NUPENG President recounts attack by tanker drivers in Abuja” />
By Ikechukwu Nnochiri
At a hearing held on Wednesday at the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Maitama, Williams Akporeha, President of the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), shared a chilling account of a violent assault he barely escaped. The attack was carried out by a group of roughly 20 tanker drivers, who stormed his hotel room armed with weapons and petrol containers.
Akporeha told Justice Yusuf Halilu that the assailants forcibly entered his accommodation, targeting him and fellow union officials amid tensions following a disputed union election. The attackers, led by members of the Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD) branch of NUPENG, unleashed destruction on the hotel premises, damaging doors and windows as they sought to intimidate the union leadership.
He credited his survival to the swift arrival of security forces, including the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Utako, whose timely intervention prevented the situation from escalating further.
The defendants, former PTD leaders, face a five-count charge sheet that includes attempted murder, breach of peace, and assault. The case, registered as FCT/HC/CR/042/2023, was instituted by the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice.
Besides Akporeha, the attack also targeted the union’s Secretary-General, Olawale Afolabi, and the newly elected PTD National Chairman, Augustine Egbon. Akporeha recounted witnessing Egbon being violently dragged from his hotel room on the fourth floor and severely beaten during the assault.
Among those on trial are former PTD National Chairman Lucky Osesua and several others, including Dayyabu Garga, Humble Obinna, Akinolu Olabisi, Godwin Nwaka, Tiamiu Sikiru, Abdulmimin Shaibu, John Amajuoyi, Zaira Aregbo, Patrick Erhivwor, Stephen Ogheneruemu, Gift Ukponku, and Sunday Ezeocha. All defendants have pleaded not guilty.
During cross-examination by the defense counsel, Mr. Christopher Oshomegie, SAN, Akporeha described how the attackers blocked the main hotel entrance upon spotting his vehicle, forcing him to use a side gate. Once inside, the group launched their assault on him and other union members.
He clarified that NUPENG consists of approximately 150 branches, with PTD being one of them, and denied any internal divisions within the union. Akporeha emphasized that disputes are typically resolved internally without involving law enforcement or the courts.
Providing context to the conflict, Akporeha explained that the PTD executive elections held in June 2022 in Ibadan initially declared Osesua and his faction winners. However, the National Industrial Court (NIC) in Yenagoa later annulled those results. A subsequent election in Abuja was also invalidated by the NIC, leading to a third election supervised by NUPENG in Ibadan, which was accepted as legitimate.
He noted that many supporters of the annulled Abuja election boycotted the Ibadan poll, and the Osesua-led faction subsequently filed a lawsuit challenging the validity of the Ibadan-elected executives, naming Akporeha as a defendant.
Akporeha denied allegations that he was present at the PTD national secretariat in Abuja on the day of the attack to install the Ibadan-elected executives, stating that the inauguration had already taken place and that the defendants had no rightful claim to the secretariat.
The court has adjourned the matter until November 10 for further hearing.