Ekweremadu: How former Enugu chief judge stole, doctored my will

Ike Ekweremadu, deputy senate president, has accused Innocent Umezulike, a former chief judge in Enugu state, of stealing and doctoring his will.

In a statement issued on his behalf by Uche Anichukwu, his spokesman, Ekweremadu alleged that in 2016, Umezulike in connivance with some politicians broke into the Probate Registry of the state and took away his will.

The lawmaker said after doctoring it, his “perpetrators”, together with the assistance of Okoi Obono-Obla, a presidential aide, started running a smear campaign against him.

“There has been a sustained smear campaign against my person by Mr. Okoi Obono-Obla,” he said.

“I would have continued to ignore them, but for the concern of my well-wishers. Therefore, the public may wish to know as follows:

“About July 2016, former chief judge of Enugu state, Hon. Justice Innocent Umezulike, in his capacity as the chief judge of Enugu state at the time, together with his lawyer, and Barrister Tagbo Ike, in connivance with some politicians, broke into the Probate Registry, Enugu, took away my will and left behind a photocopy.

“They copied the properties listed in the will and added many imaginary properties and started churning out baseless petitions to government agencies and officials. In their petition to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, for instance, they claimed, in a demonstration of gross ignorance, that I was given money by the federal government to develop the south-east geopolitical zone but that I used it to purchase 32 properties.

“They sent similar petitions to Mr President, the vice-president, senate president, attorney-general of the federation, Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, Code of Conduct Bureau, director-general of the Department of State Security, inspector-general of Police, commissioner of police (Enugu), among others.”

Ekweremadu, who said he is being targeted because of the 2019 election, vowed to speak more on this subject at the “appropriate time”.

“For now, let me state that Justice Innocent Umezulike has since been dismissed from service by the National Judicial Council and is facing trial in different courts. God is also on top of the matter in several other ways in the life of Justice Umezulike’s,” he said.

“It suffices to add that with what is unfolding now, the current smear campaign championed by Mr. Okoi Obono-Obla, is helping to expose those, who acted with Justice Umezulike, to steal my will. They have been peddling this so-called ‘discovery’ since July 2016.

“Umezulike has also, in several other petitions, attacked me and my family. He also, at some point, accused me of killing several people, which the office of the inspector-general of police investigated; and probably, he will soon face appropriate charges bordering on false information.

“Let me, therefore, call on all those, who are concerned about this smear campaign, not to worry. This too shall pass. History will vindicate the just and the wicked will never go unpunished.”

When contacted Obono-Obla denied the allegation. Umezulike could not be reached for comment.

Ekweremadu is accused of having assets in United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom and United States of America which he allegedly did not disclose in his declarations to the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB).

TheCable had reported how the office of the attorney-general of the federation (AGF) planned to arraign Ekweremadu before the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) and arraign him for “false declaration of assets” — the same charge slammed against Saraki.