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The Police have charged Ibikunle Baruwa, the court-reinstated National President of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), and six others to court over violence at the union’s headquarters in Abuja. The incident occurred when Baruwa’s faction attempted to enforce a court order to take over the secretariat, but was resisted by another faction led by Musiliu Akinsanya, also known as MC Oluomo.
The police say the group, armed with cutlasses, bottles, bows, and arrows, stormed the NURTW headquarters along Sapele Street, Garki II, Abuja, and started removing items from the premises. This led to a physical confrontation, resulting in one person sustaining severe machete wounds to the neck.
The FCT Police Command received a distress call at about 7:00 a.m. on March 23, 2026, and Deputy Commissioner of Police Isyaku Sharu led a response team to the scene. The police arrested seven suspects, including Baruwa, Sulaiman Musa, Nasiru Ibrahim, Alhaji Sadisu Musa, Dalha Suleiman, Abdullahi Garba, and Saheed Fojebi.
The police have dismissed claims that their officers shot at NURTW members during the incident, describing the allegations as false and misleading. The suspects have been charged before Magistrate Court 1, Wuse Zone 2, and normalcy has been restored to the area.
Baruwa had claimed that his faction was enforcing a court order, citing a November 2024 judgment affirming him as the NURTW president. However, the police say the group attempted to enforce the order without the presence of court sheriffs and other authorized officials.
The NURTW has been embroiled in an internal leadership crisis for about two years, following a disputed delegates’ conference. The police have reaffirmed their commitment to maintaining law and order and urged residents to provide timely information through their emergency lines .
The incident has sparked outrage, with clips circulating on social media alleging police brutality. However, the FCT Police Command has denied these allegations, stating that their officers only intervened to restore order.
