Former NUPENG National Chairman of the Petroleum Tanker Drivers Branch, Lucky Osesua, his Deputy, Mr. Dayyabu Yusuf Garga, and one Humble Obinna are currently detained at the Keffi Correctional Facility in Nasarawa State.
The three NUPENG chiefs, who have since been placed on indefinite suspension by the Union’s national secretariat, were previously arraigned before Chief Magistrate Court 5 in Wuse Zone 2 on Thursday for attempted murder, homicide, attempted arson, property destruction, and disturbance of public peace.
Their arrests and arraignment followed their alleged physical assaults on Comrade Williams Akporeha, Wale Afolabi and Augustine Egbon, President, General Secretary and newly elected National Chairman of the PTD- NUPENG, respectively.
Findings revealed that the NUPENG President and General Secretary had accompanied the new PTD National Chairman, Egbon and other members of his Executive to the Union national secretriat in Abuja on Wednesday at the end of a Special Delegates Conference for the PTD Branch of NUPENG held in Ibadan, where he and others emerged as national officers of PTD- NUPENG.
The fresh election was sequel to the judgment of Justice Bashar Alkali of the National industrial Court of Nigeria, in the Yenagoa Judicial Division, Bayelsa State, which nullified the Petroleum Tanker Drivers Branch of NUPENG election held on 30th June 2O22 in Ibadan, by NUPENG.
Speaking with newsmen at the weekend, General Secretary, Wale Afolabi, who was one of the national officers assaulted, alleged that the physical assaults on the national officers were orchestrated by the former national officers displaced by the judgment of Justice Alkali.
He disclosed that they proceeded to conduct a parallel election in Abuja in contravention of the Bye Law of the Branch and Constitution of the Union.
He narrated: “At the end of the peaceful elections new leaders emerged for the Petroleum Tanker Drivers Branch of NUPENG and in line with the tradition and practices of the Union, on the day after the elections, Wednesday, 1st November 2023, the President of the Union, Comrade Williams Akporeha and the General Secretary of the Union together with the Chairman of the Caretaker Committee set up after of the court dissolution of the former executive decided to escort six principal officers of the newly elected executive of the Branch to the Branch office in Abuja.
“We all boarded Green Africa Airline 8.05 am flight from Ibadan to Abuja and we landed at 9.15 am, after which we all proceeded in two different cars to the office.
“The car conveying the President, General Secretary and the new Branch National Chairman arrived the PTD office gate at about 10.45 am without knowing that some assailants and thugs armed with dangerous weapons were already laying in waiting for our arrival, these group were being led by Mr Lucky Osesua, Mr Dayyabu Yusuf Garga and Mr Peter Moudebelu.
“These assailants viciously attacked the team of Comrade Williams Akporeha, my humble self who is the General Secretary of the union was seriously wounded and same vicious treatment meted to Comrade Solomon Kilanko. They stole valuables including wristwatches, money, shoes and telephones from our team.
“Eventually I was rescued and rushed to Zamkli Medical Centre in Mabushi while others scattered around with various injuries.
“Comrade Augustine Egbon the new Chairman escaped into the nearby PTD Hotel and these assailants traced him into his and broke into his room, beat him mercilessly and dragged him from 3rd floor to the ground floor and he was left unconscious right here In Abuja. It was indeed a gory and terrifying experience for a 68-year-old man.
“However when the matter was reported at FCT Police Command, only Mr Lucky Osesua, Humble Obinna and Mr Dayyabu Yusuf Garga were arrested and subsequently charged to Court for attempted murder, homicide, attempted arson, destruction of property and disturbance of public peace. They are currently remanded in Keffi Prison.
“There are still so many of these assailants on the prowl, threatening to burn down the Union offices across the country and hotel but much more terrifying is the threats to our lives and that of our families.
The Security Agencies are on the trail of other assailants on the run.”