BEVERLY HILLS, CA, December 22, (THEWILL) – Scores of people were injured at the weekend when two factions of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, (IPMAN) engaged themselves in a free-for-all over a lingering leadership crisis at the Warri refinery depot in Delta State.
Fighting started when some angry youths stormed the depot and tried to forcefully remove the depot IPMAN chairman, Comrade Akpos Edefevwotu, from office.
They were allegedly led by the Vice Chairman of the local branch of IPMAN, Chief Ben Emoefe, who stormed the office of the Chairman armed allegedly with dangerous weapons in attempt to overthrow the leadership of IPMAN led by Edafevwotu.
But they were said to have been repelled by the faction loyal to the chairman thus leading to a free-for-all.
Several persons including loyalists of both Edefevwotu and Emoefe were said to have been shot and injured in the fighting with many of the victims rushed to hospital.
“It took men of the Warri Area Command and Ekpan Police as well as soldiers of the Effurun 3 Battalion several hours to bring the situation under control.
“The crisis in Warri has further heightened fears of a nation wide scarcity of fuel,” a source said.
Reacting to the incident, Edaefevwotu said his vice chairman who allegedly led the attack has been suspended by the IPMAN Western Zone for misconduct.
He condemned the vandalisation of his office and attack,saying it was a desperate attempt to overthrow him.
The Vice Chairman, Emoefe, however defended himself, saying he was asked to take over from Edefevwotu as directed by the Benin Zonal headquarters of IPMAN following the suspension of the latter.
It was reliably gathered that Governor Emmanuel Udughan, has however waded into the crisis, even as security operatives have taken over the Warri IPMAN depot.
