Lagos – An Apapa Magistrates’ Court has declared a former President-General of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN), Mr Uzoije Ukaumunna, wanted.
A source close to the national secretariat of the union said this on Monday in Lagos.
The source, in a statement, said that the former president-general of MWUN was wanted in connection with May 2016 attempted invasion and mayhem at the national secretariat of the union in Apapa, Lagos.
Ukaumunna was forced out of office by the Federal Government in 2002 as the union’s president-general in controversial circumstances.
According to the statement, his arrest was ordered by Justice Olufolake Oshin of the Apapa Magistrates’ Court.
The warrant of arrest was dated June 20, 2016, in a suit number MISC|MCA|O17 2016.
The statement confirmed that, the court order was because the accused could not be found by the Police, even after a warrant of arrest was obtained for him to be arraigned.
It said that Ukaumunna was alleged to be the lead mastermind of the mayhem that took place at the union’s national secretariat in May, 2016.
The statement noted that four of those who participated in the mayhem had earlier been arrested and arraigned by the police.
“Similarly, the Police also last week arraigned a man who was alleged to have collaborated with Ukaumunna in the mayhem, Prof. Maurice Fangnon.
Fangnon, who is reportedly from Benin Republic, was arraigned on Wednesday in the same court on a four-count charge of conspiracy, disturbance of public peace, unlawful possession of weapons and attempt to attack members of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria.
According to the prosecutor, the charges against Fangnon contravened Sections 410, 44, 51 and 166d of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2011.
It said, “The charge sheet states that you Maurice Fangnon, M and others at large on the 31st of May 2016 at about 10.30hrs, at No. 199, Osho Drive, Olodi Apapa, Lagos Magistrate District, did conspire together to commit misdemeanour to wit: unlawful assembly and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 410 of the criminal law of Lagos State of Nigeria.”
It added said that the charge sheet with no: A|47|2016 tagged Commissioner of Police Vs Maurice Fangnon, further alleged that the defendants had in their possession offensive weapons
According to the statement, the court, however, granted bail to Prof. Fangnon in the sum of N300,000 and two sureties, who must be reputable civil servants on level 12 with evidence of three years tax payment.
