An online comment about a powerful controversial politician and businessman lands a South Africa-based Nigerian businessman in trouble: police harassment and prolonged detention.

On July 13, four days after arriving Nigeria from his South Africa base, Bonny Okonkwo was attending a business meeting in Surulere, Lagos when his phone rang.

The caller on the other end announced that he was a police officer from the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, SARS. The officer ordered Mr. Okonkwo to race back to his Mushin apartment immediately for an arrest.

When he arrived his apartment, half a dozen fully armed and stern looking SARS officers were waiting with AK 47 rifles on their shoulders.

They dragged him from his car, pinned him to the floor, handcuffed and loaded him into the trunk of a waiting SUV and drove off, in commando style.

Defamation arrest
After he was offloaded at an Ikeja police station, a divisional police officer informed him, for the first time since his ordeal began, the reason for his abduction-like arrest.

A Nigerian ruling party politician and billionaire businessman, Emeka Offor, had petitioned the police complaining that Mr. Bonny defamed him in a contribution he made in an online discussion forum.

The Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar, had ordered his arrest and detention after Mr. Offor petitioned the police boss through Fortress Solicitors.

The police dragged Mr. Bonny to the station’s counter, documented, stripped and pushed him into a holding cell where he spent six days in solitary confinement.


Philanthropist or fraudster
Mr. Offor, a wealthy Nigerian oil baron, recently donated $1 million to PolioPlus, an international polio eradication programme promoted by Rotary International.

Mr. Offor, founder and Executive Vice Chairman of Chrome Group, a Nigerian conglomerate with interests in oil trading, biofuels, dredging and logistics, made the donation during the 2013 Rotary International Convention in Lisbon, Portugal.

He had earlier in 2012 donated $250,000 to the humanitarians.

[b]While the global giving community celebrated the emergence of another cheerful giver, Mr. Offor’s gift to the Rotary International sparked a heated debate among his folks, in an online forum for his kinsmen – a group e-mail forum, Mbala Obodo, hosted by an association of Oraifite indigenes known as ocean-anaedo on its website.

A good number of those who participated in the discussion praised Mr. Offor for the donation. Others were however not impressed, nicknaming him “Donatus Portugal” and criticizing him for the donations.

The dissenting voices also made reference to what they called Mr. Offor’s ugly past, especially his alleged history of bank loan abuses, and the poverty, unemployment and underdevelopment that lingers in his ancestral home.

Mr. Bonny fell into the later category.

“In part of Igbo where this fella comes from, I am sure there is no clean drinking water,no steady electricity, no hospital,” Mr Bonny said in his post in the forum.

“From my own point of view, this is display of the highest stupidity and wickedness at the international level,” Mr. Bonny said. “If Nigeria is like America or Britain, he will be arrested on arrival and taken to court for fraud. How can a man that defrauded one of the failed banks in Nigeria over 5Billion as loan, but refused to pay this money so that the poor depositors can get their money back, go to another country to donate one million dollar, and some people are clapping their hands for him on this forum? Even though I don’t know his state of mind when he was making such donation, I guess madness like.”

Mr. Bonny’s post stood out from all the dissenting voices in the forum and immediately drew Mr. Offor’s fury.

“Mr. Boniface Okonkwo simply went beyond the usual vulgar abuse characterizing their comments on Sir Emeka Offor to level criminal allegations and make fraudulent imputations against the man,” Godson Ugochukwu of Fortress Solicitors, Mr. Offor’s attorney said.[/b]

Mr. Offor got his attorneys to write him, demanding he retracts the post, publish an apology in three Nigerian national dailies and on the web. Mr. Offor threatened legal actions if his demands were not met within 24 hours.

Mr. Bonny, confident he had said nothing new about Mr. Offor, replied the billionaire asking for a date in court.

“All I have said are in public domain and can be defended in court,” he told the businessman.

Mr. Offor was indicted by the senate in one of Nigeria’s largest insider credit abuse that saw 13 banks collapse with N188 billion of depositors’ funds.

The businessman was a director in the liquidated African Express Bank Plc. He unduly used his position to acquire loans totalling N7.5bn, a senate report on failed Nigerian banks said.

Only about N3.6bn of the loan was recovered.

Mr. Offor is also a major financier of Nigeria’s ruling Peoples Democratic Party and a major contractor with the government.

Anchoff Stronghold Limited, a subsidiary of the Chrome Group, has clients that include Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, Power Holding Corporation of Nigeria, PHCN, Port Harcourt Refinery and Petrochemical Company, PHRC, Warri Refinery, and National Integrated Power Project, NIPP.

Prolonged detention

At the Ikeja police station, Mr. Bonny got nothing close to legal action. “He was denied access to his family and lawyer” Sylvanus Udedibia, his cousin said.

