Complicities, intrigues behind the scene maneuver in ANLCA national Secretariat imbroglio – PART 2

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Complicities, intrigues behind the scene maneuver in ANLCA national Secretariat imbroglio – PART 2

Report by Val Iwuchukwu

In part one of this exposé, I promised to return to complete the story of how frustration emanating from the failure of some expelled members of ANLCA to get the result they wanted in Court resulted to desperate action that is akin to shooting oneself in the foot.

I read the reply by one of the expelled members in the media, he turned round and round like headless chicken without making any point or rebutting anything I said in part one. He used gutter language, abused and mentioned Val Iwuchukwu several times as if Val was NEC that expelled him from ANLCA. But that will not change anything.

He talked gibberish, spewed rubbish which did not change the fact that Mr Sanni and co travellers have come to the end of the road. If they are yet to recognise this fact, it means that they are either ignorant, naive or self deceiving. I will not waste time replying to rants of frustration.

Moreover, it does not worry great professionals across Nigeria because they know the truth. We will continue to ignore them and give them the impression that their deceits and falsehood are gaining momentum. By the time they saturate the cyberspace with stinking lies, we will emerge to demolish their tower of Babel with few sentences of facts, of truth. That’s the simple strategy.

Back to National Secretariat impasse. Some of the expelled ANLCA members lied to the Police that they are the custodians of ANLCA National Secretarait. That some hoodlums have gone to the association’s Secretariat at Seme Border chased occupants away and took over and damaged everything and ran away. That they have in good authority that the same set of hoodlums are planning to attack the National Secretariat any moment and they (bandits) want to set the multi million naira property on fire. That except urgent action is taken, the National Secretariat will be razed down in a matter of days if not hours. That the perpetrators of the act are unknown and are at large. This false but weighty allegation was contained in the petition they forwarded to the the IG of Nigeria Police.

The petition was endorsed to the the AIG Zone 2 of Nigeria Police, Lagos to treat as urgent. As far as Zone 2 is concerned, it calls for immediate and urgent action and the AIG minuted same to the Area Commander, Nigeria Police, FESTAC Command and the petitioners (some expelled members) were given three officers to go and secure the National Secretariat from being razed down by bandits.

Meanwhile, Mustapha, Oyeniyi Offorbike and about 20 of their thugs gathered at Villa Park Hotel, Amuwo Odofin where they drank themselves to stupor before they moved with left over liqour and hard drinks to the National Secretariat.

Confused, the Police Officers escorted them to Dikko Inde House, they forced themselves into the Secretariat, beat up the Secretary, molested female corpers who were posted to ANLCA National Secretariat for national service and threw them outside. They partied at the main court of the Secretariat while some of them led thugs into the Secretariat breaking doors, removing photographs of NECOM members, took away special purpose laptop computer where biometrics of ANLCA members are stored.

They went into the office of the National Secretary and made away with essential documents and files. They were virtually on rampage, whatever they could not steal, they damaged. CCTV Camera were destroyed, the Solar Inverter was damaged, smart screen televisions were smashed and other property worth millions of naira went down.

Outside, that is in the main court/parking lot, they damaged vehicles parked outside, used sharp objects to cut open the tyres of all the cars and took away their batteries. We are yet to ascertain whether these atrocities were committed on the 16th February they invaded the Secretariat or after.

This act of brigandage was condemned by ANLCA members across the nation and civil society everywhere. NECOM quickly released a statement describing the invasion as illegal and contempt of Court.

The National President of ANLCA Hon. Iju Tony Nwabunike and the National Vice President Dr Kayode Farinto in separate statements called for calm while promising that the Secretariat will be reopened soon and perpetrators of the dastardly act brought to justice.

NECOM, joined by the BOT Vice Chairman Prince Ọzọ Chukwurah, as well as the big boys of ANLCA, the ANLCA Patrons -Chiefs Henry Njoku and Dim Peter Obi went to work. After making representation to the Police high Command. The officers explained that due to the weighty nature of the allegation, the Police were more concerned with preservation of National Secretariat than anything else but regretted that they were deceived and that they are willing to undo the harm immediately.

A letter from IG was prepared directing the Lagos State Commissioner of Police to restore and preserve NECOM back to the Secretariat.

The COMPOL received the letter and was determined to execute the order from above immediately. But he decided to wade into the matter, pursue the path of peace so that there won’t be repeat in future. He sought the permission of the parties to intervene which was granted. He asked the parties as matured and successful gentlemen to go inside the conference room and resolve the matter while he observes. Chief Njoku was asked to preside.

Please note that at this point, the Secretariat was still under lock and key and no one knew the extent of damage they inflicted on the Secretariat.

It was not surprise that the first thing Mustapha group suggested was that the Secretariat will remain closed until, the terms of settlement is agreed and signed.

Njoku, Obih, Chukwurah and entire NECOM opposed that. The COMPOL reminded them that there is an *Order* from IG to open the Secretariat and *reinstate* NECOM and that such order is never toyed with. It was after the Secretariat was opened that NECOM realised why their request that it will remain under lock and key. They know, that with what they did at the National Secretariat it will give them away as the aggressors and jeopardise the peace process.

The parties made progress agreeing on 4 out of 6 contending issues. When the Secretariat was opened, NECOM members were shocked to see the extent of theft and damage here and there. With broken heart, the National Secretary Alhaji Abdulazeez Babatunde fighting back tears called the Police to report what he saw. Police invited Mustapha team to be present for an inventory of the damages which was also recorded in video.

In part three, I will explain what next and how the Judgment of Abeokuta High Court has become the trump card that has resolved every issue in favour of NECOM. I will also examine every issue from legal context.