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‘Journalist’, Lawyer In Prison For Blackmailing ODM Publisher, Bishop Dr Chris Kwakpovwe

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A blackmailer who claims to be a journalist has landed in Kirikiri Maximum Prison attempting to extort money from a popular clergy in Lagos through blackmail. Ohio Ojeagbase, 38, walked into the net of the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad, SARS, after perfecting his extortion plot on Bishop (Dr.) Chris Kwakpovwe, the General Overseer of the Manna Prayer Mountain and publisher of the daily devotional, Our Daily Manna. He was arrested alongside a Lagos-based lawyer, Barr. Uche Iloani accused of working together with Mr. Ohio who owns Probiters Report.

Trouble started for Ohio and his accomplice after they had planted a lady in Bishop Kwapovwe’s ministry to function as a staff whose job was to feed them with information that could facilitate their blackmail plans on the clergy.

Rita Ibeni, the staff, who worked in the media department of the ministry for about five years, was fingered after a massive looting of the ODM Video Unit of media and video equipment worth N5.6 million. The main suspect and other departmental staffers were arrested. When she was confronted with evidence of the theft, she absconded from the church office. This prompted her arrest at the instance of the ministry and a case was filed at Area H Police Command, Ogudu, Lagos. Upon her arrest, Barr. Iloani, who claimed to be her counsel, came forward to demand for her immediate release with a plea to the ODM and the ministry that the matter would be settled out of court.

However, as soon as Rita Ibeni was granted bail, the story took a new twist as Mr. Ohio went to work. He wrote a letter to Bishop Kwakpovwe claiming that the latter tried to oppress one of his staffers and that they were going to publish a story in that regard which could finish the ODM Vision which has affected millions of lives across the Globe. According to him, “Whatever we tell the public will be believed since we have 250 million online membership.” He demanded millions of naira from the man of God if he wanted the story killed. Ohio Ojeagbase claimed he and his accomplice had recorded verbal (audio) conversations between Rita and the bishop where the man of God made sexual advances at the former. However, further probe and forensic examination later, revealed that the recording was fake as the fabricated voice was not the bishop’s.

After series of accusations and threats to publish negative story of sexual harassment and threat to life concerning the Bishop and even threats of kidnap of his loved ones by other faceless members of the group, they demanded settlement to avoid the story going viral, claiming it was not their intention to damage the image of the revered man of God. They also told the bishop they had done a “human google” on him and they knew his worth! At that point, the bishop “smelled a rat” and quickly reported the matter to the police.

The lawyer asked for N15 million (fifteen million naira) for inconveniences tagged as professional fees and the inconveniences his ‘client’ Ms Rita Ibeni had gone through during her arrest, while Mr Ohio demanded for 50% of whatever is paid to the lawyer.

The suspects also gave the man of God the option of handing in original copies of his property documents that they would help him facilitate quick loan from a bank so he could make the payment without stress. That was when the Bishop Dr Chris Kwakpovwe went back to the police to lodge complaints. The police then advised that further calls, SMS or meetings be electronically recorded as evidence, and that was done.

They were, however, rounded up on Wednesday, April 12th, 2017 in Ogudu, Lagos, while they were at the agreed venue for the man of God to make payment. Journalists further gathered that they came on that day with two borrowed jeeps.

The case was charged to court on Thursday April 17, 2017 where the suspects were remanded at Kirikiri Maximum Prison over their inability to meet up with the bail conditions.

We gathered that Mr. Ohio had earlier blackmailed many clergymen and businessmen in the country. The suspects, according to information made available to us, were in the habit of planting people in the homes and offices of wealthy men and women, clergy men, business men and women to plan how to blackmail and extort money them eventually.

Speaking on the incident at the court premises, the bishop told journalists that he knew that this was a plot to DISTRACT him from the LOOTED VIDEO EQUIPMENT’S CASE, Blackmail/Extort money (millions) from him and discredit him as a man of God, but his proactive approach to get to the bottom before they carried out their nefarious acts stopped them in their tracks. He said he never made any advances and can never do so with the suspected looter of the video unit (the former employee). “I am used to such satanic fabrications, gang-ups, lies, concoctions and distractions! He reminded journalists of a current and lingering court case which involves a lady who took him to court for the ridiculous charge of falling down and breaking her teeth at a Lagos National Stadium programme – World Anointing Night, 6 years ago.

“Thousands of souls came for that programme from 23 countries, 6 years ago. The lady whom I never met, took me to court and she is claiming 22 million damages. The case which provoked nationwide outrage against the lady is still on.”

