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Tag: NURTW

  • Traditional rulers also contact me to assassinate their rivals, Ade Williams confesses

    …says I’ve assassinated four persons for ex-NURTW chair

    Suspected serial killer, Ade Williams alias Ade Lawyer who was arrested by the police on Friday said apart from killing four people at different occasions for former National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) Chairman in Lagos, Akanni Olohunwa, he was also paid by traditional rulers to assassinate their rivals or perceived enemies.

    According to the suspect, Olohunwa contracted him to kill a former Idumota branch Chairman of NURTW, Azeez Lawal alias Kunle Poly on January 23.

    Williams said: “I have killed four people for Olohunwa. I also killed for one Kazeem Eletu and Olumegbon. I have known him since he was NURTW chairman in Lagos. I have done a lot of jobs (assassinations) for him. I killed two people for him during the clash between himself and Musiliu Akinsanya (MC).

    “He was the one who asked me to eliminate Kunle Poly. He said Kunle Poly betrayed him and blocked the returns he used to receive as ex-chairman.

    “Olohunwa told me that he brought Kunle Poly into NURTW and that he expected him to be loyal. Instead, Kunle Poly blocked the money he was supposed to be receiving from NURTW Abule Egba office.

    “So, he said he did not want to see Kunle Poly again and asked me to meet him somewhere so that we would discuss how to carry out the assassination.

    “I told him I was not mobile and couldn’t meet him where he wanted and he drove to Igbosere to meet with me where I was.

    “He called me on phone and I went to his car. That was where we discussed the attack on Kunle Poly. After discussing, he then gave me N500,000 as advance payment for the job and promised to pay the remaining N1, 000, 000 after the job was done.

    “He told me to keep the operation a secret. That he didn’t want anyone to know about it and that was why he came to me personally. We were supposed to attack Kunle Poly on January 22 but we moved it to the next day because it was not convenient.

    “Then, on January 23, we missed the target and killed Kunle Poly’s assistant, Ganiyu Ayinla instead. I called Olohunwa to brief him on the development.

    “But instead of giving us the balance, he started avoiding my calls. So, I later called him with my private line, he picked and said he didn’t want to talk to anyone for the time being.

    “I told him to pay my balance. I was surprised when he sent his brother to give me a Toyota Camry car and I told his brother I didn’t need the car but wanted his Hyundai jeep which he brought to me.

    “His brother who brought the jeep said Olohunwa promised to balance me after which he would collect the car. The vehicle has been with me for about three weeks now.”

    However, Olohunwa denied the allegation, adding that Williams threatened to kill him and his family members if he did not give him money.

    He said the N500,000 he gave Williams was so that the suspect would leave him alone, adding that it was one of his boys who suggested he sent the money because Williams was “troublesome.”

    Olohunwa said: “Ade Lawyer called me one time I was travelling to Ede, Osun State and said he had accident along Lagos- Ibadan Expressway. He was disturbing my boy that they should tell me to do something for him.

    “I did not do anything for him and travelled to England. While abroad he was sending threat massages to me. He said if I failed to give him money, he would kill me and my family members.

    “When I came back, I called one of my boys to explain what was happening and he advised that we should give him something because he was a troublesome person. That was how I gave that my boy N500,000 to give him so as to rest.”

    Continuing, the former NURTW boss denied giving his car to Williams, insisting that it was his brother who did it.

    He said: “I did not send my brother to give him my car. I was sleeping when my son and one of my brothers came to wake me up that brother Skoda had given my car to Williams.

    “Immediately my brother gave him my car, I was looking for who to contact so as to retrieve it. That was how I knew Williams feared someone called Abija. I called that person and he told me to be patient, that he would get the vehicle back.

    “I was afraid when he threatened to kill me and my family. I was scared because I know he was a killer. He shot dead nine people who were going to Lagos Island from Ajah. He also killed NURTW Oyingbo Chairman. So, I knew he was not joking when he threatened me and my family and I needed to get him off my back.”

    Parading the suspects, Police Commissioner Imohimi Edgal said the confessions of those earlier apprehended led to their arrest.

    Edgal said: “Following the murder of Ganiyu Ayinla on January 23, the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Ibrahim Idris mandated the Intelligence Response Team (IRT) and the Technical Support Unit (TIU) to fish out the culprits.

    “Adeola Williams was arrested and he confessed that Rafiu Olohunwa Akanni former chairman of NURTW contracted him with the sum of N1.5m to assassinate Kunle Poly. “One AK47 rifle with number 3501357, two empty magazines and a black Hyundai Santa Jeep with registration number EKY741DL seized from Olohunwa were recovered from Williams.”

    Edgal said investigation was ongoing and efforts to arrest other fleeing suspects in top gear.

  • Expect changes in the transport system, LASG tells NURTW

    The Lagos State Government has advised the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) to prepare for the coming changes in the state’s transportation sector.

    Mr Akinwunmi Ambode, the Governor of Lagos State, gave the advice on Wednesday during the inauguration of the new NURTW state secretariat at Agege, Lagos.

    Ambode, represented by the Speaker, Lagos State House of Assembly, Mr Mudashiru Obasa, urged the union to key into the plan of the state government in order to be relevant to the new policy.

    “We support the chairman on his efforts to bring a new look to the union in Lagos State.

    “But development goes beyond edifice and building structures; there must be adequate preparation for new government policy on transportation by the union.

