By; RAYMOND TEDUNJAYE, Lagos
Police operatives attached to the Zone 2 headquarters and some expelled members of the Association of Nigeria Licensed Customs Agents have been alleged to have illegally invaded the national Secretariat of the Association and sealed it up.
The police operatives, accompanied with their counterpart from Festac Division, along with some thugs, were alleged to have vandalised the gate of the Secretariat and inflicted several degree of injuries on those met in the office, including some youth corps members serving in the Secretariat.
They were alleged to have carried out the illegality in connivance with some expelled members of the Association, who deceived the police authority in Abuja with an expired court injunction, that is subject of litigation.
The National Vice President of ANCLA Dr. Kayode Farinto while addressing journalists on the sealing of the secreatriat, alleged that the policemen carried out the illegality the without either a valid court order or serving the accused with any right to state their side of the story, while matters are in court.
He however vowed to petition the Inspector General of Police over the illegality and unprofessional conduct of the Zone Police headquarters, Onikan Lagos.
When contacted, the Zonal Police Public Relations Officer SP Hauwa Idris Adamu demanded to the Section of the Zonal headquarters that carries out the act from our correspondent.
Hauwa said she can not comment on the matter until our correspondent verify the section.
A statement by the Association reads, ” The Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) has reacted to what they termed shinanigans being carried out by expelled members of the association, accusing the Nigeria Police, Zone 2 of being culpable and backing them to carried out illegally attacks on innocent citizens at the ANLCA’s secretariat without hearing from both sides.
The association also said they are investigating the matter and will petitioned the Inspector General of Police for the show of shame the police is involving themselves in a matter that is in court.
For the second time, the Nigerian Police Zone 2 have carried out alleged illegal sealing up of the ANLCA National Secretariat located at Amuwo Odofin part of Lagos State without either a valid court order or serving the accused with any right to state their side of the story, while matters are in court.
The association at a press briefing on Thursday, while reacting to the recent attack on the national secretariat of the association for the second time in less than eight months by alleged hoodlums led by expelled members of the association in company of some Policemen has cried out of victimization by the NPF.
The Vice president of the association, Dr. Kayode Farinto speaking during the briefing stated that the NPF goofed for not carrying out due investigation before being used to carry out the illegal act on the ANLCA national secretariat.
Speaking earlier the National Secretary of the association, Alhaji Babatunde Mukaila, informed the media that the attack on the ANLCA National secretariat was carried out without any court bailiff from the court, nor any notice from the police, noting that the sealing of the secretariat is illegal. He informed that the attacked on the secretariat was carried out while some members of the NECOM where at the National Assembly on the invitation of Chairman House of Representatives Committee on Customs & Excise Hon. Leke Abejide, to come speak on the new CBN policy on e-invoicing, he said the hoodlums were allegedly led by expelled and court sacked acclaimed board chairman, Taiwo Mustapha with the help of the police.
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 further informed that the hoodlums burgled the gate and beat up members of staff they met at the secretariat including Corp members serving their father’s land in respective department at the ANLCA secretariat with cane, also punturing tyres of packed vehicles in the watchful eyes of Policemen.
Explaining further he said “We were told they came with three policemen from Festac Division and multitude of hoodlums who came with daggers and all sort, they cut off the padlocks, they destroy the main car entrance gate, went into the main entrance destroy 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 tookover the secretariat without any warrant from the police or court.
“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 Policemen and truck loads of Soldiers there. On our arrival from Abuja at about 8.00pm, we (I and VP) 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 Muatapha purportedly presented to the Inspector General of Police as being valid and that the order is still enforce
“So the IG ordered the AIG Zone 2, the AIG then ordered the Area Commander Festac Division, the Area Commander then ordered the DPO to enforce that order. But today we’ve been with the Area Commander 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 .
“The interesting truth about the order is that the plaintiff, Obokun Freight Forwarder told their counsel that they aren’t interested in the case anymore rather they want out of court settlement.
“We have the certified true copy of that proceeding of the court where their lawyers pronounce that they want out of court settlement and that the judge is giving us four weeks to seat together.And as we speak tomorrow was supposed to be the meeting with the counsel for the reconciliation as agreed .
“And a man who is not party to the suit led thugs to the secretariat to beat up NYSC corpers and women with cane and I have presented the case at the DPO office in Festac.
“The parents of the corpers they beat will report to the police station tomorrow so that Mustapha can give reasons what the offense of those children before they were beaten up” he questioned.
