Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has ordered the immediate suspension of all activities of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) across motor parks in the state, directing security agencies to arrest anyone operating in the name of the union as his administration moves to halt escalating violence linked to transport unions.
The sweeping directive followed a meeting of the Osun State Security Council chaired by the governor on Thursday, amid growing concerns over recurring clashes, gunfire and alleged political violence that have unsettled commercial activities in Osogbo and other parts of the state.
In a statement issued by the Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Kolapo Alimi, the government said the decision was reached after an extensive review of the state’s security situation and was aimed at restoring peace, law and order in motor parks.
Governor Adeleke instructed the Nigeria Police Force and other security agencies to immediately stop all NURTW activities in motor parks, stressing that the order does not amount to shutting down the parks but only suspends union operations.
He further directed that the collection of levies at motor parks be halted with immediate effect and warned that anyone parading as an official or executive of the union should be arrested and prosecuted for breaching public peace.
“I hereby direct the police and other security agencies to stop all activities of the union in all our parks across the state. I am not saying you should close the parks, but you should not allow anyone to operate in the parks in the name of the union. Anyone found contravening this order should be arrested for possible prosecution for disturbance of public peace,” the governor declared.
To enforce the directive, Adeleke approved the immediate establishment of a Rapid Response Squad comprising personnel drawn from all security agencies operating in Osun State. The squad has been tasked with ensuring compliance with the government’s order and maintaining security across the state’s motor parks.
The Security Council meeting was attended by representatives of the Nigeria Police Force, the Department of State Services (DSS), the Nigerian Army, Nigerian Air Force, Nigerian Navy, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Nigeria Immigration Service, Nigerian Correctional Service, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), and the Western Nigeria Security Network, codenamed Amotekun. Also present were the Deputy Governor, the Chief of Staff, the Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, and the Special Adviser on Security Matters.
The latest action marks a significant escalation in the state’s response to the lingering crisis surrounding motor park management and transport union activities.
Only days earlier, Adeleke had warned that his administration would strip the NURTW of control over motor parks and restore the Park Management System if violent confrontations continued.
The warning followed reports of gunfire at major motor parks in Osogbo, where commercial activities were disrupted and panic spread among traders, commuters and residents.
Reacting to the violence, the governor accused APC chieftain Asiri Eniba and his supporters of orchestrating an early morning disturbance of public peace, alleging that armed men intimidated residents and openly paraded through major motor parks in the state.
Adeleke further alleged that security personnel accompanied the group during the incident, expressing concern over what he described as police protection for individuals allegedly involved in the unrest.
“The video of sporadic shooting by Asiri and his gang is everywhere on social media. Lorry loads of policemen accompanied Asiri and his group as they paraded across motor parks in the state,” the governor alleged.
He disclosed that he had formally alerted the Inspector-General of Police and other security chiefs to the development, demanding the immediate arrest of Asiri Eniba over what he described as a blatant assault on public peace.
“I have personally called the attention of the Inspector-General of Police and other service chiefs to these open attacks on public peace. I demand the immediate arrest of Asiri Eniba for this open defiance of public security,” Adeleke said.
The latest developments have further heightened political tensions in Osun State, with the government’s decisive crackdown on transport union activities expected to ignite fresh debate over security, political influence and the control of motor parks in the state.