On the seventh day, he was moved to another cell out of Ikeja, where he spent another night before the police shipped him up north, to a cell in Garki, Abuja – Nigeria’s capital city.

After arriving the Abuja cell, on the ninth day in detention, he was given his first breather, a “restricted” opportunity to reach out to his lawyers.

All along, his family was only able to keep tabs on his changing location through snippets of information discreetly fed them by concerned police officers.

On Thursday, 13 days after he was arrested in Lagos, the Abuja police command dragged Mr Bonny before a magistrate court on the outskirts of the city, where he was charged for defaming Mr. Offor.

Mr. Bonny arrived the court in a police van, with police prosecutors, but without his attorney.

“The police did not inform us they were charging him that day,” Mr. Udedibia said.

At the court, Mr. Bonny informed the judge that the police had denied him access to legal representation. The judge suspended the case by 24 hours, ordering the police to allow the victim access to his lawyers.

The following day, his lawyers presented an application for bail. After hearing the bail application in the morning, the judge requested time to consider the case and rule on the application.

Hours later, just before the weekend kicked in, the judge sent a clerk to inform his lawyers and family that he was attending to a pressing matter and could not deliver judgment that day.

Mr. Bonny was dragged back to his cell where he would spend the weekend.

Illegal detention

The Nigerian laws permits the police to hold a suspect for only 24 hours – and 48 hours where there is no court within reach – before pressing charges.

Mr. Bonny was held for 13 days, eleven days more than what is allowed by the law.

But the police have, in several cases broken that law, holding victims for longer days, especially if the victims were up against influential accusers.

When asked about Mr. Bonny’s prolonged incarceration, Emeka Offor’s lawyer, Godson Ugochukwu, who signed the petition on which the police based its July 13 arrest of the businessman, was evasive.

Mr. Ugochukwu said the victim’s detention was a matter before a court. He also denied Mr. Bonny was ever held incommunicado.

The Federal Capital Territory police command, which is currently prosecuting Mr. Bonny curiously denied knowledge of the case. Its spokesperson, Altine Daniel, suggested the case was not been handled by her command.

Frank Mba, Force spokesperson also said he was not aware of the case. When pressed for justification for prolonged detentions, he argued that every general rule have exceptions.

“Each case is treated on its individual merit,” he said.

Mr. Bonny’s family and kinsmen in the Oraifite community of Anambra state are deeply saddened by the billionaire’s use of state authorities to intimidate and incarcerate Mr. Bonny, Fidelis Okonkwo, the victim’s younger brother, said.

“Whatever he is accused of, he should have been charged a long time ago,” Mr. Okonkwo added.

http://premiumtimesng.com/news/141816-police-abduct-incarcerate-nigerian-businessman-over-online-comments-about-pdp-topshot-emeka-offor.html

If this story is actually true, then Emeka Offor should also send his police team after me for saying this,"LICK MY A55,you dumhead"... That's if the story is true...



@ the other side... Its been like years, that I have been trying to get here and finally, I am here... FTC tinz!!!.... E be like say those village winches don dey lose o...

I am sorry but without a revolution in this country, the masses are helpless. No wonder the ombatse group went for spiritual powers to defend themselves from such intimidation. Soon police go begin find me for this comment. #Ghost Mode Activated#

This is it..

As for people that called GEJ all sorts of names. Beware !!!!!

We're doomed in this jungle we call Nigeria. When justice is on sale to the highest bidder, and where extant laws can be flouted with impunity - even by law enforcement agencies and judicial officers, the ordinary person is like a sitting duck, helpless and hapless.

What a pity, most of us can only hope to avoid being oppressed this way.

Man inhumanity to man....'Gambari pa fulani ko ni ejo ninu'. To think that the Notorious Emeka Offor is from d same place as this man further rankles the brain.

That is d brand of selective injustice being meted out to low-ranking Nigerian on daily basis by the PDP...

It Ȋ̝̊̅§ Only in Nigeria that some S̶̲̥̅Ơ̴̴̴̴̴̴͡ called politrickians aя̩̥̊ε̲̣̣̣̥ S̶̲̥̅Ơ̴̴̴̴̴̴͡ restless and sleepless whnevr the truth Ȋ̝̊̅§ said.....Emeka Offor should thank Okonkwo for further enlightening him on wht he should be doing.....He has forgotten S̶̲̥̅Ơ̴̴̴̴̴̴͡ soon that charity begins @ home....the mentality Of Nigerian politicians aя̩̥̊ε̲̣̣̣̥ S̶̲̥̅Ơ̴̴̴̴̴̴͡ Disgusting....the Do not want sincerity....the only want there praises to be sang irrespective of whethr it Ȋ̝̊̅§ right or not.........it Ȋ̝̊̅§ about time we come to terms with the fact that our Critics aя̩̥̊ε̲̣̣̣̥ our friends because the show us our faults..........Emeka Offor Ȋ̝̊̅§ a Disgusting man.

