IPMAN Faction Beats up Court Bailiff over Attempt to Serve Notice

Source: pointblanknews.com

A faction of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria

(IPMAN), Aba Depot, Abia State have beaten up a court bailiff, David Abiye

attached to the Federal High Court in Port Harcourt, Rivers State over

attempts to serve Notice of consequence of disobedience to court order

known as form 48 to some members of the group.
Pointblanknews.com gathered that the Federal High Court, Port Harcourt had

on March 20, 2014, declared one Chief Lawson Obasi as the authentic

national president of IPMAN.
As a result of the judgment, Chief Obasi was said to have appointed

Lawrence Kanu, Emmanuel Ogbonna among others as interim Committee members

to run IPMAN, Aba depot for three months till election are held.

Not satisfied with the judgment, the faction led by Chinedu Okoronkwo and

Gilbert Nwoke who were the immediate past office holders refused to abide

with the court order to vacate office and hand over to the Obasi group.

The Obasi returned to the Federal High Court and obtained an order for

service of notice of consequence of disobedience to court on the

opposition group.
On arriving Aba on that fateful day, the court bailiff was said to have

served the first set of people the notice without difficult.

A former executive member of the Association told Pointblanknews.com that

attempts to serve the remaining set of people on the second day proved

abortive until the court bailiff was informed that the people he was meant

to serve the court order were enjoying themselves in a hotel said to be

owned by a member of the opposition group.
The court bailiff was said to have stormed the hotel to effect the service

on the people, but he was beaten up with serious injuries while his

identity card seized.
The opposition group later invited soldiers from the Army Unit at Ngwa

High School, Aba who also continued beating the court bailiff alleging

that he was a kidnapper. After a while, he was transferred to the police

in Aba where he was allegedly detained.
When a member of the Obasi group got wind of the incident and went to the

police station to identify David as a bailiff of Federal High Court, Port

Harcourt, but was also arrested by the police as both men were bundled to

State vpolice headquarters at Umuahia until Friday evening when the

Commissioner of Police ordered their release.
As at the time of filing this report, the court bailiff was said to be

receiving medical attention at an undisclosed hospital in Port Harcourt.

A leading member of the opposition group at the Aba depot, Simple Nwankpa

said  the bailiff was beaten up by the hotel management, not his members

as being said..
“The problem was between the bailiff and the hotel management, IPMAN

should be counted out of this”, he said.
Contacted on his mobile number, Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) of

the Abia State Command, ASP Geoffrey Ogbonna said he does not have any

information about the incident .