The leadership crisis within the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) escalated on Monday as police arrested Tajudeen Baruwa, leader of a rival faction, hours after his group took control of the union’s National Secretariat in Abuja.
The arrest came despite a court ruling reportedly recognizing Baruwa as the legitimate NURTW chairman. Tensions flared during the takeover, with reports that a supporter of the faction was shot as security operatives attempted to disperse the crowd. Details about the shooting remain unclear.
Video footage circulating online showed members of the Baruwa faction removing and destroying portraits of Musiliu Akinsanya, popularly known as MC Oluomo, signaling a direct challenge to his long-standing control over the union.
The NURTW has been caught in a protracted leadership dispute for over two years following a contested delegates’ conference. MC Oluomo, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has continued to occupy the union’s National Secretariat throughout the dispute.
Monday’s events have renewed concerns about public safety and the role of security agencies in resolving the ongoing conflict within one of Nigeria’s largest transport unions.
READ ALSO;
