By Kenneth Jukpor
Freight forwarders under the aegis of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) have lost assets worth about N20million during the recent attack on the ANLCA Secretariat by hoodlums on October 6th.
Mukaila Babatunde, the National Secretary of the association, said this at a press conference which held at the secretariat, yesterday.
“Despite the recent attack, when you get into this secretariat you will observe that nothing is amiss. We have replaced all the equipment that were vandalised. Our archive was broken into and some documents were burnt. We cannot quantify the documents lost, but plus and minus we put the cost at replacing the things we lost in this secretariat at about N20million.” Babatunde said.
10 suspects were arrested by the Nigeria Police in on October 6 in connection to the attack which occurred at the headquarters of the Association of Nigeria Licensed Customs Agents around 9:30am.
It was gathered that hoodlums numbering over 40 attacked the ANLCA National Secretariat in Amuwo Odofin and broke into the secretariat, carted all important documents and burnt them.
Items recovered from the miscreants included four AK47 rifles, two pistols and a bag of charms.
President of the association, Tony Nwabunike who addressed the crisis that has engulfed the association for the past two years said the manipulation of the National Executive Committee will no longer continue.
He also assured freight forwarders of border reopening and stressed that his administration would no longer explore leniency with the BoT members who have refused to recognize the end of their tenures.
His words, “I am sorry for taking you people more than two years to get to this level. It will be difficult for anyone to manipulate this National Executive Committee (NECOM) anymore.”
“Just last week, we had a meeting with the Senate Committee on Customs who prior to now write letters to shipping companies asking them for examination. We held a meeting with them and they have stopped it. I am telling you that border will be open because of the meeting we held with top officials of the government.”
Nwabunike assured members that a National Executive Committee meeting and Board of Trustees election would be held soon, adding that six candidates had already picked forms for BOT.
