Police Arrest Notorious Oyo NURTW Chairman Auxillary

The former Chairman of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Oyo State branch, Alhaji Mukaila Lamidi (aka Auxiliary), who was declared wanted in 2010 by the Oyo State Police Command has been arrested.

It was learnt that Auxiliary was arrested early Saturday morning around his Olodo, Ibadan residence by policemen from Lagos State.

He was reportedly whisked to Lagos without contacting the Oyo State Police Command about the operation.

The Police Public Relations Officer, Oyo State Command, Mrs. Olabisi Okuwobi-Ilobanafor, a Superintendent of Police, confirmed to newsmen that the command was not aware of the arrest.

“The Oyo State Police Command is not aware of the arrest. We don’t have that information,” the state police spokesperson said.

It would be recalled that the   price was placed on Auxiliary for anyone who could provide information that could lead to his arrest following a surge of violence visited on the state by Auxiliary and his rivals in the NURTW before the 2011 general elections.

Auxiliary along with his arch rival, Alhaji Lateef Akinsola (aka Tokyo), were  declared wanted following the bloody gun attack on many innocent travellers at the Iwo Road, Ibadan motor garage on June 4, 2011.

When the news of arrest of Lamidi became public knowledge, a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain and High Chief of Ibadanland, Senator Lekan Balogun, remarked that the arrest was political.

He further alleged that Lamidi’s arrest was masterminded by the Oyo State governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi the state police commissioner, Mr. Mohammed Indabawa and a National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Confirming the arrest, Balogun said, “Auxiliary was picked up early this morning at his Olodo residential area in Ibadan. He was immediately driven away to Ikeja in Lagos. But why Ikeja? Don’t we have SARS in Oyo State? It is the connivance of the APC leader, Ajimobi and the Oyo State Police Commissioner ahead next year’s elections.

“They see him as a threat and that is why they want to get him out of circulation. The man is sick and is likely to die in police custody if his case is not addressed on time. His NURTW supporters had been driven away from many motor garages.

“Meanwhile, Auxiliary and Tokyo had once been taken to the Inspector General of Police in Abuja by Oloye Jumoke Akinjide (FCT Minister) and they were later set free. Why the arrest now and why is the Oyo State Police Command not aware of Auxiliary’s arrest?” Balogun asked.

However, in his response, Governor Ajimobi described the allegation by Senator Balogun as incoherent and baseless.

The media aide to Ajimobi, Dr. Festus Adebayo, who spoke on behalf of his boss, said, “It doesn’t make sense. In fact, we don’t want to join issues with Senator Balogun.”