26th September, 2023
By Victoria Oluwayemi
Barrister Peter Ochuba, a renowned lawyer based in Lagos, has shed light on the complex legal dispute between him and a businessman, Mr. Emperor Chika Obi, the owner of Haile Selaisses Suites Ltd.
What is the origin of the dispute?
The differences between them resulted when Mr. Emperor Obi refused to liquidate a substantial debt owed to Barrister Peter.
Emperor’s conduct prompted Peter to act. A legal action was commenced on March 1, 2010, wherein Peter initiated legal proceedings by filing suit number LD/388/2010 to recover his outstanding debt from Mr. Obi.
However, the situation took an unexpected turn on April 1, 2010, when Mr. Emperor Chika Obi retaliated by writing a petition against Barrister Peter to the office of the Inspection General of Police alleging theft.
The plot thickened as the petition against Barrister Peter resulted in a criminal charge being brought against him.
He was accused of stealing a Bora Volkswagen car, purportedly belonging to Emperor Chika Obi, with a numbered plate: CN/519/JJJ.
This charge sheet was filed before the Ebute-Metta Magistrate Court. The object of the charge was to scandalize Peter’s name and true to plan, the action created headlines with several papers reporting the story with screaming headlines. This media in its hard copy was one of those that reported the story.
In the PM News of July 15, 2010, the paper reported that a lawyer Mr. Peter Ochuba was charged to the Ebute Metta Magistrate Court for stealing a Bora car.
irked by the report, Barrister Ochuba filed a libel action against Independence Communication Network Ltd, the publisher of the PM News.
He alleged in his statement of claim that the defendant allowed itself to be used by Mr. Obi by reporting the charge but not how the charge was terminated.
The parties, however, reached an amicable settlement with the filing of terms of settlement before the Lagos High Court. One of the terms of the Consent Judgement was to allow Barrister Peter to state his side of the story, which was unknown to PM News at the time of the publication.
In an interview granted by Barrister Peter Ochuba to PM News at its premises, the Press House, located at Acme Road Agidingbi, he narrated the events that led to the charge and how the charges were struck out.
In the interview, he denied all allegations contained in the charge sheet vehemently. He asserted that the criminal charges were baseless and only aimed at tarnishing his reputation.
He insisted that the case was struck out for want of evidence. He contended that the coverage of the criminal charges by PM was one-sided as the paper failed to present his side of the story.
Ochuba revealed that Emperor was his secondary school mate(junior) and that he represented him in several matters but he refused to pay his bills.
He said it was intriguing to know that the Bora car he was alleged to have stolen was a gift to him by Mr. Emperor while their relationship was good.
Ochuba was to settle with his friend and classmate subsequently. The suit he filed against him for the recovery of the debt was amicably settled as a consent judgment was entered by the Court upon the filing of terms of the settlement.
He has since forgiven his friend and they both have moved on as Emperor admitted that Barrister Peter was innocent of the charges but he needed to set the record straight hence the interview.
He thanked PM News and their counsel Mr. Benjamin Umudjoro for making the interview possible and allowing him to state his side of the story.