Tajudeen Baruwa, the President of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), along with 21 other individuals, including three other national officers of the union, have been detained by the police in Abuja. They are facing charges of alleged criminal conspiracy, culpable homicide, public disturbance, and conduct likely to cause a breach of peace.
The arrests were made following a violent clash between two factions of the NURTW in the Garki area of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) on Tuesday, which resulted in at least one fatality and several injuries. The FCT Commissioner of Police, Haruna Garba, confirmed the arrest of 23 male suspects and the recovery of three rifles.
Following the chaotic events, CP Garba invited Tajudeen Baruwa and other NURTW leaders to a meeting on Wednesday, attended by representatives from different factions. However, instead of resolving the ongoing dispute, Baruwa and three other national executives were arrested and detained.
Members and supporters of the Lagos State Park Management Committee, led by Tajudeen Agbede and Musiliu Akinsanya (MC Oluomo), who had taken over the NURTW national secretariat, were not arrested or detained.
Tajudeen Baruwa had previously raised concerns about alleged plans by the rival faction to launch a violent attack on the NURTW secretariat. He accused the police of working in collusion with the opposing faction, an allegation that led the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) to issue a 48-hour ultimatum to the police to vacate the NURTW secretariat. The NLC affirmed the legality of Baruwa’s leadership and warned against actions that could lead to a breakdown of law and order.
