The Federal Capital Territory Police Command has denied allegations that its personnel opened fire on members of the National Union of Road Transport Workers during a violent clash at the union’s headquarters in Garki II, Abuja, describing the circulating claims as false and misleading.
In a statement issued on Monday, the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Josephine Adeh, clarified that officers were only deployed to restore order after receiving a distress call regarding a large-scale disturbance at the union’s secretariat.
According to the statement, the command was alerted at about 7:00 a.m. on March 23, 2026, that a group of about 300 individuals armed with dangerous weapons had stormed the premises.
“The FCT Police Command is aware of videos circulating on social media alleging that personnel of the Command shot at some members of the NURTW at their headquarters in Garki II, Abuja.
“The Command wishes to state that these are false and misleading claims aimed at rousing public sentiments. On 23rd of March 2026, at approximately 7:00 a.m., a distress call was received by the FCT Police Command reporting that about 300 individuals, armed with cutlasses, bottles, bows, and arrows, had stormed the NURTW headquarters along Sapele Street, Garki II, Abuja, and were removing items from the premises.
“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.
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“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, ” she said.
Adeh disclosed that seven suspects were arrested at the scene, including Ibikunle T. Baruwa, alongside Sulaiman A. Musa, Nasiru Ibrahim, Alhaji Sadisu Musa, Dalha Suleiman, Abdullahi Garba, and Saheed Fojebi.
She added that the suspects have since been arraigned before Magistrate Court 1, Wuse Zone 2, while calm has been restored to the area.
“The following suspects were arrested at the scene: 1. SULAIMAN A MUSA 2. NASIRU IBRAHIM 3. ALHAJI SADISU MUSA 4. DALHA SULEIMAN 5. ABDULLAHI GARBA 6. SAHEED FOJEBI 7. IBIKUNLE T. BARUWA. They have been charged in Magistrate Court 1, Wuse Zone 2. While normalcy has since been restored to the area, ” She said.
The incident comes amid an ongoing leadership tussle within the NURTW, following reports that Baruwa had taken control of the union’s national secretariat in Abuja after displacing Musiliu Akinsanya, citing a series of court rulings.
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