Several top aides of Benue State Governor, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia, have been dragged before a Chief Magistrate Court in Makurdi over an alleged plan to unlawfully remove Comrade Julius Agbatar as Chairman of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Benue State chapter.
The suit was filed by the NURTW and its chairman, Agbatar, through their counsel, M.S. Kwaghtyo, seeking the court’s intervention to stop what they described as an illegal move by the defendants to dissolve the union’s duly elected leadership.
Appearing before Chief Magistrate Kevin Mbanongun, the plaintiffs stated that Agbatar was legitimately elected on August 5, 2025, to serve a four-year tenure as NURTW Chairman, which is due to expire on August 4, 2029.
They alleged that barely two months into Agbatar’s tenure, certain government officials — listed as the 1st to 5th defendants — had conspired to remove him and install a caretaker committee to take over the union’s affairs in violation of the NURTW constitution.
In their application, the plaintiffs urged the court to declare the Agbatar-led State Administrative Council as the authentic leadership of the union and to restrain the defendants or their agents from tampering with the union’s structure.
Specifically, they are seeking injunctions preventing the respondents from:
1. Dissolving or interfering with the Agbatar-led executive before the end of its tenure;
2. Appointing any caretaker committee or interim leadership to replace the current executive; and
3. Allowing any group or individual to parade themselves as the legitimate leadership of the NURTW in Benue State without the consent of the recognized chairman.
The suit also requests any other reliefs the court may deem appropriate to ensure justice.
The defendants in the case include the Commissioner for Power, Renewable Energy and Transport; the Secretary to the State Government; the Commissioner for Justice; the Special Adviser to the Governor on Union and Labour Relations; the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Youth Mobilization and Empowerment; and the Commissioner of Police, Benue State Police Command.
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