ANAMBRA-BASED BUSINESSMAN FLOORS LAWYER IN ASSAULT CASE AT ONITSHA

Eche Nwaobasi.Nnewi.

Chief Dr. Nwabueze Umeh Aka Ofia Afuluego Okija an Onitsha base businessman and philanthropist has floored an Onitsha base legal practitioner Bar. Okwuchukwu Ndubuisi in an assault charge brought against him in an Onitsha magistrate court.

The lawyer had earlier last year gone to an Onitsha high court presided over by Hon T.U Oguji claiming non-payment of his professional fees he rendered to Chief Nwabueze Umeh and obtained a judgment compelling Chief Nwabueze Umeh to pay him the sum of N3, 464000.00 as well as the sum of N250,000 as cost in suit No. 0/1772021 delivered on 22nd July 2022. But in this instant case, the lawyer claimed that he was assaulted by Chief Umeh together with his aids while serving as a pointer to court bailiffs who went to serve the judgment to Chief Umeh in his house, which finally made the police wade in and instituted an assault charge against Chief Umeh in suit no MO/90C/2024 in an Onitsha Magistrate Court presided over by Chief Magisterate U.B. Okoye Esq. Ruling on the assault case when the matter came up in the Onitsha magistrate court before the ongoing strike of (JUSUN) workers Anambra state chapter after listening to the submission of Bar. J.O Onwujekwe the learned counsel for Chief Nwabueze Umeh and that of Inspector Bar C.O.P Nwezi who appeared with Matthias Obasi for the Commissioner of Police Anambra State for the prosecution Chief Magistrate U.B Okoye said since the Present charge was not properly constituted before the court by the prevailing laws of Anambra State that the case is accordingly struck out with N20,000 as cost against the lawyer.

Speaking on the outcome of the court case, Chief Umeh told newsmen during a phone conversation that the judgment has cleared his name as justice has been done adding that at no time did he owe the lawyer as he is not directly involved in the said case and don’t know why the lawyer is insisting that he should pay him stressing that he rendered help to a driver who came to offload his goods in one of his shops and not directly involved in the matter.-