US - based Anambra indigene petitions Soludo over alleged extortion by Attorney General's staff AG: I gave him another prosecutor when he complained

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By Madu Obi

Awka- An indigene of Anambra State based in the United States of America, USA, Mr. Bonaventure Ezekwenna, has petitioned Governor Chukwuma Soludo over alleged extortion by some staff in the office of the state Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, while handling a case of property acquisition he has in the state.

However, the Attorney General, Professor Sylvia Ifemeje, said that when the man complained, she assigned another prosecutor to him, following allegation that the ones handling the case were demanding gratifications.

In the petition, Ezekwenna appealed to the governor to order an urgent and independent review of the handling of the case by a prosecutor in the office of the Attorney General, who he alleged, demanded N1 million to diligently prosecute the case.

He also called for the immediate prosecution of two officers of the Ministry of Justice in line with the investigation reports of the Force Criminal Investigation Department, FCID, dated 12 th October, 2022 and 5th February, 2024.

Going down memory lane, Ezekwenna recalled how he bought an uncompleted property at Nnobi, Idemili South local government area on September 2,2021 for N10 million and paid with a bank draft and performed other traditional rites according to the Igbo tradition.

He said: "As I began to develop the property, a land grabber stormed and attacked the place, threatened violence and claimed that he bought the property a year before me for N20 million cash. He demanded the N20 million from me to continue development.

In fact, he demolished my property and stole by building materials. He also stated that he is a native doctor and owns several deadly shrines in Nnobi and other places and boldly told me that the police are under his pocket.

I made inquiry and found out that I had fallen into the hands of hardcore heinous criminal syndicate terrorizing and destabilizing communities in Anambra State.

These criminals pretend they are native doctors and traditionalists, but they are actually what is known within law enforcement in Nigeria as Yahoo+ crimes, which includes violent land grabbing."

According to him, when a prosecutor demanded N1 million from him, he complained to the state Director of Public Prosecution, DPP, who told him 'to settle him so that he would do the case well'

He added: "The prosecutor eventually extorted over N400,000 from me and still extorting, until I vehemently, fiercely resisted and rebuked him. The prosecutor threatened me and stated that he will make sure I will not get justice.

He sent threats by phone calls, texts and voicemails, saying that for complaining about him, I will meet my Waterloo and that his gods will fight me.

My lawyer and I complained to the Attorney General and she transferred my case to another prosecutor and gave instructions which the prosecutor did not obey. In fact, the new prosecutor demanded and insisted she will not do my case unless I give her N150,000 and N20,000 for every appearance.

I have lived in the United States for about 40 years and decided to come home to invest in my home town and this is what I have been made to pass through".

His lawyer, Jude Obiora, who signed the petition on his behalf, along with C.I Udeh, Managing Partner and S.A Usman, Head of Practice of Orators Legal Practitioners, Abuja, said Ezekwenna has suffered unimaginable threats, intimidation, extortion and harassment because of the inaction of those entrusted with prosecuting crime in the state.

But in a telephone reaction, the Attorney General, Professor Ifemeje, said she had advised Ezekwenna to complain to the state governor, if he was not satisfied with the way the prosecutor was handling his case.

She said that when he complained about the way the first prosecutor assigned to the case was handling it, she withdrew that one and assigned another one to handle the matter, adding that it is surprising that he is still complaining.