· Former PTML Chairman Others Arrested Over Assault On President
The Association of Nigeria Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) has confirmed the arrest of its chieftain and factional Secretary of Board of Trustees, Prince Taiye Oyeniyi for allegedly masterminding the attack on the association’s secretariat last year.
Recall that some hoodlums had attacked the ANLCA secretariat in October last year with an attempt to destroy it.
However, briefing newsmen yesterday, the association informed that ANLCA scribe including the Western Zone Coordinator of the association, Mr John Oforbike and others were arrested for carrying out the attack on the secretariat.
Speaking on the arrests, the National Vice President of the association, Mr. Kayode Farinto informed that the BoT strong man Taiye Oyeniyi was arrested after noticing that he was the one who sponsored the hoodlums while Sir, John Offorbike was arrested for issuing ID cards to the hoodlums who are not members of the association to perpetrate the destruction.
Farinto further informed that following the brandishing of weapons at the Tin Can Island Chapter of the association by hoodlums threatening lives of members, the association reported the situation to the police, which led to the arrest of some of the hoodlums.
“We call this meeting to intimate you about the present state of ANLCA because a lot of events have happened in the last few months, I am sure you are aware of the BOT election we had in Owerri, where the Governor came to honour it, after that the elected BOT supervised the Western zone election which includes the Tin Can Island chapter, Apapa chapter, PTML, Seme, and the Excos have started working, but we notice that some people who are parading themselves as executives in the western zone are actually constituting nuisance in the port, which we have reported to the police.
“You are also aware that some few months ago, some hoodlums came to our secretariat with different kinds of ammunition including AK 47, to attack the person of the President and some NECOM members, we also notice that in the last few weeks, miscreants and cultists have taken over the Tin Can Island secretariat threatening the lives of members. So we reported the case to AIG Alagbon and he is investigating it, one of the former BoT member, Prince Taiye Oyeniyi has been arrested because we notice that he seems to be the one sponsoring these hoodlums, recall that when one of them was arrested back in October at the then SAS office, he made attempt to free them and recently again we saw these boys at Tin Can Island secretariat brandishing guns and we made our investigation and we reported the case to the AIG presently Prince Taiye Oyeniyi has been invited and making his case there in the last 24 hours.”
The ANLCA second in command added that: “So we would like to use this medium to call on genuine members of ANLCA to be law abiding, if there are operational challenges they are facing that cannot be handled by the chapter, don’t hesitate to inform the secretariat in order to quickly nip it in the bud.
“We also want to pass vote of confidence on the AIG Alagbon zone who is handling this investigation, so far so good, he has shown that he is competent and a man of integrity irrespective of whatever anybody is saying.
“If there are operational challenges confronted by members this is actually looked into by the Tony Iju led administration, we will continue to do what is called game of engagement with agencies we will engage them”.
He stressed that people of questionable character who are not even freight forwarder will no longer have a dwelling place in the port anymore.
“ANLCA will not tolerate that and that’s why we quickly run to Federal Government to investigate whoever is found culpable should face the music”.
Also speaking, the National Secretary General of the association, Mr Babatunde Mukaila also informed that leaders of miscreants who assaulted the National President during a courtesy visit to the Comptroller if PTML have been arrested and will be charged to court on the 29th of March 2021.
He alleged that the miscreants who attacked the secretariat were OPC members who were sponsored by Prince Taiye Oyeniyi and Alhaji Taiwo Mustapha.
“It was quite an unfortunate incident that happened on the 6th of October last year where there was an invasion of the secretariat by some armed thugs, of course they were arrested right there and handed over to police, that matter now is undergoing a judicious process before a competent court of jurisdiction.
“Those guys who attacked ANLCA are not members of ANLCA, but OPC members that were recruited by Alhaji Taiwo Mustapha who paid the bill, while Taiye Oyeniyi did the recruitment, but the story they gave the OPC was that the Igbos have taken over the ANLCA secretariat and the OPC boys felt such thing should not happen in Lagos state, but when they were arrested, I was the pointer man at the point of action and then the VP came in and they were surprised to see two Yoruba men, when they thought it was true that the Igbos have taking over, so they pleaded, but of course the law have to take it’s cause. so all those guys are not members of ANLCA even though they came in with paraphernalia of ANLCA having ID cards purportedly issue by John Offorbike the case is coming up on the 29th of March at Ogba magistrate court” he said.
Speaking on the assault on the National President, he explained that, “the President was on a courtesy call to the Comptroller of PTML command and you know the inaccessibility of that road into the port, so he made his way into the port through the waterways, he alighted and made his way with the presence of the Vice President, Financial Secretary and some other top notch members. However, from nowhere some hoodlums brandishing weapons accosted them trying to divert the movement of the President and NECOM stating that the Chairman taskforce was calling the President, in the pandemonium everybody ran for safety while the President was disposed of his two phones and then some ANLCA members who stumble on the scene came to his rescue, and that was the safety bet of the President. However, those guys brandishing weapons beat up those who came to rescue the President mercilessly and severely injured them and the issue is before the police and that’s why some of the leaders of that assault have been in cell in the last four days”.
Meanwhile. the Police have released some leaders of the ANLCA leaders who were arrested for their alleged involvement in the crises which have engulfed the association for about three years.
Our correspondents confirmed on Thursday that they were all granted bail.
