The management of ABC Transport Plc has stated that the purported letter of apology being claimed by the Cross River State Police Command as coming from it was obtained under duress from one of its managers who was among those detained under dehumanizing conditions by the anti-cult unit of the command in Calabar.

The company’s Deputy Managing Director, Mr. Jude Nneji, expressed his worries about why the anti-kidnapping/cult unit of the command was involved in an issue involving the company and one of its clients over a dispute in waybill delivery.

In a strongly worded letter addressed to the Assistant Inspector General of Police, Zone 6 headquarters in Calabar, Cross River State, by the company’s lawyers, I.N. Echendu & Associates, the company is requesting a transfer of the case from the state command to the zonal command “for a proper and unbiased investigation in respect of malicious damage to property of ABC Transport Plc, unlawful arrest, detention and torturing…”

According to the company, as a result of the unwarranted invasion of its premises by the policemen on November 10, 2022, one of its employees, Mrs. Anyarogbule Sandra Obianuju, lost her pregnancy after receiving beatings from the policemen. Aside from the lady who lost her pregnancy, at least 16 other employees of the company who were on the premises at the time of the brutal invasion, lost several personal items and varied sums of money. Giving a background to what led to the unwarranted invasion of its premises located along IBB Way in Calabar, the company explained that it had issues with one of its clients who engaged it to transport some goods from Lagos to Calabar. The said customer, after taking delivery of the said cargo at Calabar, mailed our client and alleged that the contents of the said cargo were not complete and the cost of the missing items (about 12 cartons of cosmetics) in the said cargo was N420,000.

Following that, the company contacted the customer to discuss terms of settlement for the allegedly missing goods, either by replacement or payment because the goods were insured. According to the company, though it had reached an agreement with the customer on a settlement, the subsequent unjust demand of N5m was resisted by the company, and he (customer) had to bring in the anti-cultism and anti-kidnapping squad to “unlawfully arrest, brutalize, detain and torture members of staff.

The company said he has video recordings and pictures of the incident, which has led to operational losses and left its staff injured and traumatized. (Vanguard: Text, excluding headline)

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