Baruwa, MC Oluomo Clash In Fresh Court Showdown Over NURTW Leadership Crisis

Abuja, Nigeria – March 25, 2026 – The protracted leadership crisis rocking the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) has taken a fresh legal twist as the Federal Capital Territory Police Command charged members of the Tajudeen Baruwa-led faction to court over an alleged attempt to reclaim the union’s national headquarters through “self-help” .

The latest confrontation followed a move by police operatives to dislodge members of the Baruwa group from the NURTW national secretariat located in Garki, Abuja, shortly after they had gained entry into the premises on Monday . Sources said several union members were assaulted and chased out during the operation, while key figures, including Baruwa, were taken into custody .

Police Arrest Seven, Deny Shooting Allegations

The FCT Police Command confirmed the arrest of Baruwa and six other suspects following the Monday incident. The police spokesperson, SP Josephine Adeh, disclosed that the command received a distress call at about 7:00 a.m. reporting that about 300 individuals, armed with cutlasses, bottles, bows, and arrows, had stormed the NURTW headquarters along Sapele Street, Garki II, Abuja .

In a swift response, the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of Operations, DCP Isyaku Sharu, led a response team to the scene . Upon arrival, preliminary investigations revealed that the suspects were attempting to enforce a court order on the premises without the presence of court sheriffs and other officials.

“This action degenerated into a physical confrontation when other members of the NURTW attempted to resist them. This led to one victim being inflicted with severe machete wounds to the neck. He was rescued by the Police team, while several others who sustained varying degrees of injuries were rushed to a nearby hospital for medical treatment,” Adeh stated.

The police spokesperson also dismissed videos circulating on social media alleging that police personnel shot at NURTW members, describing the claims as “false and misleading” and aimed at stirring public sentiment.

The seven suspects arrested were identified as: Ibikunle T. Baruwa, Sulaiman A. Musa, Nasiru Ibrahim, Alhaji Sadisu Musa, Dalha Suleiman, Abdullahi Garba, and Saheed Fojebi . They have since been charged to Magistrate Court 1, Wuse Zone 2, while normalcy has been restored to the area .

Baruwa Faction Insists on Court Mandate

However, the General Secretary of the Baruwa-led faction, Suleiman Abdulkadir Musa, defended the action of the group, insisting that they acted based on valid court judgments granting them control of the union’s headquarters .

Musa said the group relied on rulings delivered by the National Industrial Court in March 2024 and subsequently upheld by the Court of Appeal in November 2024, which affirmed Baruwa as the duly elected president of the union .

“When we took over, the police came and chased us out. So many of our members were chased out; some were even beaten by the police. Those they invited went to the command, and after giving their statements, they felt they had to take us to court,” Musa told Leadership .

“We acted based on the law. Yet they are accusing us of self-help, and once we are done, we will gather ourselves and decide on the next line of action,” he added .

Baruwa had earlier explained that the union formally notified the Nigerian Police, attaching certified copies of the court judgments to facilitate the recovery of the secretariat. However, he expressed dissatisfaction with the response from law enforcement, which he described as unconvincing, prompting the decision to resume operations .

“Their body language has not been encouraging despite repeated assurance that we are not going back to foment any trouble as we are a law-abiding union whose only mission is to get back what belonged to them,” Baruwa said .

He insisted that the takeover was not a forceful one but the execution of court orders. “Today, as you can see, we are taking over in a peaceful manner. This is not a forceful takeover but just carrying out the court’s orders,” he stated .

MC Oluomo Faction: Stay of Execution Entered

Reacting to the development, Musiliu Akinsanya, popularly known as MC Oluomo, rejected Baruwa’s claims and insisted that the judgment relied upon by the rival faction had already been appealed, with a stay of execution duly entered .

“The attention of the national president, NURTW, Alhaji Musiliu Ayinde Akinsanya, has been drawn to the forceful takeover of the union’s national secretariat by Mr Tajudeen Ibikunle Baruwa,” a statement from his camp read .

“He was not a defendant in the purported judgment. The judgment 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 statement added .

Following Baruwa’s arrest, MC Oluomo was seen in a video shared via X by TVC on Tuesday, assessing damaged property in the secretariat after regaining control of the facility .

Background of the Leadership Tussle

The dispute within the union dates back to 2023, when internal disagreements led to the emergence of parallel leadership structures. Both Tajudeen Baruwa and Musiliu Akinsanya (MC Oluomo) have laid claim to the union’s national leadership .

In March 2024, the National Industrial Court declared Baruwa the duly elected president of the union. Justice O.O. Oyewumi affirmed the legitimacy of the zonal delegates’ conference where Baruwa was re-elected on May 24, 2023, and recognized the quadrennial national delegates’ conference held on August 23, 2023, as the valid assembly for inaugurating national officers .

The judgment was later upheld by the Court of Appeal in Abuja in November 2024, which dismissed challenges filed by loyalists of MC Oluomo. A three-member panel led by Justice Hamma Barka dismissed the appeal and awarded N100,000 in costs against the appellants .

The ruling also nullified the election of MC Oluomo as union president, which had taken place at the union’s zonal secretariat along the Osogbo–Ikirun road in Osun state on November 9 .

Conflicting Interpretations of March Ruling

At the heart of the latest confrontation is the interpretation of a recent appellate court ruling issued in March 2026, which the Baruwa faction said clearly restrained the rival group from operating under the union’s name. Baruwa argued that the ruling reaffirmed his authority, prompting Monday’s move to assume control of the national headquarters .

However, Musa dismissed claims by Oluomo that there was a valid appeal capable of halting enforcement of the judgment. According to him, the only appeal filed relates to the interpretation of the March 6 ruling, which he said his faction had already won .

“When we got that judgment, it clearly stated that the other group should vacate the office, stop issuing permits in the name of the union, and they were perpetually restrained from interfering with union affairs,” Musa said .

“The appeal they are talking about is on the interpretation delivered on March 6. According to them, they appealed that decision, but we have not received any such order, nor is there any stay of execution,” he added .

The Road Ahead

With both factions insisting on the legitimacy of their claims and legal processes ongoing, the NURTW leadership crisis shows no sign of abating. The police have charged Baruwa and his associates to court over the alleged self-help attempt, while the substantive legal battle over the union’s leadership continues .

As the union remains divided, the fate of one of Nigeria’s most powerful transport associations hangs in the balance, with implications for transport workers and commuters across the country.