Seated proudly and, indeed, conspicously on Number 8, Plot 1236, Sapele Street, Garki, Abuja is the national headquarters of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), the interest group founded in 1978 by and for men and women whose livelihood is dependent on the wheels.
On Monday March 23, the scene inside this palatial secretatiat, which houses offices of the national president and executive officers, including staff of the union, was a sad reminder of the ugly past of the drivers union when power was periodically changed through chaos of arms and charms, which usually claimed lives and inflicted unimaginable degrees of injuries on both sides of the war.
Alhaji Tajudeen Baruwa, who was elected president at the national delegates conference in Nasarawa State in August 2023 and his supporters, headed to the secretariat with only one mission, which was to commence its tenure by the instrumentality of the Court of Appeal, which had sacked Alhaji Musiliu Akinsanya (MC Oluomo) executive and ordered them to vacate the secretariat they had occupied from November 2023 after their inauguration by the union Board of Trustees (BOT).
TheTabloid.net gathered that before the Court of Appeal’s ruling against Akinsanya on March 12, the National Industrial Court had also earlier handed him the same judgement but Akinsanya was alleged to have snubbed the court order and sat on his seat in the cozy office.
The Baruwa faction waited and weighed options to explore before it finally headed to the secretariat where a clash expectedly ensued, consequent upon which a team of policemen from the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command, was mobilised to the scene, met Baruwa and his supporters and, in the end, led him (Baruwa) away from the premises.
Shortly before he was escorted out of the scene, Baruwa had granted a battery of waiting reporters a quick interview wherein he explained the frustration which his faction had endured after the two judgements. The Ogun State-born explained further that before his group had embarked on that morning mission they had notified the law enforcement agents because, according to him, they did not want to take law into their hands.
One Comrade Suleiman Abdulkadir Musa, corroborated Baruwa’s submission and justified the action based on Akinsanya’s deaf ear to the court orders.
A few hours later, Akinsanya, who was said to have been outside Abuja at time of the incident, conversely broke his silence on the matter, releasing a statement which picked a hole in the claim of Baruwa and his faction, and describing the action as “the forceful takeover.” Akinsanya clarified that he was never a part of the litigation, let alone being a defendant in the the cases which produced the two rulings.
He added, “The judgement has been appealed and a stay of execution has been duly entered. He has not engaged with Mr. Baruwa or any individual, aware that cases are pending in court. The situation is under the control of security agencies.”
The immediate past chairman of the Lagos State chapter of the NURTW insisted that he remained the national president of the union and appealed to members “to remain calm, peaceful, and law-abiding, and to maintain peace and order in their respective areas.”
Fallout of Baruwa arrest was his reported arraignment alongside six other suspects to the Magistrate Court I, Wuse Zone II, Abuja. Police Public Relations Officer of the command, Josephine Adeh, a Superintendent of Police, confirmed this update and clarified that at no time did the police team fire even a shot at the scene of the drivers clash.
Adeh maintained that the officers went in principally in response to a distress call at about 7:00 a.m, reporting that about 300 armed men had invaded the secretariat. The PPRO said that the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of Operations, Isyaku Sharu, led the team which nipped the eruption in the bud.
He said, “Preliminary investigations revealed that the group allegedly attempted to enforce a court order without the presence of court sheriffs or other authorised officials, a move that escalated into a violent confrontation when opposing NURTW members resisted.
“During the clash, one victim reportedly sustained severe machete wounds to the neck and was rescued by police operatives, while others with varying degrees of injuries were taken to a nearby hospital for treatment.”
Suspects arrested, according to her, were Sulaiman A. Musa, Nasiru Ibrahim, Alhaji Sadisu Musa, Dalha Suleiman, Abdullahi Garba, Saheed Fojebi, and Ibikunle T. Baruwa.
On Tuesday, accompanied by policemen and soldiers, Akinsanya returned to his office where he recorded a video in which he reiterated that he was still in power and explained the extent of vandalisation inflicted in the secretariat by Baruwa faction.
His arrival with security escorts, comprising of soldiers and policemen, removed veil off an allegation that he is a beneficiary of the Presidency and Louis Edet House, both of which are, through their body language, alleged to have resolved to protect him against the two court orders.
Akinsanya was further alleged to have served as an electoral tool for the President Bola Tinubu long before and during his campaign to become the number one citizen of Nigeria.
But contrary to this claim, our correspondent learnt that President Tinubu and Inspector General of Police, Mr Tunji Disu, had kept their distance from the crisis. Not only that they are indifferent to it, they are also said to have issued strong warnings to their respective subordinates against representing them in the matter, failure of which, it was further learnt, would amount to a crime against the constituted authorities.
Another source stated categorically that MC Oluomo’s bond with the President is responsible to his alleged deviance to the court orders, described as naked display of lawlessness.
It is more complicated for Baruwa, another source opined, because of Baruwa’s link with the Labour Party at the 2023 Presidential elections. He was said to be a strong supporter of the Labour Party presidential candidate, Mr Peter Obi.
“That is not true. I am saying it that Asiwaju would not encourage any impunity to affect his 2027 elections. If it means to sacrifice Oluomo, he won’t hesitate to do it, most especially with the support which Baruwa enjoys from the North. You could see many northerners lining behind him at the secretariat on Monday.
“That speaks about the dynamics of this crisis. And I know Mr President, through intelligence reports, understands everything,” yet another source, who also declined his name in print, told our correspondent.
Just as Akinsanya addressed public on the update, Baruwa too was before cameras surrounded by his loyalists and assuring public that he was not sent to correctional centre as his opponents had claimed on social media. He said on his mandate he stands, and nothing could snatch it from him.
His Legal Counsel, Mr Tolu Babaleye re-echoed Baruwa’s position while also addressing the media in Abuja on Wednesday where he sent strong words to the president to clear his name allegedly being dropped by Akinsanya, beating his chest that he would respect directive issued to him only by the President.
Babaleye called on President Tinubu “to immediately direct the Inspector General of Police to arrest the illegal occupant of the NURTW national office and restore Comrade Ibukunle Baruwa to his rightful position as affirmed by the Court of Appeal.”
A Public Affairs commentator, Doyin Ilori remained unpersuaded by claim which attempts to exonerate the President from this crisis, even though she differred with Baruwa’s approach to enforce the court rulings.
To the Ekiti State-born US resident, Baruwa played into the anticipating hand of his enemies through his invasion of the secretariat when he should have, according to the outspoken woman, acted differently and safely.
“He should have gone without one machete wielding thug. Not one, because he should have known that the same police that had been snoozing for months, refusing to act on the court order will suddenly be rejuvenated, and wake up to stop the takeover citing orisirisi dangerous weapons and disorder laws.
“Sadly, the only thugs who get away with any crime in Nigeria are the ones working glaringly for government at any given time,” she lamented.
Despite her critical stance, Ilori still admonished President Tinubu, the Attorney General of the Federation and the IGP to rise against any guise of disrespect to the rule of law, especially in face of incontrovertible rulings.
She said, “Most respectfully Mr President, this is too glaring to every sane Nigerian. Please, don’t encourage it. Respectfully, the Attorney General of the Federation, it will be a mockery to you and your office in years to come. Don’t encourage it.
“And the Inspector General of Police, Mr Tunde Disu, a man taunted as thoroughbred professional to the core, this particular case will stain you and mess up your career in the eyes of millions, maybe not now, but when history is revisited. Don’t encourage it.”
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