An American-based Anambra indigene, Bonaventure Ezekwenna, told a Chief Magistrate Court, sitting in Nnobi, Idemili South LGA of Anambra State how a native doctor, Chijioke Okaa allegedly destroyed his N10 million property.
Ezekwenna, who is based in New York City, USA stated this when he opened testimony in a five-count criminal charges he brought against Okaa and a Beninese bricklayer, Olufemi Salako, at the Chief Magistrate Court in Nnobi.
He told the presiding magistrate , Chief Magistrate Kenneth Nwoye at the commencement of hearing on the matter how he paid one Miss Nzube Mbachu N10million for her property.
Ezekwenna told the court that after settling the property (Nzube Mbachu), an orphan from Nnobi and deployed building materials including iron rods, blocks and other materials for full construction after erecting the fence, that Okaa damaged the materials.
According to him, “it was after this stage that one Chijioke Okaa emerged at the site with others, demolished the fence and destroyed building materials he kept at the site.”
The complainant told the court that it was this situation that prompted him to report the matter to police.
“But regrettably, while policemen in Lagos were interrogating the matter, a team of police arrived from Force Headquarters, Abuja and got me arrested on the allegations that Okaa had petitioned the Inspector General of Police”, he said.
Ezekwenna added that it was in the course of investigation of Okaa’s petition that police decided to charge him, the first defendant, for false information.
The complainant who tendered documents showing agreement with Mbachu and evidence of N10 million payment, regretted that Okaa refused all overture made to settle the matter before now.
The two accused persons Okaa and Salako were arraigned on five-count charge of forcible take-over of one Miss Nzube Mbachu’s property worth N10 million.
The prosecutor had also accused the duo of sometime within the months of July 2020 and October, 2021 at Nnobi did attempt to commit felony by inducing one Miss Nzube Mbachu, an orphan to change her property title document in favour of Okaa.
But in a twist shortly after Ezekwenna’s testimony, Salako told the court that Okaa had been threatening to deal with him since July 16 when the matter last came up.
“After the last sitting on July 16, I was granted bail by this court and as soon as the court rose, three persons including Okaa came to me saying that they were trying to perfect my bail condition.
“They said that I should handover my phone to them, but I refused, as if that was not enough, Okaa started threatening me.
“Later he visited me while I was in the custody of the Nigerian Correctional Service and gave me N10, 000 telling me to support him”, Salako said.
After hearing the testimony of Ezekwenna, the presiding Chief Magistrate, Kenneth Nwoye adjourned the matter to August 4 for continuation of hearing.
Nwoye, however, advised Salako to hold his peace till the time he will testify before his court.
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