Police Arrest 11 Sponsored Thugs over Attack on ANLCA Secretariat
*Arrested thugs to be handed over to SARS
By Onyinye Apeh
The Police has arrested 11 hoodlums who attacked the secretariat of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents ANLCA early Tuesday.
Numbering about 40, the thugs were alleged to have been sponsored by some leaders of the association in the Lagos who have been at loggerheads with the President, Iju Tony Nwabunike.
In the attack, the hoodlums, according to an witness were armed with AK47 rifles, Pump Action guns, pistols, daggers and charms.
The miscreants had invaded the secretariat in the early hours of Tuesday at Amuwo-Odofin, Lagos, during which they destroyed part of the building, before carting away valuables and documents.
Sources said the thugs were allegedly led by two leaders of the Grimaldi Chapter of ANLCA and Ports and Terminal Multiservices Limited PTML chapters.
The thugs who according to eye witness account were allegedly led into the secretariat by the two chapter chairmen identified as Haastrup and Obey respectively had chased the secretariat staff away, including the security men.
They were said to have arrived the secretariat with a copy of an advertorial published in Punch on September 30 sacking members of the Board of Trustees BOT of the association.
Some of the attackers, according to an eye witness were putting on black T-shirts which inscription read: ANLCA Western Zone Taskforce.
The arrested thugs are being detained at the Police Area C Command, Festac ,
Sources said the Area Command Festac will hand over the suspects to the Special Anti -Robbery Squad SARS following the arms and ammunition that were found with the thugs.
Reacting to the ugly incident, President of ANLCA, Hon. IJU Tony Nwabunike warned that his peaceful approach to address the issues in the association should not be seen as cowardice.
Nwabunike said he has made efforts to settle crisis in the association with application of peace which some people see as cowardice.
He told newsmen, “the people we are trying to make peace actually do not want it. My life would have been at grave risk if I were.in the office when these dangerously armed persons broke into the peace of the premises. It is no longer a joke because people sponsor others to attack us”.
Maritime industry stakeholders who reacted to the attack condemned leaders of the association in the Western Zone. Including chapter chairmen for failing to embrace people for personal gains.
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