ANLCA POLICE INVESTIGATION: NECOM Alleges Fraud, Set to probe Nwabunike’s Administration

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Otunba Babatunde Mukaila

– As former National Secretary explains financial dealings to Police

By Innocent Orok

Another round of police cases into the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) has begun , just few days to the Board of Trustees (BoT) election of the Association.

During one of the many lock- up of ANLCA National Secretariat

Indications are that President Emenike Nwokeoji is probing into the crises ridden administration of his predecessor, Hon. Iju Tony Nwabunike over alleged financial recklessness and misappropriation of funds.

The probe is being carried out through a Police petition allegedly instigated by ANLCA National Secretary, Mr Olumide Fakanu which was written to accused the Murtala Muhammed Airport Cargo Chapter of ANLCA of misappropriation . Recalled the MMAC chapter was the only financially responsive Chapter under the former ANLCA executive leadership of Tony Nwabunike.

Letter from Mukaila to the ANLCA National President to provide the vouchers to d Police.

According to ANLCA’s former National Secretary, Otunba Babatunde Mukaila, whose name featured prominently in the Police petition, he disclosed to the media in his response to a recent online media publication with the headline: “Conspiracy, Stealing of ANLCA Money Trails Mukaila, Days To BoT Election.”

Mukaila, however, explained on Friday that although he was invited by the Nigeria Police, what he discover was as follows:
In the year 2022 when aggrieved western zone members of ANLCA violently attacked the National secretariat in the month of February which resulted to police locking down the Secretariat, between March and May, 2022 in the first instance before reopening.

Subsequently,in August of 2022, same aggrieved western Zone members and some factional BOT members violently attacked the National secretariat and installed a fake Interim National President-Pius Ujubounu and Joe Sanni as Interim National Secretary. Before the police moved in and locked down the National secretariat between August 28th and December,2022 when the Tony Iju led administration was able to reopen the National Secretariat.

“This are facts in the public dormain. However, the ex-NECOM keep faith and all salaries were been paid and inclusive of the police orderly on guards.”

He said as the head of the National Secretariat, because the Staff were still at work and other activities he picks all the Administrative expenses while all this lasted.

You made no reference to the N500million captured in the online media report.?

His words: “I got an invitation letter through the ANLCA National Secretariat from the Nigerian Police Special Fraud Investigation Unit (SFIU). I got this invitation letter on August 7th, 2024. It was sent to the ANLCA National Secretariat.

Reading out the content of the Police invitation letter, Mukaila said: “The Police Fraud Unit is investigating a case wherein your name features prominently. You are hereby invited for an interview with the Commissioner of Police on Thursday, August 8th 2024 by 2pm. This request is prepared at urgent requirement and you’re requested to treat with utmost urgency.”

Noting that he wasn’t in Lagos at the time, the former ANLCA National Secretary made himself available to the Police on the next Monday, August 12th, 2024 and demanded to see the petition.

“I was told that the petition was for ANLCA Murtala Mohammed Airport chapter and myself as the National Secretary under Tony Iju led administration became a person of intrest.The Police letter was addressed to me personally, but in care of ANLCA National Secretariat. So, I forwarded the letter to the ANLCA National President, Mr Emenike Nwokeoji and National Secretary,Deacon Olumide Fakanlu.

“The ANLCA President said he wasn’t aware of the Police petition and asked me to find out who wrote the petition, the National Secretary also claim ignorance of why the police has invited me. Since, I knew the invitation was from the Police Fraud Unit, I went to the meeting with my bank statement for the period of Adewusi inceptions and my exit as the Sole Administrator of ANLCA.

“The Police asked for vouchers for the period, but I pointed out that I was no longer in office and advised them to write to the ANLCA National Secretariat for the vouchers. I equally wrote to the Secretariat to make available the vouchers to the Police to aid their investigation. My letter to the ANLCA Secretariat requesting for the vouchers is available.

“On my second visit to the Police station, I stressed the need to know the petitioner, the police arrange a meeting for his or her appearance and was shocked to discover that it was the National Secretary, Mr Fakanlu and the legal adviser of the Western Zone during the period of leadership tussle was also a signatory.

“At the end of the meeting,the Police discovered that the issue was an internal association fracas and they referred us to settle the matter within the association. The ANLCA National Secretary, however, revealed that the ANLCA President, Nwokeoji had directed that the matter should be charged to court,” Mukaila explained.

While stressing that the timing of the petition and published media report is an orchestrated scheme to distort his contest for the ANLCA BoT election, Mukaila described the development as a failed ploy.

Explaining further on the money alleged to have been paid into his account by the MMAC chapter, Mukaila however, said that the monthly dues from the MMA Chapter was initially pegged at N700,000 per month, but the Financial Review Committee under Tony Iju administration had beckoned on the Chapter Chairman, Prince Bamgbala Adewusi to kindly raise its commitment to N1million monthly because the other chapters in the Western Zone were not making any financial commitment to the ANLCA Secretariat at the time.

“There were several times when I had to bear the fiscal burden of paying workers salaries and operational cost especially during all the attacked period,when the bank cheques and others were not accessible because of police locked down of the National secretariat and other attacks.

“Because the only chapter MMAC having been paying their dues. I didn’t participate in any N500million fraud with Adewusi and the Police never said so. While not holding brief for Adewusi as the Chairman and chief accounting officer of MMAC as empowered constitutionally under Section 12, Ss1m to administer his chapter funds, he will definitely defend his actions and attend to police investigation.

I dare say MMAC Chapter was the only financially responsible chapter of the Western zone during our administration and he wasn’t owning the Association as at the time we left office.”

“I have also heard rumours that Adewusi is bankrolling my campaign or he has been bankrolling me; but I have submitted my bank statement to the Police and they haven’t made such claim. If anything, I can say I was bankrolling the ANLCA Secretariat during the segmented periods of attacks enumerated above while the same people filling petitions were not contributing a dime to the National Secretariat, rather was sponsoring OPC to attacked the secretariat with Guns and charms with fake ANLCA ID cards issued by same aggrieved western zone members to OPC” Mukaila revealed.

He concluded that a total sum of N3,620,000 representing monthly dues was received by him from MMAC account as monthly dues as follows:
•N1,000,000 in March, 2022.
•N1,000,000 in April, 2022.
•N700,000 in September,2022.
•N600,000 in December,2022.
•N200,000 in December, 2022.
•N100,000 in December,2022.

” This period clearly was during the attacks and there was no access to the Secretariat. whereas the police providing security at the National Secretariat, 8 Secretariat Staff salaries and other utilities need to be paid as approved by the then Acting National President, during the locked down orchestrated by aggrieved western zone members” Mukaila explained.

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