Get Guardian on GoogleThe National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN), Lagos Division, has ordered the arrest and committal to prison of the Lagos State Chairman of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Alhaji Mustapha Adekunle, popularly known as Sego, and the union’s Secretary, Usman Teslim, over alleged disobedience of its orders.
Justice Isaac Essien issued the order yesterday after the two officials failed to appear before the court to show cause why they should not be committed to prison for contempt.
The judge described their failure to obey the court’s directives as a brazen act of disobedience, warning that the authority of the court must not be undermined. Justice Essien also expressed concern over an affidavit of non-service filed by a court bailiff, Ayo Moses, who alleged that the Chief Security Officer of the sixth judgment debtor prevented him from serving the court processes on October 5, 2026.
The judge described the alleged obstruction of the bailiff in the discharge of his official duties as a dangerous development with serious consequences.
Consequently, the court ordered the arrest and detention of the two union officials at the Kirikiri Correctional Centre over their failure to comply with its lawful orders.
It directed the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, the State Commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and other law enforcement agencies to effect the arrest and hand them over to the officer in charge of the correctional facility.
The court adjourned the matter until November 16, 2026, to determine whether the officials had purged themselves of the contempt.
The proceedings stemmed from allegations that NURTW officials continued to collect daily, weekly and security tickets from commercial tricycle operators in Lagos despite the court’s judgment of December 11, 2025, recognising the Tricycle Owners Association of Nigeria (TOAN) as an independent trade union.
