From: Chidi Nnadi, Enugu
A group of human rights lawyers of the Anayo Adibe and Partners have called on the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mr. Ibrahim Idris, to investigate thoroughly the petition brought by Sen. Andy Uba against his former attorney, Evangelist Victor Uwajeh.
Three lawyers from the law firm: Mr. Anayo Adibe, Onyekachi Ndubusi and Benjamin Enyiagu, who made the call, on Thursday, at a press briefing, in Enugu, said that they decided to wade into the matter as the petition by Sen. Uba sent to the police on April 7, 2017, was akin to the one made by the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) against Uwajeh in 2010, but which the court discharged and acquitted Uwajeh in 2013.
The lawyers, however, pointed out that Uwajeh was left off the hook in 2013 as the politicians called by the EFCC to testify against him, as witnesses, declined.
They, therefore, said that now a politician on his own volition has taken up a similar case against Uwajeh who is said to be a private investigator, the police should do a thorough investigation of the petition to find out the veracity of the claim by Senator Uba.
The lawyers said that if the police and other security agencies fail to do justice to the petition, they would institute an order of mandamus in court to ensure that the matter gets proper judicial attention.
Senator Uba had in his petition to the Inspector-General of Police alleged attempts by Uwajeh to extort money from him.
Uba, who is the Chairman, Senate Committee on Public Accounts, accused Uwajeh of making series of attempts to blackmail him with the intention to obtain huge sums of money from him.
He alleged that after failed attempts by Uwajeh to extort money from him, he “resorted to targeting my reputation, my career and my life through the spread of scandalous falsehood about my person.
“The character of Mr. Victor Uwajeh is not in question as there have been very strong allegations of similar nature against this man. The same allegations I make today have been made by late Akunyili (Dora), Waziri (Farida), Mrs. Cecilia Ibru, among others.”
But Evangelist Uwajeh had since denied all the allegations made by Senator Uba, saying that Uba’s outcry of blackmail was a ploy to run away from a suit he filed against him at an Abuja High Court since 2016 for payment of £1.9 million he owed him (Uwajeh).
In the suit against Uba, marked FHC/ABJ/CV/2063/2016, Evangelist Uwajeh is praying the court for an order directing the defendant (Andy Uba) to pay him £l.9 million (based on the prevailing exchange rate), being the professional fees for services he rendered to him and pursuant to his two Power of Attorneys dated 28/12/12 and 5/1/13 and a Letter of Authority dated 2/2/13 addressed to the UK Border Agency which Uba issued in his favour.