By Akinwale Kasali
Justice Isaac Essien of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria, Lagos Division, has ordered the arrest and committal to prison of the Lagos State Chairman of the National Union of Road Transport Workers, NURTW, Mustapha Adekunle, popular as Sego, and the Union’s Secretary, Usman Teslim, for alleged disobedience to Court order.
Justice Essien made the order on Monday, November 2, 2026, after the two Union Officials failed to appear before the Court to show cause why they should not be committed to prison for contempt.
Describing their actions as a brazen disobedience to Court’s orders, Justice Essien warned that the authority of the Court must not be undermined in any situation.
The Judge expressed concern over an affidavit of non-service filed by a Court Bailiff, Ayo Moses, who alleged that he was prevented from serving the Court’s processes on October 5, 2026, by the Chief Security Officer of the sixth judgment debtor.
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 held that the Two officials had committed Contempt by failing to comply with its lawful orders and directed their arrest and detention at the Kirikiri Correctional Centre.
The Court also ordered the Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Command, the Lagos State Commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, and other Law Enforcement Agencies to arrest the Officials and hand them over to the Officer in charge of the Correctional Facility.
The Judge adjourned the case to November 16, 2026, for the Court to determine whether the officials had purged themselves of the Contempt.
The proceedings arose from the alleged continued collection of daily, weekly and security tickets from commercial tricycle operators in Lagos by NURTW officials, despite the Court’s December 11, 2025 Judgment recognising the Tricycle Owners Association of Nigeria, TOOAN, as an Independent Trade Union.
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