Business

IGP Orders Manhunt For SAN’s Abductors

Published

11 years ago

August 26, 2013

Inspector General of Police, Muhammed Abubakar, has ordered the Edo State Commissioner of Police, Foluso Adebanjo, to immediately fish out the suspects, who allegedly kidnapped human rights activist and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mike Ozekhome and his driver, last Saturday in Edo State, just as he directed the rescue of the victims unhurt.
Mohammed has also vowed to ensure that the suspects are brought to justice.
Force Public Relations Officers, Frank Mba, told journalists in a telephone interview that the IGP had directed the Edo commissioner of police to commence immediate and vigorous manhunt for the hoodlums “who must be arrested and brought to justice and the kidnapped victims rescued”.
Mba quoted the Inspector General of Police as having said,”we, therefore, once again call on the general public not to relent in their partnership with the police to fish out the criminals as common enemy to our society and report anyone found with the bullet wounds to the nearest police station.”
It would be recalled that four police officers were killed Saturday in Benin-City, the Edo State capital while attempting to foil an abduction bid on human rights activist and lawyer, Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN).
The officers of the Edo Police Command were killed in their failed attempt to stop the kidnappers from escaping with the human rights activist.
It was learnt that Ozekhome was kidnapped along with his driver while they were travelling along the Benin-Auchi Road.
Narrating the development to newsmen in Benin last Saturday, Edo State Commissioner of Police, Foluso Adebanjo had said: “Operatives of the command led by DPO Ehor Division responded swiftly to a distress call at about 3:30 pm that an unspecified number of armed men had blocked the Benin-Auchi Road by Ehor axis”.
According to him, “but while on their way to the scene, the hoodlums ambushed the police patrol vehicle and opened fire on them.
“At the end of the gun duel, the hoodlums escaped with bullet wounds but not without their victim who was later identified, upon search on his abandoned vehicle, as Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN) and his driver. Regrettably, the command lost four officers in the encounter”, he said.
There were, however, indications yesterday that the police personally led by the Police Commissioner, Adebanjo, were on the trail of the suspected kidnappers of Ozekhome.
This is the second high profile abduction to have taken place in Edo State in recent times.
In May, unknown gunmen kidnapped the wife and daughter of Supreme Court Justice, Bode Rhodes-Vivour.
The ladies, along with their driver, were intercepted as they were about to enter Benin.
They were later released about three weeks later, presumably on the payment of some ransom to the kidnappers.
Meanwhile, some prominent lawyers in Lagos yesterday condemned the abduction of a human rights lawyer, Mr Mike Ozekhome (SAN), describing the spate of kidnappings across the country as worrisome.
The lawyers, who spoke to newsmen, expressed grave concern about security situation in the country and urged security agencies to intensify their efforts toward apprehending the kidnappers.
Ozekhome was reportedly abducted on August 23 at Ehor near Benin City in Edo State by some unknown persons.
Chairman, Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Ikeja Branch, Mr Onyekachi Ubani, said the spate of kidnappings in Nigeria was worrisome.
“It is very appalling; both low and high profile individuals are being kidnapped across the country. It shows that there is a problem,” he said.
Also speaking, a human rights activist, Mr Adetokunbo Mumuni, said Ozekhome’s abduction was a reflection of the security situation in the country.
Mumuni, who is the executive director, Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), a human rights group, attributed the wave of kidnappings by some unscrupulous elements to poverty and unemployment.
He said: “Until socio-economic injustices are tackled, we may continue to have these security challenges.
“Kidnapping is now rampant because of the limited opportunities available to Nigerians due to poverty and unemployment.”
On his part, another human rights activist, Mr Fred Agbaje, said it was regrettable that Edo had become a hotbed of high profile kidnappings.
Agbaje urged government at all levels to ensure that citizens had access to adequate welfare packages in line with the social contract theory in governance.
Under the social contract theory, it is imperative that lives and properties should be protected, he said.

Business

Fuel Scarcity: IPMAN threatens shutdown over bridging claims

Published

4 days ago

May 3, 2024

The Tide

The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) Depot Chairmen Forum, has exonerated its members from the current fuel scarcity in the country.

According to IPMAN, this is caused by its inability to source petroleum products.

The IPMAN Depot Chairmen Forum also threatened to withdraw its services over non-payment of N200 billion bridging claims by the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) to its members, since 2022.

Alhaji Yahaya Alhassan, the Chairman, of the Forum said this while briefing newsmen in Abuja, yesterday.

Alhassan said the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd.) was the sole importer of the product, but the marketers could not source products from NNPC Ltd. deport, rather from the private depots at high rate.

“We cannot buy fuel from the private depots at N950 and transport the product from Lagos to the North and other parts of the country with N2 million and still sell it at N900 or N1, 000.

“It is expedient for us to state that we are more pained by the non-availability of petroleum products in the country, which has given rise to another round of untold hardship for Nigerians.

“Contrary to claims that IPMAN members are hoarding Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) known as fuel, we would like to categorically state that PMS scarcity is wholly triggered by inability to get fuel from NNPC and not IPMAN,’’ he said.

