RIVER NIGER SAND DEALERS ABSOLVE POLICE OF COMPLICITY IN FACE OFF WITH RIVAL GROUP

River Niger Sand Dealers in Asaba, Delta State, have absolved the police of complicity and favouritism in the subsisting feud between the group and its rival, Sand Dealers Multi-Purpose Co-operative Society led by David Ossai.

David Ossai of the Sand Dealers Multi-Purpose Co-operative Society, who recently petitioned the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mr. Mohammed Adamu, addressed the press, alleging failure by the State Commissioner of Police to enforce a Benin Federal High Court judgment granting members of the group right to dredge the Asaba axis of the banks of the River Niger.

But in a swift reaction, the Secretary of the River Niger Sand Dealers, Comrade Victor Nnalue, while also briefing the press, revealed that the said Benin Court judgment had been set aside by a Lagos Court of Appeal judgment, which granted the Federal Ministry of Mines and Power the authority to issue dredging licenses as against the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), where David Ossai and his group obtained their license.

He referred to a letter to the Commissioner of Police, Delta State, by their Counsel,  Mr. C. F. Ebu, which was dated July 22, 2019, whereby they urged the police boss to disregard an application to issue David Ossai and his group policemen to enforce the said stale judgment by the Benin Court.

 
The Counsel, in the said letter, stated that “in suit number FHC/B/15,259/2008 – River Niger Sand Dealers Multi-Purpose C0-Operative Society Limited Vs Engineer Emmanuel Aguda and others, the Federal High Court upheld their contention that the Ministry of Mines had the power to issue licenses for sand dredging”, adding that the decision was upheld by the Court of Appeal, Lagos in suit number CA/B/589/2008 – National Inland Waterways Authority Vs Construction Support Nigeria Limited.

They argued that the River Niger Sand Dealers obtained their licenses from the appropriate authority and had been carrying out their sand dredging business peacefully without interference, stressing that David Ossai had no valid license to quarry sand anywhere in Asaba.

Speaking further, Comrade Nnalue posited that the police were only obeying lawful orders of the court and should not be dragged into enforcing illegality as being canvassed by David Ossai and his group.