IPMAN decries police siege on national secretariat

The Independent Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) has decried Friday’s siege on its National Secretariat at 41 Gnasimgbe Eyadema Street, Asokoro District, Abuja, by some police officers.

IPMAN’s National President, Mr Chinedu Okoronkwo, said in a statement on Friday that over 10 police officers had forcefully gained entry to the secretariat on an alleged petition by unknown persons.

Okoronkwo said: “I am in Port Harcourt and I have been informed that some policemen have invaded our national secretariat in Abuja. This act violates the laws of Nigeria, and IPMAN has no faction because the issue has been settled by a Supreme Court judgment delivered in Abuja on Dec. 14, 2018.

“The judgment read by Justice Musa Muhammad in suit No. SC15/2015 recognised Mr Chinedu Okoronkwo and Alhaji Danladi Pasali as President and Secretary of IPMAN respectively. So, the police cannot claim that their invasion of IPMAN secretariat has legal backing because it is actually in total violation of the order of the apex court.

“Most disturbing is the involvement of a meddlesome interloper, who was neither a party to the suit from the High Court to the Supreme Court, nor constitutionally protected to assume the office of the National President of IPMAN,” Okoronkwo said.

The statement also quoted legal consultant to IPMAN, Mr Nnnana Obasi, as calling on the Inspector-General of Police to call the officers involved in the invasion to order.

Obasi said: “This issue has been resolved by the apex court in the land and any action whatsoever is contemptuous and likely to breach public peace. It is unfortunate that officers of the law are allowing themselves to be used for this kind of impunity. The hallmark of this present administration is anti-corruption, and what these officers are doing is totally against that.”

(NAN)