Four persons have been arrested by the Police in connection with the chaos that rocked the secretariat of Maritime Workers Union on Nigeria (MWUN) in Apapa on Tuesday.
Confirming the arrest, President of Dockworkers Branch of the MWUN, Comrade Adewale Adeyanju in an exclusive chat with Shipping Position Daily correspondent yesterday, alleged that the arrested persons are members of a cult group (Eiye Confraternity), he confirmed that they are currently in Police custody.
Adeyanju further alleged that those arrested were not part of recently-disengaged dockworkers; he alleged that they were sponsored by a former President General of the union, Comrade Uzoije Ukaumunna and one Maurice Fangnon.
He maintained that the rampaging gang came to the union’s secretariat with all forms of dangerous items including cutlasses and acid alleging that the former PG is determined to instigate crisis in the union.
Adeyanju explained that Tuesday’s chaos was unexpected because a letter had been written and signed by the Maurice Fangnon, who is the secretary general of a Non-Governmental Organisation called ‘Centre For The Defence Of Human Rights and Democracy In Africa (CDHRDA)’, for an invitation for a peaceful meeting, but the union vehemently turned down the invitation.
He also lauded effort made by the Area Commander of the Nigeria Police Force and that of the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Trinity Police station for their prompt response to the situation.
"About four of the gangs were arrested yesterday and they are cultists from our findings, they are currently under the police custody”, he said.
When contacted, the DPO Mr. Mukaila Yusuf of the Trinity Police station confirmed the arrests to our correspondent, but declined to give further details.
Meanwhile a copy of the letter from Centre For The Defence of Human Rights In Nigeria dated 23rd May 2016 and made available to our correspondent by the President reads in part: "Our attention has been drawn to your publication dated 12 May 2016 and we wish to appeal to you to please include this case of complaint of Comrade Uzoije Ukaumuenna and his executive on the list of the 50 disputes to be resolved and also we are inviting you for attendance and advice to our preliminary peaceful meeting with all parties scheduled for Tuesday May 31st 2016 at 1pm at the above address, 119 Osho Drive Apapa"
But the union in its own statement to the invitation which was also obtained by Shipping Position Daily, stated that the union did not scheduled any meeting for 31st May 2016, or at any other time at all.
The statement signed by the secretary general of the union; Comrade Aham Ubani reads in part: "The union has not scheduled any such meeting on 31st May, 2016,or at any other time at all, with the so called Centre for the Defence of Human Rights in Nigeria or the aforesaid Uzoije Ukaumunna and his cohorts"
"The dispute between Uzoije Ukaumunna and the MWUN and the leadership of the union is a subject of litigation currently pending at the Court of Appeal in Appeal No: CA|L|108|2013. "
"Though our union appreciates the steps you are taking to resolve some maritime dispute through alternative dispute resolution, we would however not submit to your jurisdiction to arbitrate over a matter that is pending in court as the Uzoije Ukaumunna's case"
"We therefore do not concede to any meeting in whatever form in our union premises at 199, Osho Drive Olodi Apapa, on the 31st May 2016 or at any time at all on the Uzoije Ukaumunna's issues".
The statement further added that "we also wish to point out that the invitation issued to you by some so called CDHRN is tainted with mischief and the purport of that invitation is to enable Uzoije Ukaumunna and his miscreants to gain entrance into our union's National Secretariat in order to cause a breach of peace".
"We do not see how someone will call for a meeting in another’s premises without prior notice, authorisation or consent of the owner and occupier as the CDHRN has done in this doing", it stated.
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