Meanwhile, the NNPC Ltd. Chief Corporate Communications Officer, Olufemi Soneye said the disruption was due to logistical issues which had since been resolved.

“We currently have an availability of products exceeding 1.5 billion litres, which can last for at least 30 days. Unfortunately, we experienced a three-day disruption in distribution due to logistical issues, which has since been resolved.

“However, as you know, overcoming such disruptions typically requires double the amount of time to return to normal operations.

“Some folks are taking advantage of this situation to maximise profits. Thankfully, product scarcity has been minimal lately, but these folks might be exploiting the situation for unwarranted gain,’’ Soneye said.

He however, said the lines would clear out soon.

On the non-payment of bridging claims, the IPMAN forum said it was distressed and depressed by the laidback attitude of the NMDPRA towards the survival its member’s businesses, arising from its refusal in paying the claims.

“It is with deep frustration that we have assembled here today as the IPMAN Depot Chairmen Forum. It is also disheartening to note that some of our members have completely shut down businesses and retrenched employees.

“As businessmen and women, our members acquired bank loans to keep their fuel retail outlets running on a daily basis across the nooks and crannies of Nigeria in order to serve the teeming population of Nigerians,’’ Alhassan said.

He recalled that Sen. Heineken Lokpobiri, Minister of State Petroleum Resources (Oil), at a stakeholders meeting in February mandated the NMDPRA management to clear the entire debt in 40 days.

“However, today, we have crossed the 40 days’ time lapse given to the NMDPRA to clear the debt, and it is shameful to state that only the paltry sum of N13 billion has been paid, ignoring minister’s directive.

“We are not happy with the indiscriminate increment in the issuance and renewal of Sales and Storage Licence, by the NMDPRA, and the subsequent delays in acquiring the licence, which our members are recently subjected to.

“We are also calling on President Bola Tinubu to look into this unwholesome figure which is highly detrimental to our business and reverse it forthwith, as it is bound to impact negatively on the masses.

“We are poised to take far reaching decisions that may cripple the supply and sales of petroleum products across Nigeria if our demands are not met within the shortest period of time.

“We are collectively prepared to withdraw our services, shut down every single outlet, and suspend lifting of products forthwith till our demands are fully met, and the consequences will be terrible.

“We call on our members to however remain resolute and law abiding, even as we draw close to the immediate ultimatum for our demands to be met by the NMDPRA,’’ the chairman said.

Reacting to the IPMAN’s claims, the Acting Head, Corporate Communications, NMDPRA, Seiyefa Osanebi said the bridging claims payment was ongoing.

“The bridging claims payment is always an ongoing process,” she said.

Maritime

Shippers’ Council Registers 160 Port Operators

Published

1 week ago

April 29, 2024

The Tide

The Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC) says it has registered 160 Port stakeholders into its Regulated Port Service Provider and Users platform since the initiative began in 2023.
Executive Secretary, NSC, Mr Pius Akutah, made the disclosure on the sideline of a sensitisation programme by the commission for port operators in Lagos, with the theme, “Regulated Port Service Provider and Users”.
Represented by the Director, Consumer Affairs, Chief Cajetan Agu, Akutah emphasised the significance of the programme for stakeholders.
He said the sensitisation programme was the second edition after its commencement during the last quarter of 2023.
The Secretary said the 160 registered port operators consist of agencies, terminal operators, shipping companies, individual port users as well as service providers.
“We invited the ports stakeholders for enlightening them on the processes for online registration of Regulated Port Service Provider and Users.
“We have demonstrated to them how to register and how to make payment and we were able to present before them the various categories of the registration.
“The rate of payment is also in the registration. The payment of each group depends on the operation. A shipper pays N30,000, terminal operators and shipping companies pay N300,000, truckers also pay N30,000, while some pay N50,000 and N100,000.
“The Council was able to intimate them on the benefits, because port users benefit more as we help to interface on reducing port charges from time to time”, Akutah said.
He said that there was a need to continue to work with port operators to stop delays and eliminate high costs to make the port efficient.
Also speaking, the Deputy Director, Stakeholders, Service, NSC, Mr Celestine Akujobi, said “the sensitisation exercise was important for the council to enable us bring all the port stakeholders together”.
According to him, this is to avoid challenges during the implementation of the council’s responsibilities.
“By the time we introduce sanctions on defaulters, no operators will complain that he or she is not aware of the registration.
“I’m happy with the turnout of this sensitisation. This shows that the operators are well informed of the statutory friction of the council as the port regulator.
“The final implementation will commence as soon as we discover that all the operators have keyed into the portal.
“We are engaging other ports across the country and we’re hopeful that before the last quater of 2024, the council will implement sanctions on defaulting operators”, Akujobi said.
Earlier, Vice Chairman, National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwards (NAGAFF), Dr Ifeanyi Emoh, said port challenges were enormous, adding that they originated from some of the government agencies.

Emoh urged the council to look into regulating other government agencies, so that there could be a window through which they can collect port charges collectively instead of indiscriminately.

By: Chinedu Wosu