By Emmanuel Thomas
LAGOS – The leadership crisis rocking the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) took a dramatic turn on Tuesday as several top-ranking national officers were arrested and remanded at the Kirikiri Maximum Security Correctional Centre, Lagos.
The development followed a committal order issued by the Lagos State High Court over the officials’ alleged disobedience of a subsisting judgment regarding the leadership and autonomy of union units.
Justice Lateefa Okunnu issued the warrant of committal (Form 53) after finding that the union leaders willfully breached court orders arising from Suit No: LD/568/200. Court sheriffs executed the warrant, taking the high-ranking officials into custody and conveying them directly to the correctional facility.
High-Profile Remands
Among those named in the committal proceedings are the National President of NUPENG, Comrade Williams Akporeha; the General Secretary, Comrade Afolabi Olawale; and a Trustee, Comrade Salimon Akani Oladiti.
Other affected officials include:
Comrade Tayo Aboyeji (Chairman, Lagos Zonal Council), Comrade Saheed G. Adigun (Zonal Chairman, PTD)
Comrade Akeem Ogunmola (PTD Treasurer)
Comrade Adekunle Akinlaja (PTD Secretary)
The legal battle was initiated by Amusat Taofeek, Olusola Fagbohun, and four others, who challenged the national leadership’s attempt to forcibly merge their specialized unit—which has operated for over 12 years—with the Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD) branch.
In a previous judgment, Justice Okunnu affirmed the claimants’ constitutional right under Section 40 of the 1999 Constitution to freely associate. The court had granted a perpetual injunction restraining NUPENG from harassing or intimidating the group at the NIPCO Depot, Apapa, and other locations nationwide.
Despite these mandatory orders to recognize the unit’s autonomy and restore blocked access to depots, the court found that the defendants deliberately flouted the directives. This defiance prompted the issuance of the arrest warrant dated October 20, 2025.
Drama at Kirikiri.
The enforcement of the order was not without controversy. Reports emerged of a standoff at the Kirikiri facility during the handover of the contemnors.
Sources familiar with the operation revealed that the court sheriff expressed dissatisfaction with the conduct of Nigerian Correctional Service officials, led by one Oluwole Taiwo.
The sheriff reportedly alleged a “compromise of established correctional protocols” regarding the admission and remand process of the union leaders.
While the specific nature of these procedural lapses remains undisclosed, the tension at the prison gates delayed the full execution of the court’s directive and has drawn fresh scrutiny to the enforcement of judicial orders in high-stakes union disputes.
As of Tuesday evening, the embattled leaders remain in custody pending their compliance with the court’s orders.
The national secretariat of NUPENG has yet to issue an official statement regarding the imprisonment of its top brass.
