A faction of the National Union of Road and Transport Workers (NURTW) led by Tajudeen Baruwa has taken over its national secretariat.
The incident happened early Monday, when members of the faction stormed the union’s headquarters in Abuja.
The NURTW factions led by Baruwa and Ayinde Akinsanya aka MC Oluomo, have been engaged in an internal leadership tussle since 2024.
Members of the NURTW had elected MC Olumo as National President in November 2024.
However, the court ruled in favour of Baruwa when the dispute degenerated into a lawsuit.
Despite the court ruling, MC Oluomo continued to parade as President of the union.
Speaking with journalists after reclaiming the secretariat, Baruwa, flanked by supporters from across the country, argued that his actions were backed by two court judgments delivered in his favour.
He disclosed that the union had formally notified the Nigeria Police Force, attaching copies of the judgments to facilitate the recovery of its secretariat.
However, he noted that the response from the police was not encouraging, prompting another notice declaring the union’s intention to take over the office in line with the court orders.
Baruwa insisted that the takeover was peaceful and in compliance with the law.
“Their body language has not been encouraging despite repeated assurances that we are not going back to foment trouble. We are a law-abiding union whose only mission is to reclaim what belongs to us,” he said.
“As you can see, we are taking over in a peaceful manner. It is not a forceful takeover but the execution of court orders. After about two years of waiting for compliance, we have resumed at our office without violence,” he added.
He alleged that members of the opposing faction attacked one of his supporters, who is currently receiving treatment in hospital, but maintained that the situation remained under control.
The union’s General Secretary, Suleiman Musa, also defended the action, stating that despite several appeals, those occupying the premises unlawfully refused to vacate.
“We have notified the police that, based on the court’s order, we are returning to our office. We are glad journalists are here to witness what is happening,” he said.
Baruwa had earlier opposed the emergence of MC Oluomo as president of the union, leading to a prolonged leadership dispute.
Court documents show that the National Industrial Court, in a ruling delivered by Justice O.O. Oyewumi, affirmed Baruwa as the duly elected president of the union.
The Court of Appeal also upheld the decision in a judgment delivered on November 8, 2024, confirming Baruwa as the legitimate president.
The appellate court dismissed an appeal filed by Najeem Usman Yasin and others, ruling that it lacked merit and awarding N100,000 in costs against the appellants, who are loyalists of MC Oluomo.
The ruling reinforced an earlier judgment delivered on March 11, 2024, which recognised Baruwa’s leadership, further cementing his position at the helm of the union.
