Williams Akporeha, the President of the Nigerian Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), has given details of how he escaped being killed.
Akporeha said but for the efforts of security personnel he would have been killed or subjected to the violent attacks that nearly claimed the lives of the union’s Secretary General, Wale Afolabi and the newly elected National Chairman of the Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD) branch of NUPENG, Augustine Egbon.
The NUPENG President spoke before a HIgh Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in Maitama while testifying as the second prosecution witness (PW2) in the attempted murder trial of 20 former leaders of the Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTDl branch of NUPENG.
A former PTD National Chairman, Mr Lucky Osesua and 19 others are being prosecuted by the police on a five count criminal charge bordering on attempted murder, breach of peace and assault.
They were in the charged marked: CR/042/2023, accused of acting “in a manner likely to cause the death of one Comrade Wiliams Akporeha and Comrade Augustine Egbon”, when they laid siege at PTD’s office at No. 50 Moses Majekodenmi Crescent , Utako District in Abuja on November 1, 2023.
The defendants were also accused of voluntarily causing grievous bodily harm to Comrade Williams Akporeha, Comrade Olawale Afolabi, Comrade Solomon Kilanko and Comrade Augustine Egbon.
On Wednesday, Akporeha told the court that trouble started shortly after himself, the NUPENG Deputy National President, Solomon Kilanko, Afolabi and Egbon arrived at the PTD office, which served as NUPENG’s Abuja liaison office.
Led in his evidence by the prosecuting lawyer, David Kaswe, the witness said
they were curious over a delay in the opening of the gate to the office building, especially with the presence of Osesua, Humble Obinna and Dayyabu Garga, at the entrance of the gate.
He recalled that the three defendants, upon sighting them started shouting and beckoning to others across the road to come quickly, adding that as he and Afolabi stepped out of the car to enter the premises of the office, the defendants started calling them thieves.
“Myself and Afolabi stepped out first and decided to enter the premises through the pedestrian gate. Immediately they saw us, the started shouting and beckoned on others across the road to come quickly,” he said.
He added that as soon as both of them entered the premises, some of the defendants swooped on both of them, adding that while they dragged Afolabi out of the premises, some security there provided human shield for him and took him to the back of the building.
The witness said as they were prevented from attacking him, all the defendants went for Afolabi, dragged him across the street where they dealt with him mercilessly.
Akporeha added that while at the back of the building he called his secretary, Mary Okafor who later opened a back door to enable him enter into the building.
He stated that while in the building, he went into the office of the branch chairman of PTD, which is facing the street where the defendants were gathered and were assaulting Afolabi and others.
Akporeha said from where he stood, he was able to see the defendants attacking both Afolabi and Kilanko, adding that two of them held jerry cans, which he suspected contained petrol.
“At a point, I couldn’t see Afolabi and Solomon but I saw blood stains on the road to the office. The defendants were standing on the road brandishing all forms of dangerous weapons and calling on me to come down.
“I became afraid of my life especially when they were saying they will burn down the building.
“I now called the driver Peter Raymond to find out his whereabouts and status of Afolabi and others. He told me that he was on his way to the clinic with Afolabi who was unconscious, heavily bleeding and motionless”,
he said.
The witness said he was still in the building when the police led by the Divisional Crime Officer (DCO) from Utako police came to rescue him.
Akporeha said he later caused a petition to be written to the police, narrating the conduct of the defendants, which led to their arrest and present charge against them.
Move by the prosecuting lawyer to tender a copy of the petition was however opposed the defence lawyer, Christopher Oshiomogie (SAN.)
Justice Yusuf Halilu however adjourned further proceedings till November 20.
