Why Some ANLCA Chieftains were arrested – Farinto

– Those who attacked our Secretariat were OPC Members hired by Taiwo Mustapha- ANLCA Secretary

The Association of Nigeria Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) has confirmed the arrest and detention of some of its members by the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID), Alagbon in Lagos State. Among the arrested Chieftains are ANLCA former Board of Trustees Secreatary, Prince Taiye Oyeniyi and Western Zone Coordinator, John Ofobike (Dankatsina).

They were pick up days ago by the FCID for allegedly masterminding the attack on the association’s Secretariat and also attacking the National President of ANLCA.

Nwabunike was allegedly attacked and robbed by some hoodlums in the face of the crises ostensibly sponsored by some aggrieved chieftains of the association on February 18, 2021 at Ports Terminal and Multiservices Limited (PTML) in Lagos during a visit where his phones ,cash and other valuables were taken away from him.

Recall that on Tuesday October 6, 2020, the ANLCA National Headquarters in Lagos was reportedly invaded by about 40 armed thugs who came with guns, cutlasses, knives and charms. The thugs were said to have broken into the property, chased away staff and carted away valuable documents and cash.

Speaking with newsmen yesterday, the National Vice President of the association, Dr Kayode Farinto informed that the BoT former scribe, Prince Taiye Oyeniyi was arrested after noticing that he was the one who recruited and sponsored the hoodlums. While, John Ofobike was found to be the one who issued the hoodlums ( Odua Peoples Congress, OPC) with the ANLCA Western Zone Identity Cards with his phone number on it to carrying out the attack which was aimed at the National President and his Executives.

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 and that led to the arrests of some of the hoodlums and their alleged sponsors.

According to him “We call this briefing to intimate you about the present state of events in ANLCA, because a lot of events have happened in the last few months. Am sure you are aware of the BOT election we had at Owerri, where the Governor of Imo State, Senator Hope Uzodinma came to honour us. After that, the elected BOT supervised the Western Zone elections, which includes the Tin Can Island chapter, Apapa chapter, PTML, Seme, KLT, Ikorodu and the Executives 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 ports, which we 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, charms and others 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 last year at the then Special Anti Robbery Squad (SARS) office, he made attempt to free them and recently again, we saw these boys at Tin Can Island secretariat brandishing guns and we make our investigations and we reported the case to the AIG, presently Prince Taiye Oyeniyi has been invited and making it’s case there in the last 24 hours.”

The ANLCA Vice President also passed a vote of confidence on the AIG handling the case and pleaded with other loyal members of the association to be law abiding, even as he promise that the present NECOM will look into the operational challenges affecting it’s members

“So we would like to use this medium to call on genuine members of ANLCA to be law abiding, if there is operational challenges they are facing that cannot be handle by the chapters , 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 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 our members, these are actually been looked into by the Tony Iju led administration, we will continue to do what is called rule of engagement with agencies, we will engage them”.

He stressed that people of questionable characters who are not even freight forwarder will no longer have a dwelling place in the ports anymore.

“ANLCA will not tolerate that and that’s why we quickly run to Federal Government to investigate and whoever is found culpable should face the music”

Farinto further informed that in few days time, the disciplinary committee report will be ready and those found guilty will be appropriately sanction by the association.

“In the next few days, there are about four of them whose case have been handled by the National disciplinary committee which I happened to be the chairman. We have invited some of them for questioning and some of them came, while some send their write up, between now and Tuesday, we are going to tell you the recommendation of the committee having been approved by the National President ”

Also speaking, the National Secretary of the association, Alhaji Babatunde Mukaila also informed the media that leaders of miscreants who assaulted the National President during a courtesy visit to the Comptroller of PTML Customs have been arrested and will be charged to court soon.

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 unfortunate incident that happened on the 6th of October last year, where there was an invasion of the secretariat by some arm thugs of course they where arrested right there and handed over to the police. That matter now is undergoing a judicial 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 Vice President came in and they were surprised to see two Yoruba men when they thought it was true that the Igbos have takeover. 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 issued by John Offorbike . The case is coming up on the 29th of March at Ogba Magistrate Court”.

Speaking on the assault on the National President, Mukaila 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 into 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”, the ANLCA, NS explained.