Uproar as Police Beef Up Security at CAPDAN Secretariat

By Emma Okonji

The Police at the weekend beefed up security around the secretariat of the Computer and Allied Products Dealer Association of Nigeria (CAPDAN), the market regulator of Ikeja Computer Village.

This was to forestall a looming breakdown of law and order in the market.

The heavily armed policemen from Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) and the Police from Area F, prevented movements of people in and out of the CAPDAN secretariat, located inside Ikeja Computer Village.

The Police were invited following the alleged refusal by the current executive of CAPDAN to handover power to duly constituted caretaker committee headed by Mr. Tunde Aremu as chairman.

THISDAY gathered that the current CAPDAN Executive, led by its president, Mr. Adeniyi Ojikutu, had completed the stipulated two terms in office according to the constitution, but refused to conduct election and handover to another executive, a situation that compelled CAPDAN Board of Trustees to legally constitute a caretaker committee that would take over from the current Exco and conduct election within two months as enshrined in the CAPDAN constitution.

A letter written by the Board of Trustees to the current CAPDAN executive, dated July 30th, 2018, obtained by THISDAY read, “Please refer to our letter dated 10th July, 2018, particularly to paragraph three thereof concerning the plan by the Caretaker Committee to takeover from the present executive members and conduct a fresh election in line with the provisions of the constitution.”

The Board of Trustees, in the letter, listed the members of the caretaker committee to include: Mr. Tunde Aremu as Chairman; Chief Viginus Odinaka as Vice Chiarman; Mr. James Odia as Secretary, Alhaji Tope Alebiosu as member and Mrs. Joke Sofowora as member.

The letter further informed the Ojikutu-led CAPDAN executive that the caretaker committee shall be officially inaugurated on Friday August 3, 2018 at the CAPDAN Secretariat, while requesting the support of the current executive for a peaceful handover.

Having written the letter, the caretaker committee gathered last Friday for the inauguration and handover but were surprised to see the presence of armed Policemen who prevented them from holding the inauguration and handover in the secretariat.

The Police told them that there was an order from the Commissioner of Police, asking both factions to meet at Area F Police Command same day.

At the meeting, which was attended by the Police Area Commander, the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) and the two factions, the Police ordered the current CAPDAN executive to return back to the market, and hold a meeting with the Board of Trustees to settle their differences and report back to the Police by today Monday.

Reacting to the situation, Ojikutu said the caretaker committee was illegally constituted without the presence of CAPDAN President and Secretary.

He equally said the committee wanted to force him out of office whereas he has not completed his three years of one tenure as stipulated by the constitution.

“The constitution allows for three years tenure and we have spent just two years, and they want us out,” Ojikutu said.

Aremu however said two years tenure was stipulated by the constitution and that letters had been sent to the current executive members over two months ago, reminding them to vacate office at the expiration of their tenure, but that they have refused to obey the constitution, hence the caretaker committee was set up by the Board of Trustees.