Oluyinka Onigbinde
The Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) said the association will petition the Inspector General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba over use of the Nigeria Police Force(NPF) by some expelled members of the association to seal-off the associations’ secretariat on Wednesday.
Vice president of the association, Dr. Kayode Farinto speaking at a press briefing on Thursday, stated that the NPF goofed for not carrying out due investigation before being used to carry out the illegal act on the national secretariat.
Speaking earlier, the National Secretary of ANLCA, Mr Babatunde Mukaila, informed that the attack on the secretariat was carried out without any court bailiff , noting that the sealing of the secretariat is illegal.
He disclosed that the attack on the secretariat was carried out while some members of the leadership (NECOM) were at the National Assembly on the invitation of Chairman House of Representatives Committee on Customs & Excise duty; Mr Leke Abejide, to come speak on the CBN new policy on e-invoicing.
He alleged that hoodlums led by factional board chairman, Taiwo Mustapha with the help of the police invaded the association’s secretariat.
Mukaila informed that the Police were deceived with a court order obtained in 2019 purportedly trying to unseat the Tony Iju led present NECOM, he however said the order was challenged in court after 14 days stating that the case is in court and as such cannot be used as a ground to seal up the secretariat.
Mukaila added that the hoodlums burgled the gate and beat up members of staff they met at the secretariat, including serving National Youth Service Corp members serving in respective department at the ANLCA secretariat with cane.
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Explaining further he said: “We were told they came with three policemen from Festac and multitude of hoodlums who came with daggers and all sort, they cut off the padlocks they destroyed the main car entrance, went to 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.
“And I want to state that there is no court bailiff present in that premises because if any court is coming to enforce any judgement with the police, the bailiff of the court ought to be there.
“After that, they left and position those three police men and truck loads of soldiers there. On arrival, we move straight to the Area Command of Festac unfortunately the Area Commander has 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 Mustapha purportedly presented to the Inspector General as being valid and that the order is still in force
“So the IG ordered the AIG Zone 2, the AIG then ordered the Area Command the Area Command then ordered the DPO to enforce that order, but today we’ve been with the Area Command and the DPO to proof 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.
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