Those that were castigating Prof Wole Soyinka for saying ,Nigerians are living in a jungle. What do you think now?

What a gross abuse of power and wealth. The LASG government should intervene because this happened in Lagos. At the most all this guy can do is sue him for defamation. Why are our armed forces so cheap? This is disgusting. That anyone can hire them to do illegal thug work. Where is the IG of police in all this disgrace? Emeka Offor should be made to pay that guy a hefty compensation, for kidnapping . He should sue him in LASG court, am sure he will get something. The guy didnt lie.

If I say anything now those Ogas at the Top will come an bundle me to police barracks. I guess this Emeka Ofor wants to teach him a lesson. The way these connected people flaunt their power never cease to amaze me.

Let nairalanders beware! Those who cant talk without insults, who cant make their point known without a form of abuse beware! If you are one, your days are numbered.
TO ME, this is fair. The way some personalities have been defamed is alarming. Its wicked! They sit and type all manner of things against an individual. Am sure, some of those personalities have cried when they read untrue comments about them.
This is good. All that should be done is that the same thing be done for those who are less wealthy.
To those who can not bridle their tongue, hope this info makes you shudder in fright.

strangest: If this story is actually true, then Emeka Offor should also send his police team after me for saying this,"LICK MY A55,you dumhead"... That's if the story is true...

@strangest. be careful bro. what u post here can be used against u. u've been warned b4.

anyway u can always claim ur password was tampered with or some damn online virus ... lol

never mind. seun will ban u b4 d gov. does... lol

You guys should Thank GEJ for having mercy on you guys who knows the number of people that would have been sent to jail for their comment on NL, Ezeblue and Gbawe would have died a longtime in detention because ACN or CPC wont even come to their aid

If this story is true,then Mr Emeka Offor is a bloody animal. He just shot himself to limelight for his fraudulent acts and atrocities.

Kikiki,See gobe....i comment my reserve abeg, one nids 2 be careful,9ja is turnin into sumtin else

gboss4sure: You guys should Thank GEJ for having mercy on you guys who knows the number of people that would have been sent to jail for their comment on NL, Ezeblue and Gbawe would have died a longtime in detention because ACN or CPC wont even come to their aid

So true! NL folks should be careful with their words. The internet is no longer a faceless, anonymous world.

gboss4sure: You guys should Thank GEJ for having mercy on you guys who knows the number of people that would have been sent to jail for their comment on NL, Ezeblue and Gbawe would have died a longtime in detention because ACN or CPC wont even come to their aid

Sho!! Aren't we in a democracy again?

If we were back in the dark ages, then it might be "off with your head" as it seems to be the case with Mr. Bonny, but we are practicing democracy in the 21st century.

I weep for Nigerian judiciary.

the Judge and PRESSING matters.
ghana must go involved

emeka offor is a bully...make him go find him mate

Like every other topic on nairaland i blame no other peron than GEJ!!!

This will soon be the trend. So Patience Faka Jonathan should learn from Emeka Offor on how to arrest those calling her names, like Soyinka and others.

[size=15pt]" Bonny Okonkwo was attending a business meeting in Surulere, Lagos when his phone rang.

The caller on the other end announced that he was a police officer from the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, SARS. The officer ordered Mr. Okonkwo to race back to his Mushin apartment immediately for an arrest...."[/size]

[size=15pt] This is another terrible piece of journalism..... Its a pity! I dont think the Nigerian Police are that stupid to call you on phone and say that they want to arrest you because doing so will make the suspect try to evade arrest!
[/size]

pro01: We're doomed in this jungle we call Nigeria. When justice is on sale to the highest bidder, and where extant laws can be flouted with impunity - even by law enforcement agencies and judicial officers, the ordinary person is like a sitting duck, helpless and hapless.

What a pity, most of us can only hope to avoid being oppressed this way.

Infact, I don't even know what to say. The jungle called Nigeria. How would people respect the police when they are been killed by ombatse.

Gradually climbing very soon i wil be 1st to comment.... Well for dis case... Am jus passin.....

Space reserved

Check out cops with huge Cojones arresting a "whole" mayor in Yankee, here it seems out police have pinkies down there.

Their Justice is served to the highest bidder, sad!


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pa3C13TPjNU

bestview: This is it..

As for people that called GEJ all sorts of names. Beware !!!!!

The last time I checked, Nigeria doesn't run a communist government.

POLICE VE PLAYED A DANGEROUS AND WICKED ROLE , THIS IS PURE HUMAN RIGHT ABUSE. EMEKA OFFOR AND CO SHOULD REMEMBER THERE IS VENGERS.

Who is Emeka Offor,,is he a man or woman?is he/she an animal or a tree,,lol,som1 plz tel me..