The National Industrial Court in Lagos has ordered the arrest and detention of the Lagos State Chairman of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Alhaji Mustapha Adekunle, popularly known as Sego, and the union’s Secretary, Usman Teslim, for disobeying court orders.
Justice Isaac Essien issued the arrest warrant on Monday after the two officials failed to appear before the court to explain why they should not be committed to prison for contempt.
The judge condemned their failure to comply with the court’s directives, calling it a brazen act of disobedience that threatens the judiciary’s authority.
The court also raised concerns over allegations that a court bailiff was obstructed from serving legal documents on the parties involved in the dispute.
In an affidavit of non-service presented before the court, the bailiff, Ayo Moses, alleged that the Chief Security Officer of the sixth judgment debtor prevented him from serving court processes on October 5, 2026.
Justice Essien described the alleged obstruction of the bailiff in performing official duties as a dangerous development with serious consequences.
Consequently, the judge directed the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, the State Commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), and other law enforcement agencies to arrest Adekunle and Teslim and hand them over to the officer in charge of a correctional facility.
The court adjourned the matter until November 16, 2026, for further proceedings to determine whether the two union officials had purged themselves of the contempt.
The case stems from a prolonged dispute over the collection of levies and other charges from commercial tricycle operators in Lagos State.
The dispute followed a December 11, 2025 judgment in which the National Industrial Court recognised the Tricycle Owners Association of Nigeria as an independent trade union.
Despite the judgment, NURTW officials were accused of continuing to collect daily, weekly and security tickets from commercial tricycle operators in the state.
