By Nsan Ndoma-Neji, Calabar
A Lagos State-based businessman, doing business in Cross River State, Mr. Ade Adetunji, has threatened to sue the member representing Yakurr state
constituency 1 in the Cross River State House of Assembly CRHA, Mr. Cyril Omni, if he fails to hand over the 1,1000kVA scrap power generators which he bought from Yakurr Local Government Area community stakeholders last year at N58 million.
The businessman issued the ultimatum during a telephone conversation with Compass NG on Saturday in Calabar.
He stressed that failure to return the two scrap power generators to him, he would be left with no option than to file a lawsuit against Omini and his cohorts in the court of law to enable him get justice.
Other items bought by the businessman from Yakurr Community Stakeholders alongside the two scrap power generators include a 5000 wires tank and two exhausts valued at N53 million, even though the business tycoon claimed he paid N58 million so that the items can be handed over to him.
Adetunji advised the lawmaker and his cohorts to hand over the scrap mantrac generators and other items, otherwise he would be left with no option than seek redress from the court.
He said, “I won’t relent, until I get justice for it. We started this matter in November 2023, and we are still on it. It’s over a year. All I am asking for is for them to hand over the property I bought from them with my hard-earned money to me.
“The scrap generators issue had given me mental torture; I had never had this kind of terrible experience since I began doing business.
“I had never seen a thing like this. It’s difficult to believe that
someone can connive with other individuals who are supposed to be like custodians of the law to take over a property which I had already paid for to deprive me of my right.”
However, report of the investigation from the Zonal Monitoring Unit of the Nigeria Police Force Zone 6 Headquarters, Calabar, addressed to the
Assistant Inspector General of Police AIG Zone 6, Calabar, apportioned blame to the suspects involved on the matter, including Mr. Omini, Etim Bassey, Bassey Antigha, and Martins Asuquo-Edet.
The police investigation report captioned ‘Re: Case of Fraud, Conversion of Property, Conspiracy to Steal and Threat to Life’ with
serial number CB/7000/ZPC6/ZMU/VOL.7165, dated February 6, 2024, said, ”It is therefore recommended that if the case is beyond settlement between the two parties, then the case be charge to a court of competent jurisdiction, subject to legal advice.”
Earlier, the businessman who gave insight to the issue stressed that he bought the two scrap power generators that couldn’t meet up with the community’s need from the community stakeholders.
He stated that some Yakurr Local Government Area stakeholders in conjunction with Martins Edet-Asuquo, the immediate past Director-General, DG, of Scrap Regulatory Agency, Calabar, reached an agreement and asked him to evacuate the scrap generators to Calabar.
On their way to Calabar, his agent was intercepted by the police on the
orders of Mr. Omini, who is currently the member representing Yakurr state constituency 1 in the state House of Assembly, and components of the scrap generators were seized from his agent and his agent was locked up by the police for some days at the Zone 6 Police Headquarters, Calabar.
In the process, he lost the scrap generators and the N58m that he invested to buy the scrap generators, stressing that Omini’s boys, who were arrested by the Zone 6 Police Zonal Command were latter released alongside the scrap, which he claimed was handed over to another businessman brought into the business by the House of Assembly member and his cohorts, perhaps because he had paid them higher than what he, Adetunji, paid them.
A letter from the palace of Yakurr paramount ruler, Umor Otutu palace, Yakurr Local Government Area of Cross River State dated April 5, 2023 and addressed to the DG of the Scrap Regulatory Agency, Calabar, and signed by His Royal Majesty, Omol Dr.Ofem Obama Eteng XVI, Omol Lopon of Ugep and 9 other monarchs granted the DG approval to remove the two scrap and vandalized power generators since the generators have been unable to meet up with the community’s demand of electricity supply.
The monarchs however demanded that before the scraps power generators can be removed from the community to Calabar, the business tycoon has to make available about two hundred solar-powered street lights with poles across the four wards of Yakurr, a demand which the business tycoon claimed he fulfilled, but was surprised that the truck that he used to convey the scrap generators was subsequently intercepted on the instructions of the member representing Yakurr state constituency 1 with his boys, leading to the detention of his agent at the Zone 6 Police Zonal Command, where they spent four days before he could secure their bail, notwithstanding the fact that his hard-earned money had been invested on the business.
In a swift reaction to the issue, the member representing Yakurr state constituency 1, Cyril Omini denied the allegations, saying the allegations were lies.
He said, “The governor gave the person in charge authorization to market the scrap generators. I was only called when the fellow who raised the alarm tried to steal the generator and I stopped him because it is my immediate constituency.
“They came to steal the generators probably because that was why they went to buy the generators through the village chiefs. Are they the ones who brought the generators. There was full documentation from the state Commissioner for Power.”
