Police seal off IPMAN office in Calabar

[From ANIEKAN ANIEKAN, Calabar]

At least 30 armed police officers attached to the Anti-Cultism and Kidnapping Squad have sealed the Calabar Office of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN).

The officers prevented Marketers and workers from gaining access to the IPMAN Secretariat which is located close to the NNPC Depot in Calabar Municipality.

Irked by the action of the policemen, workers staged a protest against the action of the police officers.

Condemning the police action, Robert Obi, the Chairman of IPMAN in the state said the officers are trying  to instigate crisis and set the state ablaze.

He said the raid is illegal as the police have been served with court orders on the IPMAN crisis and the leadership question has been settled.

Obi said: “The Police barricaded my office as you can see. With all the court judgments available, they are disobeying these judgments.

“The police are not prepared to look at the judgments and in Calabar there is a restraining order on the police.

“What they are trying to do is to instigate crisis so that they can tag is criminals, set the state ablaze and arrest us.

“The law is with us and the directive of a senior police officer is not above  that of the Supreme Court”, he said.

Daniel Mgbe, legal Adviser to IPMAN said there is a Supreme Court and Federal High Court judgment stating clearly who are the rightful occupants of IPMAN offices.

He said these judgments have been executed long ago and wondered came from nowhere and instigate tension in the state as well as IPMAN.

He said the directive by a senior police officer is unlawful as they have been given superior documents by courts of competent jurisdiction.

On his part, the state police commissioner Aminu Alhassan said he issued the directive asking the Anti Cultism and Kidnapping Squad to seal the office.

He said the person who won the court matter is to take over and one and will come and take over the state chapter of IPMAN.

Oracle Today learnt IPMAN has been factionlised between Chief Obasi Lawson and Elder Chinedu Okoronkwo both from Abia state since 2015 over who is the authentic National President of IPMAN.

The Supreme Court had in a judgment in Suit No SC/15/2018 delivered on December 14, 2018 and its subsequent interpretation by Federal High Court Calabar dated June 19, 2019 recognised automatic succession of the Deputy National President, Alhaji Sanusi Abdu Fari, as National President of IPMAN, based on 1997 constitution of the association as against of one Chinedu Okoronkwo.

However the Okoronkwo side said they actually won the case and have renewed their   determination to take over IPMAN Calabar office and effect a change in leadership.