NURTW boss jailed over death of residents

– The court ruled that though he was not physically present, the other accused had confessed him as their leader

– His boys also confessed that he was the owner of the car they used and that they often met in his hotel

– A witness told the court that it was during the shooting that bullets hit the deceased who died immediately while he sustained serious injuries

Alhaji Mukaila Lamidi, a former chairman of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Oyo state branch, has been given a six-year jail term.

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A high court in Ibadan sentenced Auxilliary to six years imprisonment
Lamidi, popularly called Auxilliary, was sentenced by a high court for his role in the union’s crisis that resulted in the death of some residents in Ibadan, the state capital on June 4, 2011.

Others who have been sent to jail with him include Saheed Kareem, Abu Kareem, Kazeem Kayode and Taiwo Tijani.

The Nation reports that the five persons had been on trial after their arrest in 2014.

Justice Eni Esan, who delivered the judgement, said the accused were charged with three counts of conspiracy, murder and attempted murder.

According to the report, the judge held that the prosecution witness, Akeem Agbaje, told the court that he was beside Adekunle Adedipupo, a graduating medical student who was killed in the incident, on the day the accused stormed the motor park in a Peugeot 604 belonging to Auxiliary as well as two other Micra cars, shooting sporadically.

The witness told the court that it was during the shooting that bullets hit the deceased, who died immediately while he sustained serious injuries.

The judge however discharged the accused on the charge of murder since the witness could not prove that he actually identified the killers through the head lamp of the cars they brought since the incident happened at night.

He noted that the accused mentioned Auxilliary as their leader in a statement they made to the police and that they had been meeting in his Diamond Hotel at Alakia Isebo, Ibadan.

Counsel to Auxiliary, Olalekan Ojo, said his clients would appeal the judgment.

There have often be clashes between factions of the union in various parts of the country. On Wednesday, May 11, some of the union members grounded commercial activities in a part of Lagos in protest against one of their leaders.