The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command has arraigned Tajudeen Baruwa and six others in connection with a violent incident at the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) national headquarters in Garki II, Abuja, while rejecting claims that police officers opened fire during the clash.

According to the police, the incident occurred early Monday morning after a distress call was received reporting that a large group of about 300 individuals armed with cutlasses, bottles, bows and arrows had stormed the NURTW headquarters. Officers were deployed to the scene to restore order and prevent further escalation.

The police command described circulating videos alleging that its personnel shot at union members as false and misleading, stating that no firearms were discharged by officers during the operation. The police said their intervention was aimed at quelling violence and ensuring public safety.

A police statement by the FCT Command’s spokesperson detailed that the confrontation escalated when rival groups resisted attempts to enforce a court order without the presence of authorised court officials, leading to a physical clash. During the melee, one person reportedly sustained severe machete wounds and was rescued by police, while several others with injuries were taken to a nearby hospital for treatment.

Seven suspects, including Baruwa, were arrested at the scene and have since been charged before Magistrate Court 1 in Wuse Zone 2. Following the arraignment, normalcy was said to have returned to the area.

The event follows ongoing disputes within the NURTW, with rival factions contesting control of the union’s national structures amid conflicting court rulings and leadership claims.