“As a man of God, such lies, manipulations, fabrications, temptations and battles are expected because the devil is mad and will be mad against any child of God who is living right and who is a terror to his kingdom. But he is only a roaring lion without teeth. Was Joseph not wrongfully attacked and blackmailed by Mrs Portiphar? But did he not sit on his throne at last? I have learnt that in life, success attracts uncommon battles and for every one person who celebrates your success, there are at least two others who are plotting your down fall. Indeed, there are no blue skies without storms but the rainbow is the final bus stop if you refuse to be distracted from your goals! Victory is sure by God’s grace! I shall make no deeper comments for now since the matter is before the courts.” He said.

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HOW ACCESS BANK STRUGGLES TO ATTRACT FRENCH COMPANIES…

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Nigerian Access Bank has been very outspoken about strengthening ties with France, but has not yet made much progress.

On the 10th floor of the Access Tower on Victoria Island in Lagos, the only sign that Access Bank has what it calls a “French Desk” is a tiny French flag in a corner. It has been nearly four months since the bank’s main shareholder and non-executive director, Herbert Wigwe, opened the Desk, but it has not yet done anything.

The Desk has been set up to help French companies work in Nigeria and vice versa. To this end, a partnership with the Business France office in Lagos is currently being finalised. However, its efforts will first focus on Ghana. Access Bank’s branch in Accra handles accounts for several major French companies, including TotalEnergies and the consultancy Mazars.

Presence in Paris

In May, Minister Delegate for Development, Francophonie and International Partnerships Chrysoula Zacharopoulou attended the inauguration of the new French Desk, intended to mark a new step forward in Access Bank’s French strategy. Two weeks before, on 15 May, Wigwe became chairman of the French-Nigeria Business Council, replacing Abdulsamad Rabiu of BUA and then inaugurated a Paris branch at the Petit Palais with French Foreign Trade Minister Olivier Becht in attendance

Like the French Desk in Lagos, the Paris office, a branch of Access Bank’s London and run by Justin Maria, cannot do much. It currently cannot open an account for any clients, discussions are still on going with the French Prudential Supervision and Resolution Authority.

 

Westward bound

The Paris branch of Access Bank and the French Desk in Lagos, which will also benefit from an office in Paris in the coming months, indicate its interest in the West African Economic and Monetary Union. The Nigerian bank acquired Standard Chartered Bank’s assets in Angola, Cameroon, The Gambia, Tanzania and Sierra Leone, and now intends to break into the markets in Senegal and Ivory Coast.

 

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Businesses to enjoy more value with Glo Prime

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A new offer, Glo Prime, has been unveiled by Digital and telecommunications solutions provider, Globacom. It comes with a portfolio of call and data package aimed at aiding the growth of businesses by keeping them connected at all times and ensuring they get more value for the money they spend on the network.

 

The product, according to a Globacom statement, comes in four different plans with each of them delivering immense value to the businesses and other customers. The plans includeN1,500, N3,000, N5,000 and N10,000 packages.

 

Customer who chose Prime N1,500 pack will get 45 minutes of calls and  4GB of data, while those who prefer the Prime N3,000 plan will enjoy 100 minutes of calls and 12GB of data. Those who opt for Prime N5,000 pack will get 300 minutes of calls and 25GB data while 750 minutes of calls and a whopping 60GB of data await customers who pick the N10,000 pack.

 

Globacom stated that, “In a highly dynamic environment, there is  need for constant innovation to offer more value to our new and existing customers. The Glo Prime is, therefore, a portfolio of new plans designed to surpass similar products in the market in terms of flexibility, ease of use and value”.

 

It added that the introduction of Glo Prime reinforces the company’s position as a provider of the most competitive Voice and Data solutions for high value customers, both individuals and corporates.

 

The company, which marked its 20th anniversary in August, recently received two awards at the Consumer Value Awards and picked up another two at the prestigious Marketing Edge Annual Brand and Advertising Awards, lending credence to its  commitment to excellent service delivery and innovative offering to subscribers.

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Court halts Aiyedatiwa’s impeachment, kinsmen hold solidarity protest

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The Federal High Court in Abuja, on Tuesday, restrained the Ondo State House of Assembly from impeaching the Deputy Governor, Mr Lucky Aiyedatiwa, over alleged gross misconduct.

Justice Emeka Nwite gave the restraining order in a ruling shortly after Aiyedatiwa’s counsel, Kayode Adewusi, moved an ex parte motion to the effect.

