By Uzoma Akobundu
Detachment of Police Mobile Force (MOPOL) on Monday, September 18 besieged the premises of popular Ikeja Lagos Best Western Hotel on Allen Avenue to forcefully take over the place .
The police were at the place on the directive of Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) which got a court order to seize the hotel over huge debt linked to the owners.
Edward Akilade, the managing director of the hotel is said to be owing banks N27 billion and 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 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 this morning , Akilade was spotted inside while the police barricaded the gate.
Akilade told the police he was not ready to vacate the hotel but AMCON said the man has no choice now 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 has 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,” says AMCON official who also added that the Corporation has the capacity to appoint those to manage the hotel to profitability.