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Violent Clash Erupts Between NURTW Factions in Abuja, Sparking Gunfire
Violent Clash Erupts Between NURTW Factions in Abuja, Sparking Gunfire
Turbulence gripped the Garki locality of the Federal Capital Territory on Tuesday as two factions of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) clashed violently on Sapele Crescent, off Ladoke Akintola Boulevard, Garki II, Abuja.
This incident underscores an ongoing feud within the NURTW, a situation that experts argue demands immediate intervention by the federal government to avert further deterioration of law and order, particularly within the nation’s capital.
The altercation reportedly began when supporters of NURTW President, Tajudeen Baruwa, marched towards the union’s national headquarters, currently occupied by the Lagos Park Management Committee under Tajudeen Agbede.
Tajudeen Baruwa had previously sought intervention from the Nigeria Police Force and the Nigeria Labour Congress to mediate the situation, but these efforts proved unfruitful. He vehemently declared, “We shall henceforth not hesitate to defend our mandate with the last drop of our blood,” while accusing former NURTW leaders of illegitimately occupying the union’s National Secretariat.
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He emphasized that only a court of competent jurisdiction could invalidate his mandate, urging aggrieved members to follow due process and seek legal redress, cautioning that any deviation from this path could lead to anarchy.
Furthermore, he alleged that the former union president, Najeem Yasin, and Agbede, the former National Vice President, were holding unlawful meetings with select past leaders of the union.
Baruwa called upon the Inspector-General of Police, Olukayode Egbetokun, and the Director-General of the Department of State Services, Yusuf Bichi, to step in.
However, he claimed that the police appeared to be favouring the Lagos Park Management Committee.
While the exact number of casualties, if any, could not be confirmed at the time of this report, eyewitnesses disclosed that members of the transport union discharged multiple gunshots into the air during the altercation, heightening tension in the vicinity.
