By Uzoma Akobundu
Officials of the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) have eventually succeeded in taking possession of the Ikeja Lagos Best Western Hotel located on the popular Allen Avenue. The place has been permanently shut with guests sent out, and all operations therein 
stopped.
They did at the weekend, days after the management of the hotel held a media briefing saying they were not going anywhere.
AMCON had besieged the Allen Avenue premises of the Ikeja Lagos Best Western Hotel on Monday, September 18 with truck load of policemen over the indebtedness of the owners, but had to temporary pullout on the understanding that the owners were ready to settle with the loan recovering body, Armadanews.com has learnt.
No reason was given, however for the initial sudden pull out despite the boast by AMCON officials that the hotel will remain sealed until they have compelled Edward Akilade, the managing director/CEO of the hotel to pay the sum of N27 billion he allegedly borrowed from defunct Oceanic Bank PLC.
On Monday, September 18, when detachment of Police Mobile Force (MOPOL) besieged the premises of Lagos Best Western Hotel to forcefully take over the place, the police said they were at the hotel on the directive of AMCON which got a court order to seize the hotel over huge debt linked to the owners.
AMCON said Akilade has allegedly refused to pay.
The money, Armadanews.com was informed, was borrowed from the defunct Oceanic Bank, now acquired by Ecobank PLC.
Armadanews.com was told same day by an official of AMCON that Akilade had also refused to obey orders of the court in respect of his huge exposures hence the enforcement of the court orders. “Even President Muhammadu Buhari cannot disobey court orders, so he does not have any right not to obey the orders of the court,” an official of AMCON explained to us.
When we visited the hotel on Monday morning, Akilade was spotted inside while the police barricaded the gate.
On the wall of the hotel AMCON also boldly wrote: “This premises has been taken over by AMCON.”
Akilade told the police he was not ready to vacate the hotel but AMCON said the man has no choice given that the hotel had been taken over.
Guests were not only embarrassed by the development but some of the staff were taken unawares as they did not know what was fishing.
Guests already in the hotel could not come out not could new ones be admitted.
However, AMCON had insisted that their men would remain at the premises of the hotel for as long as the owner does the needful; obey the court order on his indebtedness. “If he pays us now we will leave, but if he refuses, we will remain there,” said AMCON official who also added that the Corporation has the capacity to appoint those to manage the hotel to profitability.
Another visit to the hotel on Tuesday, September 19 indicated that the caution sign written on the wall of the hotel by AMCON had been cleaned. The workers were also busy going about their businesses without molestation contrary to what happened a day earlier.
An official of AMCON who was contacted again said their experts are the field and that the hotel is still not off their hook.
During the media briefing Akilade held during the weekend, he queried the N27billion AMCON said his hotel owed, noting that the amount was below N6billion.
However, Akilade reiterated that he had told AMCON that they must have to kill him before he vacates the hotel. He also said that Senator Buruji Kasumu believed to have a hand in the hotel has nothing to do with the facility.
But during the weekend, AMCON brought a reinforced security that not only forced the management of the hotel out of the premises but got all the guests scampering out in fear.
On the walls of the hotel were once more written: “This property has been taken over by ANCON.”
Also, all the entry points of the hotel had been blocked with truck loads of stone pebbles while the security personnel now stay inside and outside the premises keeping watch over the property.
None of the hotel personnel was available for comments when Armadanews.com visited on Tuesday, September 26, but a policeman told us that the place had been taken over by government. “The owner is on the run,” he said.
When we contacted an official of AMCON again he said: “I told you they have no choice than to pay what they are owing or be forced out.”