By Oluyinka Onigbinde
As the Association of Nigeria Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) prepares for its Board of Trustees (BoT) election, the administration of President Emenike Nwokeoji is investigating the previous leadership under Mr Tony Iju Nwabunike for alleged financial misconduct.
The probe, driven by a petition to the Police, was initiated by ANLCA National Secretary, Mr. Olumide Fakanu, and was specifically focused on the Murtala Muhammed Airport (MMA) Chapter, which was the only financially active chapter during Nwabunike’s tenure. The petition has drawn attention to potential financial irregularities under the former leadership.
Former ANLCA National Secretary, Otunba Babatunde Mukaila, who is significantly implicated in the petition, addressed the allegations during a press conference. His response was prompted by an online article with the headline, “Conspiracy, Stealing of ANLCA Money Trails Mukaila, Days to BoT Election.”
Mukaila recounted that he was indeed invited by the Nigerian Police in connection with the matter, but clarified the situation.
He explained that, in 2022, members of the Western Zone faction attacked the ANLCA National Secretariat in February, leading to its closure by the Police from March to May. A subsequent attack in August of the same year by the same Western Zone members and a factional BoT led to the installation of an interim National President, Pius Ujubounu, and interim Secretary, Joe Sanni. However, the police intervened again and locked down the secretariat until December 28th, 2022, when Nwabunike’s administration regained control.
“These are facts in the public domain,” Mukaila stated. “Nevertheless, the former NECOM continued operations and ensured that all staff salaries, including payments to the police officers on guard, were paid. As the head of the National Secretariat, I covered all administrative expenses during this turbulent period.”
Mukaila also refuted claims made in the online report regarding N500 million in fraudulent dealings. “There was no mention of any such amount in the Police petition or during my interaction with the Police,” he emphasized.
Mukaila further elaborated on the Police invitation: “I received an official letter through the ANLCA National Secretariat on August 7th, 2024, inviting me for an interview with the Commissioner of Police on August 8th. The invitation stemmed from an ongoing investigation in which my name featured prominently.”
Mukaila stated that he was not in Lagos at the time of the invitation, attended the meeting on August 12th, where he requested to see the petition. He was informed that the petition involved the MMA Chapter and that, as National Secretary under Nwabunike, he was considered a person of interest. “The letter was sent to me in care of the ANLCA National Secretariat, so I forwarded it to ANLCA National President Mr. Emenike Nwokeoji and National Secretary Deacon Olumide Fakanu,” he stated.
Both Nwokeoji and Fakanu claimed they were unaware of the petition, leading Mukaila to attend the Police meeting with his bank statements. “I presented my bank records from the time I assumed office until I left as the sole administrator of ANLCA,” Mukaila said. He informed the Police that he no longer had access to the financial vouchers they requested, advising them to contact the ANLCA Secretariat for these documents.
“My second visit to the Police station was focused on identifying the petitioner,” Mukaila revealed. “To my surprise, it was Mr. Fakalu, the ANLCA National Secretary. The legal adviser for the Western Zone during the leadership crisis was also a signatory to the petition.”
Following this discovery, the Police acknowledged the matter as an internal association issue and advised both parties to resolve it within ANLCA. “However, Fakanlu mentioned that the ANLCA President had directed that the case be taken to court,” Mukaila explained.
Mukaila suggested that the timing of the petition and the media report was a deliberate attempt to sabotage his candidacy in the BoT election. Nevertheless, he maintained that the effort was a failure, stating that the MMA Chapter had been financially supportive during the Nwabunike administration, increasing their monthly dues from N700,000 to N1 million.
“There were many times when I had to personally cover the costs of staff salaries and operational expenses during the attacks, as access to the National Secretariat and banking instruments was blocked by the police,” Mukaila explained. He categorically denied any involvement in a N500 million fraud and emphasized that the Police had not accused him of such.
Mukaila also addressed rumors that Prince Bamgbala Adewusi, Chairman of the MMA Chapter, was financially supporting his campaign. “I have submitted my bank statements to the Police, and no such claim has been made. In fact, I was the one financially sustaining the ANLCA Secretariat during the crises while those filing petitions were busy sponsoring attacks on the secretariat with armed OPC members and issuing fake ANLCA ID cards,” Mukaila argued.
He concluded by detailing the MMA Chapter’s financial contributions during the attacks, stating that a total of N3,620,000 was received as follows:
- N1,000,000 in March 2022
- N1,000,000 in April 2022
- N700,000 in September 2022
- N600,000 in December 2022
- N200,000 in December 2022
- N100,000 in December 2022
“This period coincided with the secretariat being under police lockdown, yet salaries for eight staff members, police officers, and utility bills still had to be paid. All these expenses were approved by the Acting National President at the time, even as the Western Zone members orchestrated these attacks,” Mukaila concluded.
