A 30-year-old member of the Oyo State Chapter of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Muritala Ridwan, yesterday told the police that he used the various charms and an axe found on him to protect and defend himself if the need arose.
Ridwan made the confession while being paraded alongside 13 other NURTW members arrested in connection with the violence unleashed on a faction of the union on May 29, 2019 during the inauguration of Governor Seyi Makinde at the Obafemi Awolowo Stadium, Oke-Ado, Ibadan.
They were paraded at the state Police Command Headquarters, Eleyele, Ibadan, by the Police Commissioner, Mr. Shina Olukolu.
Ridwan he was arrested at Eleyele Motor Park on May 31.
He said: “The police arrested me with my axe and some charms that I used in protecting myself if there is an attack from other faction.
“I was not arrested at the Liberty Stadium on the governor’sinauguration day but some days later, based on the fact that police are going round the Ibadan city to see if any of us would foment trouble. But I was not involved in any trouble; I just sat at my motor park waiting for my members to come and join me in the park before I was arrested.”
However, the police boss told journalists that the 14 NURTW members were arrested on May 29, about 10.45a.m., at the entrance of the Liberty Stadium, Ibadan, during the inauguration of the governor.
He said: “We accosted some hoodlums and in the process of conducting search, some dangerous weapons were recovered from them.
The names of the suspected NURTW hoodlums are: Oladimeji Opeyemi who was arrested with a double-barrelled locally-made gun with four live cartridges; Monsieur Oladejo, who was arrested with one single-barrelled gun with one live cartridge; Abdulahi Kasali arrested with two live cartridges; Yusuf Rasheed, who was arrested with criminal charms and weed suspected to be Indian hemp.
“Also, Olusola Akintomo was arrested with one sharp cutlass and criminal charms while Opeyemi Balogun, Johnson Akanji, Kabiru Afolabi, Lukman Mukaila, Samuel Taiwo, Taoreed Suleiman, were arrested with criminal charms.
“Sodiq Sarafa was arrested for illegal possession of a sharp knife, while Mutiu Rasheed was arrested for possession of one Pump Action gun.
“All of them had the aim of using the recovered gun and other dangerous items to cause mayhem to the members of the public during the inaugurationceremony.”
Other exhibits recovered from the suspects were some criminal charms, eight branded T-shirts, one badge, and one axe.


https://efefemisblog.com.ng/2019/06/05/nurtw-workers-caught-with-charms-and-diver-weapons/

Nurtw is a terrorist group.