By Okey Maduforo Awka
Anambra businesses man based in River State Mr Tobechukwu Duru has cried out over the non payment of the sum of N 32 million worth of petroleum products confiscated by the police and sold without recourses to the law.
Speaking with reporters in Awka yesterday Duru lamented that in the year 2007 the police arrested him and confiscated his truck carrying his goods.
According to him the police had accused him of bunkering and detained him for nine months before he was granted bail by the Federal High Court.
He had approached the Federal High Court PortHarcourt and on the 12 of July 2009, the court ordered the police to release the tanker and its content.
When the police failed to comply with the order of the court, using the office of the senator representing his constituency, Senator Uche Ekwunife, he petitioned the Senate of the Federal Republic. After deliberations and recommendations by Senate committee on Ethics, the Senate in plenary ordered the Nigeria Police to either release the tanker and its content to citizen Tobechukwu Duru or pay him the sum of 24million naira. This resolution was made by the 9th Senate in 2018. Again, the police failed to comply.
On the 14th of October 2019, Senator Uche Ekwunife petitioned Senate committee on police affairs requesting their intervention and to compel the police to respect the resolution of the Senate.
On the 11th of December 2019, the Senate committee on police affairs also wrote the police condemning the disobedience of court order and Senate resolution, asking that the police comply immediately. This has not also been respected.
I have also sighted a letter dated 24th of January 2020, from Commissioner of police (Legal) of the force headquarters Abuja directed to the office of the Inspector-General of police where they said that the tanker was illegally auctioned.
As at time of this report the Inspector General Of Police is yet to sign the payment of the sum despite the advise by the Commissioner of Police in charge of legal matters in Abuja.
