NUPENG Trial: Deputy President Recounts Brutal Ambush

By Love Oyedokun

ABUJA — The legal battle surrounding the leadership crisis of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) intensified on Tuesday as the union’s Deputy President, Mr. Olujide Kilanko, provided a harrowing eyewitness account of a violent ambush allegedly orchestrated by former officials of the Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD) branch.

Cablenews24 reports that testifying as the third prosecution witness (PW3) before Justice Yusuf Halilu of the FCT High Court, Kilanko detailed a coordinated assault that left him unconscious and several other high-ranking union members severely injured.

The testimony is part of a broader legal conflict (Case No: FCT/HC/CR/042/2023) involving Lucky Osesua, the former National Chairman of the PTD, and 20 other defendants. The group faces a five-count charge including attempted murder, assault, and breach of public peace.

The roots of the violence trace back to internal friction within NUPENG and its powerful tanker driver wing. Tensions boiled over on November 1, 2023, at the union’s secretariat in Utako, Abuja—a location that became the scene of what the prosecution describes as a premeditated assassination attempt on the union’s top brass, including President William Akporeha and Secretary-General Olawale Afolabi.

Recounting the morning of the attack, Kilanko described a deceptive calm at the union headquarters. “We arrived at No. 50 Majekodunmi Crescent. Usually, the driver honks twice and the gate opens. This time, there was no response,” Kilanko told the court.

When the Secretary-General and the President stepped out of the vehicle to investigate the silence, Kilanko noticed Lucky Osesua standing by the gate. According to the witness, Osesua gave a signal, shouting, “They have come!”

“I looked in the direction he signaled and saw the rest of the defendants charging toward us. They were armed with stones, sticks, and pieces of broken concrete,” Kilanko testified

The Deputy President described a desperate struggle for survival. While he managed to squeeze through a pedestrian side-gate, he was quickly cornered by the mob. He alleged that the defendants blocked his path, striking his legs and face until he collapsed.

“They hit me on my legs and busted my lips. They continued to kick me even after I fell. I passed out from the beating,” Kilanko said. He noted that when he briefly regained consciousness, he saw the union’s Secretary-General, Afolabi, lying motionless on the ground nearby.

Despite his injuries, Kilanko managed to eventually limp away from the immediate vicinity of the mob. He was later rescued by a driver sent by a fellow union member and transported to a private medical facility. “The next thing I remember clearly was waking up in a hospital bed with a doctor attending to me,” he added.

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During cross-examination, defense counsel Christopher Oshomegie (SAN) questioned the consistency of Kilanko’s testimony, asking why his initial police statement lacked the vivid detail provided in court. Kilanko maintained that his physical condition at the time prevented him from writing a detailed report. “The statement was dictated; I was too tired and injured to write it myself,” he explained.

The proceedings took a sharp turn when prosecution counsel David Kaswe moved for the revocation of Lucky Osesua’s bail, alleging a breach of bail conditions. The defense vehemently opposed the motion, labeling the request “inhuman” and “reprehensible,” arguing that the defendants were already being marginalized by being denied access to fuel depots.

Justice Yusuf Halilu, however, defended the prosecution’s right to make the request. While emphasizing that bail is a constitutional right, the judge reminded the defendants that their “contractual agreement” is with the court. “The prosecutor has the right to ask for revocation if he believes terms were breached. I am the judge here, and I will decide based on the formal application,” Halilu stated.

The court admitted Kilanko’s hospital records and police statements as exhibits. The trial has been adjourned until April 28, 2026, for further hearing as the union continues to grapple with the fallout of the 2023 violence.

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