The Nigeria Police on Wednesday backed with Sherriff/bailiff from Federal High Court, Lagos ejected former President of the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN), Bola-Audu Innocent and his group from the National Secretariat of the union in Yaba, Lagos.

It will be recalled that the former president about three weeks ago took over the secretariat with support from the Nigeria Police based on another court order.

But with the recent court verdict that put the crisis to rest, hundreds of union members from Lagos and neighbouring states under the leadership of the National President, Tommy Etim Okon, and the Secretary General, Alade Bashir Lawal, thronged the Union’s Secretariat to take control of the building.

According to the Secretary-General, Alade Bashir Lawal, an inventory of the various items kept in the National Secretariat revealed that the group had looted the secretariat carting some valuables away.

It will be recalled that Hon Justice D. E. Osiagor had on 26 October 2022, discharged his Exparte Order of 13 September 2022 obtained by BolaAudu and his group when they sued the police authorities and the banks of the Union on 6th September 2022 and shut off the National President of the Association, Tommy Etim Okon, and the Secretary-General, Alade Bashir Lawal in the suit, a court process Justice Osiagor described as “wicked”.

The Secretary General said, “The judge frowned at the idea of using the machinery of justice to sue nominal parties instead of necessary parties. In vacating the order, Hon Justice Osiagor held that the police and the banks are not organs of the union which are not in any way relevant to the matter and consequently dismissed the suit.”

The union said the judge accordingly restored Tommy Etim Okon and Alade Bashir Lawal as the National President and Secretary-General of the Association respectively and the legal and authentic signatories to the bank accounts of the Association.

Lawal however said following this development, Bola-Audu and his gang filed another court process requesting Justice Osiagor to stay execution of his order.

He stated, “On 7th November 2022, Justice Osiagor again dismissed the stay of execution suit filed by Bola-Audu and his group and reiterated his ruling of 26th October 2022 that Comrade Tommy Etim Okon and Comrade Alade Bashir Lawal remain the National President and the Secretary-General of the Union respectively and the legal signatories to the bank accounts of the Association.

“Justice Osiagor also took exception to the refusal of Bola-Audu and his gang to obey his final order of 26th October 2022 because in their warped minds as stated in their press release, his order was a mere “judicial advice.

“He equally frowned at the abuse of court process and forum shopping Bola Audu and his gang had indulged in by going from one court to another searching for favourable judgment on the same matter. Justice Osiagor described Bola Audu’s suit as lacking in merit, hollow and a sham.”

He stressed that it is because Bola-Audu and his cohorts regarded the orders of Hon. Justice Osiagor as mere “judicial advice” they refused to obey the court order issued on 7th November 2022 by Justice Osiagor until they were forced out of the National Secretariat of the Association by the police and the bailiff from Federal High Court, Lagos. (Sun)

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