Femi Falana, Senior Advocate of Nigeria, has called on the Federal Government to immediately reinstate Tajudeen Baruwa as the President of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) in accordance with court rulings affirming his leadership.
In a statement issued on Monday, Falana directed his plea to the Attorney-General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi, and the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, urging them to comply with the judgments from the National Industrial Court and the Court of Appeal. Falana stressed that the government must respect these final rulings and restore Baruwa to his rightful position.
Falana recounted the events of August 28, 2023, when a group of armed thugs attacked the NURTW national secretariat in Abuja, resulting in the death of a security personnel. This led to the illegal removal of Baruwa and his executive team from office. Subsequently, Baruwa and other union leaders were arrested and charged with various crimes, though the murder charge was later dropped.
Following the unlawful seizure of the secretariat, Baruwa sought legal redress. The National Industrial Court ruled in his favor in March 2024, recognizing him as the legitimate president of NURTW. On November 8, 2024, the Court of Appeal upheld this decision, dismissing the appeal against Baruwa’s leadership.
Falana warned that ignoring the court’s decision could undermine the public’s trust in the justice system. He called for swift government action to restore Baruwa’s position, emphasizing that “justice delayed is justice denied.”
Meanwhile, Musiliu Akinsanya, known as MC Oluomo, was recently elected as the new national president of NURTW following an election on November 10. Akinsanya was the sole candidate in the election, which was held at the union’s Zonal Secretariat.
Falana’s call underscores the need for the government to adhere to judicial decisions and uphold the rule of law.
