IPMAN threatens to shut down operations in south-east over ‘police harassment’

The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), south-east zone, has threatened to shut down all petrol depots over alleged police harassment.

According to NAN, Robert Obi, chairman, Cross River state branch, IPMAN, said this during an interactive session with journalists in Calabar on Friday. 

Obi described the police action as an invitation to anarchy. 

He alleged that there were moves by the legal unit at the police headquarters in Abuja to arrest its executives across the zone and possibly install a factional leadership.

He added that the attorney-general of the federation had acknowledged Sanusi Fari as the rightful national president of IPMAN. 

“Despite the legal advice, the police are putting all arsenals to arrest the current executives of IPMAN in Nigeria, particularly in Calabar NNPC depot and allegedly hand the leadership of the association to the people of their choice,” NAN quoted him as saying.

“IPMAN warns that further steps shouldn’t be taken by the police to interfere with the current leadership of the association.

“We will shut down the distribution channels of petroleum and allied products in Nigeria pending when the police do the right thing.

“IPMAN leadership has resolved to continue with their rights in the constitution and abide by the extant laws and subsisting judgments of the courts in its favour.”

The south-east zone of IPMAN comprises Enugu, Aba, Rivers, Cross River and Benue with more than 40 depots and 1,000 petrol stations with about 2,000 members.

The zone had been battling a leadership crisis, which led to various court cases.

In November 2021, Obi said the supreme court judgment, in suit SC/15/2018, delivered December 14, 2018, and its subsequent interpretation by the federal high court, Calabar, on June 19, 2019, had recognised Fari as president of IPMAN.

 But Chinedu Okonkwo-led faction had argued that the judgment delivered by the supreme court recognised Chinedu Okoronkwo and Danladi Pasali as president and secretary of IPMAN, respectively.