Magistrate Court Acquits IPMAN Officials Of Charges Of Economic Sabotage

A Chief Magistrate Court sitting in Port Harcourt, presided over by Chief Magistrate A.O. Amadi-Nna, has discharged and acquitted two officials of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria(IPMAN) who were standing trial on two-count charge of conspiracy and economic sabotage .
The discharged officials who had spent 53 days in correctional centre were Mrs Aisha Ahmed and Mr Tamunosaki Jack, who were executives of IPMAN Anti- bunkering taskforce, South-South inland water ways and were remanded in Port Harcourt Correctional Centre on February 3rd, 2022, after being arrested and arraigned by the Operation Sting unit of the Rivers State Police Command.
The Chief Magistrate, A.O. Amadi-Nna, however, on resumption of the matter on Monday, discharged the duo based on advice from the Director of Public Prosecution, forwarded to the court that there was no prima facie case against the defendants and exonerated them from the charges, and that they were members of IPMAN taskforce on illegal bunkering, who were carrying out their legitimate duties as at the time of their arrest.
Chief Magistrate A. O. Amadi-Nna on the strength of the DPP’s advice ordered the Operation Sting Unit of the Rivers State Police Command to release the defendants, the operational vehicles, the van carrying the products and 120 drums of diesel to the defendants immediately.
Speaking to journalists after the court sitting, the Centre for Basic Rights Protection and Accountability Campaign expressed disappointment at the action of the Police unit which did not follow due diligence in the matter before arraigning the officials of IPMAN in court, resulting in their unjustified incarceration.
The National Coordinator of the group, Prince Wiro disclosed that the development showed that some innocent Nigerians were being arraigned in court by some security agents for purpose of persecution and not prosecution.
Wiro noted that the development was a pointer to the fact that some security agents saddled with the responsibility of combating illegal bunkering in the state may be arresting and arraigning innocent persons in court to benefit from the money promised by the Governor of the state on the fight against illegal oil bunkering.
Wiro added that the action of the Police unit is questionable and the organisation was considering petitioning the Inspector General of Police (IGP) and the Police Service Commission on the unprofessional conduct of the officers fingered by the IPMAN officials.

By: Amadi Akujobi