By Sunday Ani
The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), led by Sanusi Abdul Fari, has sent a ‘Save Our Soul’ message to the Chairman of the Police Service Commission (PSC), over alleged police invasion and attack on its Abuja national headquarters, Enugu depot office and Port Harcourt depot office, respectively, on July 5, 2021.
In a letter to the PSC chairman, dated September 27, a copy of which was made available to Daily Sun, counsel to the IPMAN boss, Daniel Mgbe, alleged that the Nigeria police, on the instruction of a Deputy Inspector General (DIG), J.O. Egbunike unlawfully evicted some executive members of IPMAN from the three offices on July 5, and threatened to sack other IPMAN officials from their offices nationwide.
Mr. Mgbe lamented that this happened despite a subsisting Supreme Court judgement, as well as the interpretation of the said judgement by the Federal High Court, Calabar Division, endorsing the leadership of IPMAN under Fari and his executive nationwide. The court documents were made available to Daily Sun by the Enugu State chapter chairman of IPMAN, Mr. Chinedu Anyaso.
He pointed out that the police cannot interpret court judgements, nor do they have the powers to execute the same without recourse to section 4 of the Police Act, section 15 of the Sheriffs and Civil Process Act, and the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (As amended).
Mgbo, therefore, appealed to the PSC chairman to call the DIG to order, so as to forestall further breakdown of the law and order. He insisted that his actions were a threat to the country’s constitutional democracy and the doctrine of separation of power.