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

This accusation came on the heels of a vote of no confidence passed in the leadership of NUPENG by the Lagos Zone of Petroleum Tanker Drivers Branch of the union (PTD). The vote of no confidence was passed in the National President, Williams Akporeha, and the General Secretary, Afolabi Olawale by ADITOP which accused them of greed, rascality, impunity, manipulation, highhandedness, and gross incompetence in leadership. 

The PTD position was the outcome of an emergency meeting held by the state’s zonal executives of PTD on Monday, September 8, 2025, following a rising tension over Dangote Refinery and MRS Holdings Limited’s alleged resistance to unionization of its drivers and deployment of 4,000 Compressed Natural Gas (CNG)-powered trucks across Nigeria for the nationwide distribution of petroleum products. 

In a statement on Monday in Abuja, while reacting to the purported strike by NUPENG, ADITOP accused NUPENG of extortion and excessive levy collection.  

The National President of ADITOP, Lawal Dan-zaki dissociated members of the association from the purported strike, noting that the association was primarily formed to checkmate the excesses of NUPENG, petroleum tanker drivers, and multiple illegal levy collectors operating under NUPENG.  

He noted that in the past five years, the association wrote multiple petitions to various government agencies complaining about NUPENG’s extortion and illegal activities within the downstream sector.  

He stated that the petitions were adjudicated by the Inspector-General of Police, State Security Services, National Security Advisor, and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation. 

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

He 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. 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.’’