Rumoured Arrest

Against the backdrop of his rumoured arrest by Police yesterday,factional President of National Council of Managing Directors of Licensed Customs Agents (NCMDLCA); Mr. Lucky Eyis Amiwero has described those behind the rumour as spreading outright falsehood.
Rumour of his alleged arrest spread like wild fire within the maritime industry in Lagos yesterday. It was linked to his opposition to the controversial collection of the Practitioners Operations Fees (POF) by the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN) and also because of a letter that was sent to the association’s factional deputy president; Mr. Uchu Block, purportedly from the office of Secretary General of the Federation.

In an earlier statement sent to Shipping Position Daily yesterday by the publicity secretary (Mr. Festus Ukwu) by the other faction of the same association, it was alleged that Mr Amiwero had been arrested and detained for impersonation by the Police in Abuja.

Buttressing his allegation, Mr Ukwu, in a chat with one of our correspondents also alleged that Mr Amiwero is not a registered freight forwarder; hence he (Amiwero) was not supposed to be involved in issues surrounding CRFFN operations.

Ukwu also alleged that the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Transport ordered Amiwero’s arrest.

The statement read thus: "The Federal Govt has arrested Lucky Amiwero for parading himself as a freight forwarder and president of Council of Managing Directors of Licensed Customs Agents.

“He will be charged for impersonation where he is held at Abuja." “You will hear more of this developing news as it unfolds”.
But when one of our correspondents contacted Mr. Lucky Amiwero via the telephone, he condemned the statement, saying that he is in Abuja for the purpose “of making things better for the maritime sector.”
“Arrest me for what, for doing what, how can someone say I have been arrested”?

Amiwero said, "I was never detained by anybody in Abuja and if I am arrested, how can I receive calls or make calls, if I am being detained by EFCC, ICPC or even the Police".

According to him, there is no way he can be arrested for condemning what is not right.
He maintained that the collection of the Practitioners Operations Fee is illegal.

Amiwero said that his presence in Abuja is to work on how the industry will move forward from where it is at the moment and not to join issues with anybody or associations.
He however confirmed that he has been in Abuja for about three weeks.