The importers association of Nigeria (IMAN) has been fingered by a prominent civil society organisation, Nigeria Integrity Movement, NIM, to be aiding the importation of arms and ammunition illegally.
Mr Kayode Essan , the national Coordinator of NIM, at a news briefing with media organisations and newsmen in Kaduna, accused high profiled individuals within IAN of using their influence to aid individuals and organisations that do not mean well for the the country into importing weapons into the country, and thereby sabotaging the security and lives of Nigerians.
Text of the briefing reads;
“Due to our concern over the illegal proliferation of arms and ammunition in the country, we conducted a discreet investigation and observed that these sophisticated arms and ammunition were brought entered the country through our borders. We also observed that some senior members of the importers association have made illicit fortunes by conniving with those that do not mean well for the country to bring in these arms and ammunition.
We are appalled that citizens of this country will put the lives and property of fellow countrymen and women under threats, sabotage the efforts of the government and security agencies just for pecuniary gains.
While we concede that some not all the members of Importers Association of Nigeria are into this heinous practice as there are still noble men and women within the system, we strongly state that those prominent members in this illicit comduct and their collaborators should be fished out and dealt with in accordance with the law.
We therefore call on the Inspector General of Police, the Director General of Department of State Security, the National Security Adviser, the Chief of Defence Staff, Chief of Military Intelligence and other intelligence and security agencies to commence investigation”, the briefing ends.
Following the indictment by NIM, our correspondent made efforts to reach the Chairman of the association, Mr Kingsley Chikezie, to react to the indictment was unsuccessful as his lines were switched off when our correspondent called. Efforts was also made to reach him physically proved abortive as the association’s physical address could not be ascertained.
