Date Published: 04/25/09

Letter to Governor Fashola: A Passionate Appeal for Justice

April 15, 2009


His Excellency,
The Governor of Lagos State
Lagos House, Ikeja

Dear Sir,

A PASSIONATE APPEAL FOR JUSTICE

Peter Okeke

The late Mr. Peter Eriobuna Okeke, the father of Chigozie Okeke who served Mr. Jonathan Obijiaku, MD/CEO Middlepoint Ltd Lagos for seven years as apprentice would have been alive today, if the man, Obijiaku had applied tactics, commonsense, understanding, wisdom and native intelligence. Those who are close to Mr Jonathan Obijiaku know him as a strong fighter who does not look back when fighting what he believes in. He fights with mind of steel, and he does not look back. He gets to the end of every matter no matter whose ox is gored. If Jonathan Obijiaku makes up his mind on anything, he throws in feet, hands, head, eyes, ears etc. But this is one fight he misfired and the incalculable damage he did to his great image and reputation earned over many years of hardwork cannot be imagined now. I am at pains that he chose this path and I can only wish him well.

Chigozie

But how did the tragic story start? Chigozie, the son of Mr Peter Eriobuna Okeke served Jonathan Obijiaku as apprentice for 7 years and he settled him very well thereafter. Few years after Mr Obijiaku said Chigozie stole his money and used it to build houses, bought Lorries etc.

Mr Obijiaku invited the police and Chigozie was arrested and detained. Soon, and according to their investigations, Chigozie’s father was arrested for accomplice or receiver of stolen goods or money. A detachment of policemen was sent to Nnewi to effect the arrest of Mr Peter Eriobuna Okeke. The man resisted arrest and police beat him to a pulp and was bundled to Ikoyi prison Lagos. That was a long journey for Mr Peter Eriobuna Okeke and he never survived to tell the story. I did not know what transpired but while Chigozie was on bail his father was denied bail. That was when some of us stepped in. I spoke to Jonathan Obijiaku’s lawyer, Barr.Okey Okonkwo several times that I cannot comprehend why Chigozie should be on bail while his father is left in detention. Obijiaku used his wealth and influence to keep the man in prison. This man made frantic calls to me personally and told me he may not survive the incarceration. The Eriobuna’s are our neighbours in Uruagu Nnewi where I come from.

Jonathan Obijiaku

As a humanrights activist, I spoke strongly to Obijiaku’s lawyer, Barr. Okey Okonkwo that this man may die in detention (as if I saw it coming) and if it happens Jonathan Obijiaku will use his entire  lifetime explaining how the man died but they will not listen. The late Mr Peter Eriobuna’s case was compounded and worsened more when a riot broke out at Ikoyi prison in 2007. Gun shots were fired with reckless abandon and smoke inhaled and shock devastated further his already precarious situation. He developed hypertension, and high blood pressure and soon heart problem set in. The rest is now history. The man died!

A lot of water has passed under the bridge since the man died. Accusing fingers have been pointing to Obijiaku for using his wealth and influence to hold the man in detention for more than 2 years. The man, his callous policemen picked in Nnewi hale and hearty returned to Nnewi half dead. And no power in the tongue of any man can convince me that the man died a natural death and I am ready to testify anywhere that Mr Eriobuna did not die a natural death. Mr Eriobuna was not given juju or poison but died as a result of incarceration.

Stories of masters/servants relationship in Igboland are well-known cases and time will fail me to recount some of them here. Whatever Obijiaku, the Master is facing today is what he gradually, slowly, deliberately and consciously brought to himself and the world is yet to hear the last of the case. The truth of the matter is that this ‘courageous’ man brought war to Uruagu Nnewi. The fact remains that he committed an abomination in Uruagu Nnewi and Nnewi as a whole by paying the police to go and exhume the dead body of Mr Peter Eriobuna Okeke in Uruagu Nnewi. The self-evident truth is that he challenged every male in Uruagu including this writer. Mr Jonathan Obijiaku would have sent the bill of what Chigozie stole from him to Uruagu Community and I do not think we are too poor to pick the bill than to swallow this disgrace and shame he brought to all of us. A thousand years will pass and we will never forget this.

If you bring maggot infested firewood into your house you should be ready for strange visitors. Mr Jonathan Obijiaku says the exhuming of Okeke’s body is purely a police affair for autopsy. We believe him but what will be the result? That Eriobuna died a natural death? Tell it to the marines! The man died of police brutality and incarceration in Ikoyi prison.

My prayers

Lagos State is the land of civilization and home of civil society organizations that believe strongly in human rights matters. You cannot violate a process here in Lagos and get away with it. I am appealing to the Governor of Lagos State, His Excellency Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN) and the Hon Attorney General of Lagos State Mr Supo Sasore (SAN) to cause the case between Mr Jonathan Obijiaku of Middlepoint Ltd Lagos and the late Mr Peter Eriobuna Okeke and son, Chigozie Okeke to be investigated. Some critical questions and issues are very important here and we need to find out where things went wrong. How many policemen went to Uruagu Nnewi from Lagos to effect the arrest of Mr Peter Eriobuna Okeke? How come they could not overpower the man and arrest him instead of beating him to a pulp before throwing him into their vehicle? Why did Mrs Adelaja’s Magistrate Court refuse him bail? Why did Mrs Ogunmekan High Court refuse him bail? When the Okekes took the matter to the Appeal Court more charges were brought against Mr Peter Eriobuna Okeke to frustrate the bail process further. The Okekes then returned to Mrs Adelaja’s Magistrate Court and she still refused to grant the man bail. The Okekes went to Mrs Shitta Bay’s High Court and she granted the man bail. But Mr Obijiaku bent on getting his pound of flesh wrote petition against Mrs Shitta Bay and she removed her hands from the case and asked the Lagos AG to assign the case to another Court. It was assigned to Justice Oluwayemi’s High Court and he eventually granted the man bail after 2 years. While in Ikoyi prison, Mr Okeke’s health deteriorated dangerously. That informed the reason why the prison Doctor wrote to the Magistrate Court to grant the man bail so that he can seek medical help outside because they did not have the drugs to deal with the man’s case but Obijiaku wrote petition against the Doctor, and the Doctor kept quiet.

Jonathan Obijiaku wife

From all indications and from the facts available, Mr Jonathan Obijiaku wants the man to die in prison. Before Mr Peter Eriobuna Okeke was eventually granted bail, he has become a ghost of himself. I submit that his fundamental human rights were grossly and brazenly violated by Mr Obijiaku and his cohorts and we want justice. If the evil spirit visited in the night and the baby died in the morning, please do not ask me the cause of the problem.

Joe Igbokwe,
(AC, Publicity Secretary, Lagos State)
A native of Uruagu, Nnewi,
Anambra State


Cc to: The Hon Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice
Block 11
The Secretariat
Ikeja

Peter Okeke exhume grave