Odimegwu uses police to arrest ex-business partner

A Lagos businessman, Mr Okon Iyanam, has petitioned Nigeria’s Inspector-General of Police (IG), Mr Mohammed Abubakar, over alleged unlawful arrest and threat to life by Mr. Festus Odimegwu, chairman of the National Population Commission.

In the petition signed by Adeniji Kazeem, his lawyer, Iyanam accused Odimegwu, of using the police to detain him unlawfully at the Police Headquarters Annex, Obalende, Lagos on 7 August.

Iyanam was the former Group Managing Director of Quintessentially Nigeria Ltd. (QNL), with Odimeguw as chairman.

According to the petitioner, Odimegwu accused him of defrauding the company of N50 million and setting up another company.

“On Monday, 7 August at 12 noon, our client presented himself, together with his lawyers, at the police headquarters Annex, Obalende, Lagos, but he was immediately arrested– based on a petition from Mr Festus Odimegwu, who had alleged fraud, amongst other things, against our client.

The petition reads in part: “Our client was transported to Abuja and was not allowed to prepare for the trip but was forced in `gestapo’ fashion under armed guard.

“In Abuja, he was forced to write a statement, thereafter, he was transferred to Area 10 police headquarters, where he was detained for more than 48 hours. We understand that your officers were pressurised by Odimegwu to impose tough bail conditions on him.

“Our client seriously fears for his life due to the obvious desperation of Odimegwu to use his access to the police and high office to intimidate him and possibly terminate his life.

“We restate that our client’s only `crime’ was his resignation as group managing director of QNL to form his own company and the impending loss of QNL’s franchise, being withdrawn from Quintessentially UK”.

The petitioner condemned the police over the manner it was handling the case, in view of the fact that the IG, on assumption of office, promised to reform the police and check attempts by individuals to use the force for witch-hunting.

Odimegwu confirmed to the News Agency of Nigeria that he had earlier petitioned the IG over the alleged theft of N50 million from the company by Iyanam.

Odimegwu alleged that “Iyanam travelled to the United Kingdom (UK) after spending one year as group managing director to QNL and upon his return, he resigned to set up his own company without accounting for the money spent in QNL.

“Besides, Iyanam is also planning to take over the franchise from the UK Company”.