fire on NURTW members during the incident, describing the claims as false and misleading.
According to the statement, the command received a distress call around 7:00 a.m. reporting that about 300 individuals armed with cutlasses, bottles, bows, and arrows had invaded the secretariat and were removing items from the premises.
The Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of Operations, DCP Isyaku Sharu, led a response team to the scene. Preliminary findings showed that the confrontation escalated when rival union members resisted the takeover attempt.
One person sustained severe machete injuries to the neck and was rescued by police, while others with varying degrees of injuries were taken to a nearby hospital for treatment.
The suspects have been charged before Magistrate Court 1 in Wuse Zone 2, Abuja, while normalcy has been restored to the area.
The police command reiterated its commitment to maintaining law and order in the Federal Capital Territory and urged residents to support security agencies by providing timely information through its emergency lines.