The judge also restrained Governor Rotimi Akeredolu from nominating a new deputy governor and forwarding the same to the lawmakers for approval pending the hearing and determination of the substantive matter.

Justice Nwite held that after listening to Adewusi, he was of the view that the interest of justice would be met by granting the application.

“Therefore, the application of the applicant succeeds,” he held.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the embattled deputy governor had, in a motion on notice marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/1294/2023, sued the Inspector-General of Police and the Department of State Services.

Others joined in the suit are Akeredoku, Speaker of the Ondo State House of Assembly, Chief Judge of Ondo State, and the House of Assembly as 1st to 6th respondents, respectively.

In the application filed by Mr Adelanke Akinrata on September 21, Aiyedatiwa sought four reliefs.

Justice Nwite, who granted all the reliefs, adjourned the matter until October 9 for hearing.

Meanwhile, hundreds of indigenes of Ilaje community in the Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State, on Tuesday, stormed Akure, the state capital, to protest against the ongoing impeachment process against Aiyedatiwa.

Aiyedatiwa, who is also an Ilaje man, had been served the impeachment notice by the state House of Assembly and was expected to respond to all the allegations in the notice.

The protesters, who gathered in front of the entrance of the Assembly gate with leaves in their hands, chanted various solidarity songs to express their support for the embattled deputy governor.

Some of them carried placards with inscriptions such as “Justice for Lucky, Lucky is innocent”; “Stop accusing him wrongly”; “Ilaje Nation stands with Aiyedatiwa”; “Aketi, Lucky is not your enemy,” and “Let Lucky finish his term,” among several others.

The protesters alleged that the impeachment proceedings were a plot to take Aiyedatiwa out of the race of the 2024 governorship election in the state.

Speaking on the development, one of the leaders of the protesters and Founder of the Ilaje World Congress, Mr Ola Juda, declared that the indigenes of Ilaje would not tolerate the impeachment move against Aiyedatiwa.

He said, “This gathering is the gathering of sons and daughters of Ilaje land; not only Ilaje, but we also have other sympathisers from Akure and Ese-Odo Idanre axis that have come together to protest against injustice and the battle that is going to erupt in Ondo State. The peace of Ondo State is being threatened by the actions of the Ondo State House of Assembly.

“For the past decades, an Ilaje man has never been a deputy governor but for the first time, we have a deputy governor, and yet powers that be have vowed that he will not finish his tenure. Aketi/Lucky mandate was given to both of them and if Aketi is still the governor of Ondo State, our mandate as the deputy governor remains.”

However, no member of the House came out to address the protesters.

The Akure Area Commander of the Ondo State Police Command, Mr Nzota Chidi, who addressed the protesters, advised them to be peaceful in order not to be infiltrated by miscreants.

In a related development, some former members of the Ondo State House of Assembly have condemned the process taken by the state Assembly to impeach the deputy governor.

The former lawmakers, under the auspices of the Concerned All Progressives Congress’ Ex-Lawmakers in Ondo State, said it was too early for the members of the 10th Assembly to take the issue of impeachment as a major priority at the expense of various challenges facing the state in recent times.

Speaking in Akure on Tuesday on behalf of others, a former lawmaker, Mr Abiodun Jerome, urged the state Assembly to play the game according to the rules, warning them against causing chaos in the state.

Jerome said, “Our intention is purely advisory. May we remind you, dear honourables (lawmakers) that Chapter 5 Part 2 and Section 90 to 129 of the Nigerian Constitution is very clear on the establishment of the House of Assembly and its functions.

“The present House of Assembly is less than four months old, and it’s very unfortunate that impeachment proceeding is their priority amongst the myriads of critical issues confronting our state presently.

“As former lawmakers, we have the responsibility to point attention to all forms of abnormalities we observe so that the general public is not misled. Although we could have ordinarily ignored the shenanigans of the orchestrators of the dastardly act, we are compelled by the trust once held by us with the political responsibilities as representatives of our various constituencies.”

Similarly, a political organisation under the aegis of Ondo State Consciousness Movement, on Tuesday, warned members of the Ondo State House of Assembly against being used as a political tool in the hands of the executive to achieve a predetermined objective.

The chairman of OCM, Shalom Olaseni, in a statement, said that the legislature should not allow its hallowed chambers to be tainted with political witch-hunts or targeted vendettas as being rumoured in various quarters in the state.

He said, “The alleged discord between the state governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, who recently returned from a protracted sick leave abroad, and the deputy governor, stemming from the deputy governor’s alleged gubernatorial ambitions, should not be allowed to overshadow the pursuit of justice and adherence to constitutional principles.”

 

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