Police, Mustapha Group Invaded, Sealed Our Secretariat Without Valid Court Order, Lament ANLCA VP, Scribe
DR. KAYODE FARINTO
By Our Reporter
The Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) on Thursday decried the invasion and sealing of its Secretariat at Amuwo Odofin, Lagos, describing the action by the Nigeria Police Force as illegal.
The action was carried out on Wednesday evening when some expelled members of the association said they have taken over the secretariat.
But the association on Thursday said the action of the Police apart from being illegal was also carried out in bad taste as it did not offer the national executive officers the right to state their own side of the case.
Besides, the association said the national executive was not served with any valid court order.
The Vice president of the association, Dr. Kayode Farinto told newsmen at a media briefing that the invasion was the second time in eight months by those he described as expelled members.
He said this was unfortunate that the invasion was carried out in company of some Policemen, adding that the Nigeria Police Force goofed for not conducting due intelligence before sealing the national secretariat.
The National Secretary of the association, Alhaji Babatunde Mukaila, also told newsmen that the Police sealed the Secretariat “without any court bailiff from the court, nor any notice from the police”.
He said that the attackers chose a more convenient time for them when some members of the NECOM were at the National Assembly on the invitation of Chairman House of Representatives Committee on Customs & Excise Hon. Leke Abejide.
He said the NECOM officers were in Abuja to speak on the new CBN policy on e-invoicing.
He said the those who participated in the action had been expelled by the association, claiming also that the court had equally sacked the board chairman, Taiwo Mustapha.
He maintained that the Police Force was deceived in respect of a court order obtained in 2019 trying to unseat the President, Mr Tony Nwabunike.
He explained that the order was challenged in court after 14 days, adding that the case was currently in court and should not have been used as a ground to seal the secretariat.
Mukaila told newsmen, “We were told they came with three policemen from Festac Division and multitude of hoodlums who came with daggers and all sort, they cut off the padlocks, they destroyed the main car entrance gate, went into the main entrance destroyed whatever they can destroy and they deflated all the car tyres and beat up all the people they met including the Youth Corpers. The end result is what everyone now knows that Taiwo Muatapha led the gang that purportedly took over the secretariat without any warrant from the police or court.
“And I want to state that there is no court bailiff present in that premises because if any court is coming to enforce any judgment with the police, the bailiff of the court ought to be there.
“After that, they left and position those three Policemen and truck loads of soldiers there. On our arrival from Abuja at about 8.00pm, we (I and VP) moved straight to the Area Command of Festac unfortunately the Area Commander had closed, but we met some officers who were able to give us hint that the court order that was gotten in August 2019 purportedly trying to unseat the Tony Iju present NECOM that was challenged in court after 14 days and the case is in court is the same order Muatapha purportedly presented to the Inspector General of Police as being valid and that the order is still enforce
“So the IG ordered the AIG Zone 2, the AIG then ordered the Area Commander Festac Division, the Area Commander then ordered the DPO to enforce that order. But today we’ve been with the Area Commander and the DPO to prove our case that the order is a spent order, so it is not supposed to be in the interest of Police without inviting the other party .
“The interesting truth about the order is that the plaintiff, Obokun Freight Forwarder told their counsel that they aren’t interested in the case anymore rather they want out of court settlement.
“We have the certified true copy of that proceeding of the court where their lawyers pronounced that they want out of court settlement and that the judge is giving us four weeks to seat together. And as we speak tomorrow was supposed to be the meeting with the counsel for the reconciliation as agreed .
“And a man who is not party to the suit led thugs to the secretariat to beat up NYSC corpers and women with cane and I have presented the case at the DPO office in Festac.
“The parents of the corpers they beat will report to the police station tomorrow so that Mustapha can give reasons what the offenses of those children were before they were beaten up” .
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