Lawyer Cries For Help To NBA Over Threat To Life By Judgement Debtor

Dear Seniors and Colleagues, I have to make this cry for help because my life is now being threatened. Just this evening, another person accosted me on the road close to my office and mockingly asked me whether I have succeeded in sending his brother to prison after selling his shops. He then swore to deal with me in so long as I am in Nnewi town and its environs.

The facts culminating in this incident are as follows:

1. The party I represented as Plaintiffs’ Counsel in a civil suit at the Magistrates Court, Nnewi got judgment in his favour against one Christian Aguezue in December 2022.
2. The Plaintiff/ Judgment Creditor got the judgment executed around 12th or 14th January 2023 and after the execution, sold the shops to a company. The company subsequently resold the shops to its new owner (the current owner).
3. The current owner tried severally to take possession of the shops but was being prevented by the Judgment Debtor, Christian Aguezue.
4. After the current owner has had several meetings with the market authority (N.A.S.P.A.) in respect of which the latter has been inviting the Judgment Debtor but who had been declining the invitations, the market authorities agreed to allow the current owner bring painters to repaint the shops to his business name on Sunday, being 5th March 2023.
5. On that same Sunday, being 5th March 2023, while I was riding my motorcycle to Hundred Foot Road, Nnewi to purchase some tubers of yams, I received a call from the current owner that his painter called him and informed him that some persons prevented them from repainting the shops. I then told him that since the shops are in the market just along Hundred Foot Road that I would go observe what was going on as it is possible to view the shops from outside the market as the market has transparent gates.
6. That when I got to the market gate (even though by the market does not open for business on Sundays), I was able to see few persons there including the Head of credit department of my client’s company and I also observed that the atmosphere there was calm. I then turned to go to where I would purchase the yams.
7. Immediately, 2 young men approaches me and got me into discussion with them about the Naira scarcity despite the Supreme Court’ order. Unknown to me that the men were emissaries of the Judgment Debtor, Christian Aguezue. While we were still discussing the matter, an ash colour Peugeot saloon car approached us in reverse motion. As soon as the car honked its horn, the 2 young men grabbed my arms on both sides and held me tightly and detained me. I was in shock when I saw the Judgment Debtor alright from the driver’s cabin with an axe in one hand and a gallon in the other. The Judgment Debtor then informed me that he has been looking for me for a long time and that he would hack me to pieces and dissolve my corpse with acid.
8. I screamed for help and struggled with my captors and I only managed to escape by the whiskers when the Defendant’s axe almost struck me. The Judgment Debtor then pursued after me with his axe and gallon of acid and only turned back around Nwanyi Imo Round about on seeing that crowd was gathering. I then stopped and watched him retreat to my motorcycle. With the assistance of the said 2 young men, the Judgment Debtor took possession of my Red Honda Jaguar motorcycle and commenced wanton destruction of same by hacking it to pieces of iron mongery.
9. That I immediately ran to the Police Area Command at Nnewi and laid complaint upon which a joint team of policemen and Vigilante operatives accompanied me to the scene of crime and arrested the Judgment Debtor and also recovered the red-handled axe with which he attempted to kill me and which he also used to destroy my motorcycle. The police later during their investigation recovered my motorcycle together with the Judgment Debtor’s car which he used to convey my motorcycle to a construction site.
10. After we had made statements to the police, I went home. I later got information that the police released the suspects on bail the following day, despite the gravity of my complaint against the suspects. My IPO later informed me that he already issued arraignment notices to the suspects to appear in Court today.
11. Unfortunately, when the case was called up in Court today being the 9th day of March 2023, the Learned Magistrate pleaded to be allowed to study the facts of the case as is the practice of his Court with respect to PE matters. He then ordered parties to come back to Court next week Tuesday and we dispersed from the court.

12. just this evening, around 5:30 PM, while I was waiting by the road close to my office to board a motorcycle to meet a colleague, a man who I have never met before then approached me and mockingly asked me if I have now succeeded in sending his brother, Hammer King (that is the nickname of the Judgment Debtor) to prison after I had sold his shops. He then swore that they would deal with me so long as I am in Nnewi town and Anambra State. He then rode his motorcycle away.

13. Since the inception of Christian Aguezue’s attempt to take my life till this latest incident of threat to my life, I have been living in fear whereas I am yet to recover from the psychological trauma of being pursued with an axe and a gallon of acid, and watching my motorcycle being hacked to pieces.
14. I was able to gather some videos and photographs of the incident from bystanders some of whom I would call as my witness. I shall attach them to this SOS.

I am calling on the NBA and the security agencies and every well meaning Nigerian to come to my rescue. I have not done anything wrong to warrant these threats to my life, other than handling case for my clients. Lawyers have in recent times now been attacked and slaughtered by wicked persons without any reasonable excuse. Just because they are practicing the legal profession.

NBA, SAVE MY LIFE PLEASE!

Yours faithfully,

Moses Peter Okon
(Publicity, NBA Nnewi Branch)