Energy: Fuel transporters accuse NUPENG of extortion, collection of excessive levies

*The Lagos Zone of Petroleum Tanker Drivers Branch of the Union passes a vote of no confidence on the leadership of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers Leaders, accusing the Union of ‘extortion’ and collection of ‘excessive levies’

Alexander Davis | ConsumerConnect

The Association of Distributors and Transporters of Petroleum Products (ADITOP) has accused the leadership of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) of extortion and excessive levies collection within the downstream sector.

The Lagos Zone of Petroleum Tanker Drivers Branch of the Union (PTD) made the accusation over a recent vote of no confidence passed on the leadership of NUPENG.

Dangote Group, in a statement Tuesday, September 9, 2025, noted that the tanker drivers, under the auspices of ADITOP, passed the vote of no confidence on Comrade (Prince) Williams Akporeha, National President, and Comrade Afolabi Olawale, General Secretary.

They also accused the leadership of NUPENG of greed, rascality, impunity, manipulation, high-handedness, and gross incompetence in leadership.

The company said the PTD position was the outcome of an emergency meeting held by the State’s Zonal Executives of PTD Monday, September 8, following a rising tension over Dangote Petroleum Refinery and MRS Holdings Limited’s alleged resistance to unionisation of its drivers and deployment of 4,000 Compressed Natural Gas (CNG)-powered trucks across Nigeria for the nationwide distribution of petroleum products.

Reacting to the suspended strike by NUPENG, ADITOP Monday, September 8, in a statement had accused NUPENG of extortion and excessive levies collection.

Alhaji Lawal Dan-zaki, National President of ADITOP, dissociated the Association from the strike.

Dan-zaki noted that the Association was primarily formed to checkmate the excesses of NUPENG, Petroleum Tanker Drivers, and multiple illegal levy collectors operating under NUPENG.

The President also said that in the past five years, the Association had written multiple petitions to various government agencies complaining about NUPENG’s extortion and illegal activities within the downstream sector.

These petitions, he said, had been adjudicated by the Inspector-General of Police, Department of State Security (DSS) Services, National Security Adviser, and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.

Dan-zaki said that NUPENG fed on this extortion, while remitting zero taxes to the Federal Government.

Dan-zaki stated: “NUPENG, PTD, and many other unions and associations hiding under the NUPENG umbrella, extort ADITOP members and depot owners one Naira per litre of every product loaded in a depot.

“Additionally, NUPENG, through PTD, collects an additional one Naira per litre of loaded product by any marketer.”

He further said: “This is in addition to loading charges of N80,000 to N100,000 per truck.

“This is outright extortion and economic sabotage by NUPENG, PTD, and their affiliated unions and associations.”