    “Government has no plan to leave anybody or union behind in its plan to make the state a mega city.

    “So, I appeal to the union to key into government’s plan and prepare for the coming changes in transportation sector in the state,” he said.

    Ambode commended the union for employing the youth in the society, and by so doing, helping to reduce crime in the society.

    Alhaji Nojeem Yasin, the National President, NURTW, in his remarks, congratulated the state union on the Secretariat.

    He appealed to the members to give more support to the state union chairman, Mr Tajudeen Agbede.

    Yasin also thanked the Lagos State Government for its support to the union.

    Agbede, earlier in his speech, commended Ambode on the giant strides he had taken in the state.

    “The construction of several flyovers and new roads across the state have helped to reduce traffic congestion during the peak periods.

    “As partner in progress with the state government, we are always ready to contribute our quota to the success of the government,” he said.

  • NURTW advocates for mobile courts to prosecute black marketers

    The National Union of Road Transport Worker (NURTW), Abdulsalam Motor Parks, Minna, Niger State, has advocated the setting up of mobile courts to prosecute “black marketers’’ to serve as deterrent to hoarders.

    The union’s Vice Chairman, Alhaji Abdullahi Na’ura, made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Minna.

    He advised the government and all relevant agencies to investigate the sources of supply of the products to black marketers and make them face similar sanctions to address the continued artificial scarcity of the product.

    Na’ura said that in Minna, many attendants at fuel stations had their agents in strategic locations in and outside the state capital to supply them with the products.

    “While motorists spend nights at filling stations, attendants are seen diverting the products to black marketers.”

    He lamented that petrol was now being sold for between N190 and N200 per litre in Minna, depending on the location of the station.

    The chairman, however, commended, the Niger Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps for setting up a task force to monitor the sale and distribution of petroleum products in the state.

    “But the task force officers can’t be at the filling stations all the time as soon as they leave, they continue with the illegal business.”

    He said that petrol queues were becoming unbearable for motorists in Minna and that it costs a lot of hardship to residents.

    It is reported that some of the filling stations operated by Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) have increased their pump price from the approved N145 per litre to between N180 to N200 per litre.

    At the NNPC mega stations and other filling stations operated by major marketers, the queues are longer as they continue to dispense at the official pump price of N145 per litre.

    In Minna town, a four-litre gallon of the product in the black market sells for N1,500 as transport fares have also increased due to the scarcity of the product.

     

     

  • Yuletide: NURTW restricts selling of alcohol in Lagos motor parks

    The National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) says it has banned sales of alcoholic drinks in all motor parks in Lagos State ahead of the festive period.

    Mr Tajudeen Agbede, the Lagos State Chairman of NURTW, made this known on Monday in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

    Agbede said that the union has set up a task force to enforce the ban in various motor parks across the state.

    “We don’t want to experience any form of accident on the highways as a result of alcoholic drinks during the festive period.

    “We have four units of the task force going round the motor parks, at least three times a week, to enforce the ban on sales of alcoholic drinks within and outside our parks,” he said.

    The union chairman said the ban was not only meant for the festive seasons, adding that it would continue after the festivities.

    Agbede also appealed to the commuters to board vehicles at the designated motor parks for security of their lives and property instead of boarding unsafe vehicles by the roadside.

    He said that the union has also put in place some security measures in all the parks to guarantee safety of the commuters.

    “Our motor parks are safe to board vehicles to anywhere you are going to in the country,” he said.

    NAN

  • NURTW Violence: Ambode suspends union activities around Oshodi

    The Lagos State Government has suspended the activities of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) at Oshodi and its environs, over the recent assassination of one of the union members.

    Prince Lanre Elegushi, the Acting Commissioner for Transportation, announced this on Monday at a news conference at Ikeja.

    Elegushi said that all union activities in the seven branches of the union affected by the crises have been suspended indefinitely.

    “This order follows the continued violence that attended the death of Alhaji Rasaq Bello, a leader of the Motorcyclists Operators Association of Lagos State (MOALS), an affiliate of the NURTW at Shogunle area of Oshodi.

    “While this order lasts, there will be no collection of tickets or fees from commuter buses operating in the area,’’ he said.

    Elegushi said that a team of state government officials and security personnel had been mandated to oversee and monitor the activities of the transport operators within the seven branches.

    The acting commissioner said the union should not to collect any tickets or fees from transport operators therein.

    He said that the suspension would remain until peace and tranquility returned to the area, based on security reports.

    Elegushi said police investigations were ongoing over the murder of the union leader, adding that any person found culpable would be prosecuted in line with the dictates of the law.

    “It is important to also emphasise that all rumour mongering, insinuations and unfounded facts should be avoided, for the sake of peaceful co-existence.

    “Any escalation of the crisis arising from the ban will lead to government taking sterner actions against the branches where violence is recorded,’’ he said.

    In his response, Alhaji Tajudeen Agbede, Chairman NURTW, Lagos State, said he supported the suspension, pending the period when peace and tranquillity would return to the area.

    Agbede said that the government had taken the right step to ensure peace in the community.

    The chairman also advised union members in the area to embrace peace and shun any form of violence that might arise as a result of the suspension.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Bello, popularly called `Hamburger’, was allegedly murdered on May 29, during the primary election to pick a councillor for Shogunle Ward E1.

     

     

    NAN