The leader of the proscribed National Union of Toad Transport Workers (NURTW) in Oyo State Mr. Mukaila Lamidi (aka Auxilliary) has been arraigned for allegedly vandalising campaign billboards of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and some other All Progressives Congress (APC) candidates in the state.
Tinubu is the presidential candidate of the APC in the 2023 polls.
According to the charge sheet, Auxilliary was arraigned on a six-count charge bordering on wilful destruction of billboards of APC candidates in Igbo-Ora and Ido areas of Ibadan.
He was dragged to court by the Commissioner of Police.
At the hearing on Thursday, tens of his supporters stormed the Ibadan North East Local Government premises of the Magistrate Court to solidarise with him.
Amotekun personnel were also mobilised to provide security for the court and the council facilities.
The charge sheet shows that Auxiliary was being prosecuted for “Malicious damage and Conduct likely to cause breach of the peace and thereby committed an offence Contrary to and punishable under Section 517 of the Criminal Code, Cap 38, Vol. II, Laws of Oyo State of Nigeria, 2000.”
He was alleged of committing the offence on November 13.
While the vandalised Tinubu’s billboard was said to cost N1.2m, that of the party’s candidate for Ido/Ibarapa East Constituency Aderemi Oseni was valued at N3 million.
Auxilliary was alleged to have committed the offence along with some others who were at large “in a manner likely to cause breach of the peace by destroying APC Political Party billboards.”
After pleading ‘Not Guilty,’ to the charges, the magistrate Taiwo Oladiran granted him N500,000 bail and two sureties in like sum.
Hearing was adjourned to February 2, 2023.
Auxiliary is the chairman, disciplinary committee of the Park Management System (PMS), a task force introduced by Governor Makinde to manage activities of NURTW in the state after he (Makinde) proscribed the union.
His name has been a recurring decimal in the drivers’ union violent activities since 2003 with several people calling on the Governor to stop his involvement in park activities as he is believed to be violent.
He was convicted of murder during the tenure of former Governor Abiola Ajimobi.
He completed his jail term shortly before the end of Ajimobi’s tenure in 2019 and immediately joined Makinde’s supporters.