The National President of the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), Williams Akporeha, on Wednesday, the 8th of October, 2025, reaffirmed before the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, that the union was not relying on the police or the court to resolve internal issues.
He stated this while being cross-examined by defence counsel, Christopher Oshomegie (SAN), during the ongoing trial of 21 former officials of the Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD) branch of NUPENG before Justice Yusuf Halilu in Maitama, Abuja.
The case involves former PTD National Chairman, Lucky Osesua, and 21 others who were arraigned by the police on a five-count charge, including attempted murder, assault, and breach of peace. The charges, numbered FCT/HC/CR/042/2023, stem from an alleged attack on the 1st of November, 2023, against Akporeha, NUPENG’s General Secretary, Olawale Afolabi, and the current PTD Chairman, Augustine Egbon.
Other accused persons include Dayyabu Garga, Humble Obinna, Akinolu Olabisi, Godwin Nwaka, Tiamiu Sikiru, Abdulmimin Shaibu, John Amajuoyi, Zaira Aregbo, Patrick Erhivwor, Stephen Ogheneruemu, Gift Ukponku, Sunday Ezeocha, and seven others. They all pleaded not guilty.
During the session, Akporeha explained that NUPENG operates over 150 branches nationwide, with PTD as one of them.
According to him, “It is not correct that one group is using the police and court against another to settle a union matter. I am the national president of the union (NUPENG); I oversee everybody. NUPENG is one body, and there are no groups. NUPENG has about 150 branches, of which PTD is one. The issue of one group against another does not arise.”
As the second prosecution witness (PW2), Akporeha recounted that the PTD held elections in June 2022 in Ibadan, where Osesua, Garga, and others emerged winners. But the National Industrial Court sitting in Yenagoa later nullified the election and ordered NUPENG to conduct another one.
He said a new election was held as directed, but some of the defendants again challenged it at the National Industrial Court in Abuja, which also nullified that process.
“After the first election was nullified, the court directed that another election be conducted. This was conducted, but some of them (defendants) went to court, and the court also nullified the second election. After this, NUPENG conducted another election in Ibadan, while some people also conducted another illegal election in Abuja. It is NUPENG that is supposed to conduct the election. The one the court directed to be supervised by NUPENG was conducted in Ibadan,” he said.
Akporeha added that many of those who organized the Abuja election ignored the Ibadan exercise that was sanctioned by the court.
He confirmed that the Osesua-led faction that conducted the Abuja election later filed a suit against the Ibadan executives and joined him as a defendant.
When asked if he had gone to install the Ibadan winners on the day of the alleged attack, Akporeha denied it, saying he and others were only performing their duties at the PTD national secretariat located at No. 50 Majekodunmi Street, Utako, Abuja.
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He told the court that the Ibadan-elected executives had already been inaugurated, while Osesua and others had no legal right to occupy the PTD secretariat.
Narrating the incident, he said that when he arrived at the secretariat, the defendants prevented him from driving into the compound, forcing him to use a smaller gate through which he and others later entered and were attacked.
He alleged that the defendants led a group of youths armed with petrol gallons and weapons to his hotel, where they destroyed property.
“I was not with Egbon, but I was on the phone with him when I heard the door to his room broken and he screamed. I also saw when he was being beaten and dragged from the fourth floor. He was beaten to a pulp,” Akporeha testified.
He said the then acting Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Utako Police Division eventually rescued him from his hotel and arrested the suspects.
Justice Halilu adjourned the matter to the 10th of November, for continuation of hearing after the defence concluded its cross-examination.