Former Imo State governor, Chief Ikedi Ohakim has petitioned the Inspector General of Police over his prosecution at the instance of Ms Chinyere Amuchienwa-Igwegbe.
Ohakim and Amuchienwa have been embroiled in accusations and counter-accusation, which have led to several suits. While the businesswoman alleged that Okahim was owing her millions of naira from goods bought on credit and collecting money from her through false pretence, the former governor accused her of attacking him in a hotel room in Abuja.
In the petition, entitled, “Re: Unlawful and malicious prosecution, harassment, intimidation, defamation and false information against Dr. Ikedi Ohakim at the behest of Ms Chinyere Amuchienwa-Igwegbe,” through his lawyer, Aloy Ejimakor, Ohakim stated that he had earlier on January 20, 2020, complained to the IGP about alleged assault on his person by Ms. Chinyere Amuchienwa-Igwegbe at a hotel in Abuja and other acts by her towards our him.
“The contents of the said petition were clear, precise and unambiguous and our client, Dr Ikedi Ohakim, had then, at the request of the police, subsequently submitted credible evidence to support said the petition. For your ease of reference, we have attached to this petition some of the supporting evidence (comprising of text message exchanges between our client and Ms Amuchienwa-Igwegbe). A critical perusal of the attachments will point your office to where, between our client and Ms Igwegbe, the truth in fact lies.
“The complaint of our client was still under investigation by the Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) Federal Investigation Bureau (FIB), in connection with which our client and Ms. Amuchienwa were interviewed several times at the office of DIG – FIB when on 7th September, 2020, the Special Tactical Squad of the same FIB extended a new invitation to our client over a fresh petition brought by Ms Igwegbe on the same matter. And this was just days after our client was invited by the National Agency for Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) over the similar petition by Ms Amuchienwa against our client, and which petition she concealed from the police.
“ In the interim, compelled by our concerns that this whole matter was now bordering on persecution, we commenced judicial proceedings to protect our client’s constitutional rights, pursuant to which the court, on 10th September, 2020, issued a restraining order, stating that all parties in the suit should maintain the status quo and not do anything in connection with the subject matter and should stay all action whatsoever pending the determination of the substantive motion in this suit”. He said this was in addition to a similar and contemporaneous order against NAPTIP and a re-affirmation of the two orders on 25th September, 2020.
“ Sir, in view of the foregoing, it is our considered position that these multiple rounds of charges – totally lacking in any scintilla of evidence – against our client and the way and manner of his prosecution in various courts at the behest of the same nominal complainant (Ms Igwegbe) is reprehensible, unethical, unprofessional and condemnable, and ought not be allowed to stand,” Ejimakor emphasised. Ohakim, in the petition, asked the IGP to compel his accuse (Ms Igwegbe) “produce credible evidence of how our client used said land (that is not in his name) to defraud her and other Nigerians and using the name of Babatunde Fashola, the Honorable Minister for Works. Mere allegations are utterly insufficient to ground the ongoing prosecution against me.
“That Ms Igwegbe must produce evidence of all the receipts and the name of the person who took delivery of the items she claimed our client purchased from her in the amount of one hundred and ten million Naira; and why she is variously stating the amount in Euros and Naira.” The former governor also asked the IGP to presecite Ms Igwegbe.
“That the nude video upon which our client is now being charged be subjected to a thorough forensic investigation to determine, between our client and Igwegbe, who made the video; whether the video is real or photoshopped, who first sent the video out from the device with which it was made and the person(s) to whom the video was sent and when?
“That given that both Ms Igwegbe’s initial Petition was about monies she claims our client owes her (for land purchased and chattels bought from her shop), these prosecutions should be closed forthwith because the Nigerian Police is neither a debt collection agency, nor should Ms Igwegbe be allowed to twist what she initially presented as a mere civil monetary dispute, only to later turn to making unsubstantiated criminal allegations in a clumsy design to embroil the Police in what is fundamentally a civil matter.”