Lagos CP, Moshood JimohNigerian Concord Newspaper
The National Justice and Equity Movement has called on the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Moshood Jimoh to order his men to immediately vacate the premises of Nestoil Limited as a result of today’s vacation of Justice Isaac Dipeolu’s ex parte Orders by the new judge that has been assigned to preside over the case, Justice Daniel Osiagor.
The advocacy group in a press statement issued this evening by its Director of Press, Mr. Larry Olembe said that the men of the Police are refusing to vacate the business premises despite that they have been served a True Certified Copy of the ruling which was pronounced by Justice Daniel Osiagor of the Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos State today.
However, the group commended operatives of the Department of States Security, DSS for obeying the Order and vacated the premises immediately they were served a copy of the ruling this evening.
The advocacy group however stressed that there were reports that the police officers at the premises are acting on the instructions from the Receiver Manager which Justice Dipeolu had appointed for Nestoil two weeks ago, Abubakar Sulu Gambari .
“It was gathered that Mr. Sulu Gambari met with a top police officer in Lagos State immediately Justice Daniel Osiagor pronounced his decision on the case this afternoon (name withheld) and handed over a sum of N10million to him for the police officers allocated to seal the premises to reject the court order and remain on the premises.
The group said that the presence of the police at the premises despite that they have been served the court order to vacate is constituting nuisance in the area.
“Recall that immediately the new judge vacated the ex parte Orders of Justice Isaac Deinde Dipeolu this afternoon, the Receiver Manager, Mr. Sulu Gambari issued a statement where he tried to brainwash the public with a false narrative by saying that the assets of the company continue to remain in receivership.
“We are calling the Lagos State Police Commissioner, Mr. Moshood Jimoh to respect the court order and immediately order his men to vacate the Nestoil business premises since they have been served a copy of the judgement.
“We are also calling on the Police Commissioner to also investigate the N10m which Sulu Gambari gave to the police officers mounted at the business premises and also force them to explain what the funds were meant for. If they deny, we will do the public a favour by releasing details of the bribery to the media” the group said..
On October 22, a federal high court in Lagos issued an order of Mareva authorising First Trustees and its subsidiary, FBNQuest Merchant Bank, to take over Nestoil’s assets.
Consequently, police and men of the DSS sealed off the company’s corporate headquarters in Victoria Island, Lagos, after a consortium of lenders placed Nestoil under receivership over a reported $1 billion debt.
But after a petition from the Counsel of Nestoil Limited, the case was transfered from Justice Dipeolu and reassigned to Justice Daniel Osiagor who today set aside the ex-parte orders which were granted on October 22 after listening to Chief Wole Olanipekun who led other Senior Advocatye to the hearing.