Some operatives of Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, IPMAN; National Task Force Inland ,water ways, South-South Zone, who were arrested on the 1st of February 2022 and charged to court on the 2nd of February on charges related to petroleum crime, have been set free by a magistrate court sitting in PortHarcourt.
Chief Magistrate Amadi Nna who earlier remanded the accused persons on the first day of arraignment based on advice from Directorate of Public Prosecution ,DPP; exonerated the accused and ruled in their favour.
In his ruling Chief Magistrate Nna stated that the operatives were legitimately conducting their operations when arrested on trumped up charges.
The Magistrate directed that the Rivers State Government House Camp Commandant,Operation STING commander, Rivers State Police command and the Port Harcourt City local government, should with immediate effect release all items including the 120 drums of diesel and the van conveying it to IPMAN National Petroleum Task Force, South- South Inland waterways office.
The Chief Magistrate also ruled that there should be no further encroachment, intimidation and molestation of any operations personnel as they discharge their legitimate duties.
Speaking to journalists on the ruling,Press Officer IPMAN National Task Force On Anti-Petroleum Crime Aisha Ahmed frowned at the attitude of the Police officers who arrested and charge them to court without proper investigation on the matter.
She lamented that they spent 51days at the correctional center while all their phones were confiscated with no access to reach family members .
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