-Blank NEWS Online (NIGERIA):
Sand Dealers Multi-purpose Co-operative Society has cried out over failure of the Delta State Police Command to implement directive given by the Inspector General of Police over the legitimacy of their dredging business at the river banks in Asaba.
As a result of this, David Ossai has called on the Office of the Inspector General of Police (IG) to set up an independent body to ensure the implementation of directive given by the court.
Referring to a legal advice by the Office of the Inspector- General of Police (IG) dated 3rd May 2019, the AIG Zone 5 and the Delta State Commissioner of Police were instructed to obey the court order of the Federal High Court of Benin in suit No. FHC/ B/ CS/ 157/ 2000,to arrest suspects and charge them to court for conspiracy, faceable entry, attempted murder amongst all.
Likewise, on 26th July, 2019, the AIG in a legal advice tagged “ Case of Flagrant disobedience of orders of the Federal High Court With Impunity Criminal Trespass, Forcible Entry, directed the Delta State Police to obey the court order.
Despite all orders given, David Ossai noted that no action has been taken by the police to abide by the judgement of the court.
President of the cooperative, Mr David Ossai alleged that despite having been issued a license by the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) to conduct business activities, people have Illegally been carrying out dredging activities on beaches in Asaba.
He alleged their inaction to a perceived compromise of the Police, stating that the present Commissioner of Police in Delta state has made no intent in carrying out orders of the IG and the court.
“Some police are stationed in our beaches to protect those who are in unlawful occupation of our beaches, threatening to arrest us if we come close to the beach” he asserted.
He disclosed that the continuous arrest and imprisonment of members of the Sand Dealers Multi-purpose Co-operative Society have been used as means to disrupt them as illegal workers have taken over their business since 1999.
However, he also mentioned that himself alongside eight of his members were unlawfully imprisoned in 2011 until they were released in 2018, of which they had been refused bail on several occasions.
