Tobias Sylvester
A former Governor of Imo State, Ikedi Ohakim is currently engaged in a bitter feud with an ex-mistress of his, one Ms Chinyere Amuchienwa.
Ohakim had in a petition to the Inspector General of Police, Mohammad Adamu, claimed that Ms Amuchienwa, who resides in Lagos and deals in luxury items, assaulted him inside his hotel room in the Asokoro area of Abuja.
According to Premium Times, the petition dated January 20, 2020, reads:
“On Saturday, January 18, 2020, Miss Chinyere physically assaulted me. She deceived me and lured me with a meeting request. I subsequently invited her to my hotel room at BON Hotel, Asokoro and she arrived at about 20:15 p.m.
“Directly I opened the door quite innocently, pandemonium took over, she bounced on me grabbing me by my shirt with all her strength and gave me a violent push.”
“As I staggered to recover, she rushed for my phone on the table and a struggle ensured (sic). Directly I retrieved the phones from her she immediately rushed to grab something from her bag which I strongly suspected to be a gun.”
Mr Ohakim said he ran outside his room, shouting for help, adding that the incident could be confirmed from the hotel’s CCTV.
Following the incident, He said he “immediately” filed a complaint at a police station in Asokoro against his estranged mistress, Ms Amuchienwa, who is a 56-year-old divorcee.
He said Ms Amuchienwa has been his friend whom he “lavishly extended a lot of favour to” and that she was even involved in his failed 2019 governorship election campaign, but that the relationship went sour and since then she has been threatening to “blackmail” and “destroy” him.
The former governor said he was “completely terrified” and wanted the police chief, Mr Adamu, to intervene in the case, promising in his petition to provide specific evidence to back up his allegations against Ms Amuchienwa.
The police responded to Mr Ohakim’s petition and asked him to report at the force CID for an interview on June 1. They requested him to bring along specific evidence he said he had, including any other useful information that could help in the police investigation.
The former governor and his estranged mistress reported at the force headquarters and were both interviewed by the assistant inspector-general of police in-charge of the Force Intelligence Bureau.
Speaking with Premium Times on Saturday, Ms Amuchienwa said that Mr Ohakim did not tender any supporting evidence or call any witness during the police interview.
Ms Amuchienwa, on her part, tendered some documents to the police to counter Mr Ohakim’s claims. She also admitted she was in a relationship with the former governor.
“I am an adult and I am entitled to date anybody I choose to,” she said.
Ms Amuchienwa, however, said the quarrel between her and Mr Ohakim was about some money she said the former governor took from her and was yet to pay back.
She also said Mr Ohakim visited her shop in Lagos and carted away designer’s suitcase, bags, shoes, and other luxury goods, which he has allegedly refused to pay for.
Ms Amuchienwa who also alleged that Ohakim is a scammer, said:
“I kept asking (Ohakim) every day, ‘What do you do for a living?’ The day I knew he was a scammer was the day he made a voice note and mentioned that he took my $200,000.”
The estranged mistress in her response to the petition, said it was not true that she assaulted him, but that she was at the hotel on his invitation, believing he wanted to pay her all the money he was owing her.
“I was invited to the hotel, the appointment was made (since) last year when I said I would not see him anymore…. And it’s still based on the money Ohakim is owing me. We don’t have any reason to meet anymore, we don’t even have any communication anymore.”
Ms Amuchienwa said Mr Ohakim snatched her phone, ran out of the hotel room with it when she declined to sit down with him. She said she walked down the stairs to the hotel reception and reported the incident to the hotel officials.
Shortly after, police officers from the Asokoro police station visited BON Hotel on Mr Ohakim’s prompting. All the items in her handbag, she said, were poured out at the reception and no gun was found as alleged by Mr Ohakim.
Both Mr Ohakim and Ms Amuchienwa were subsequently interviewed at the Asokoro police station over the incident.
Ms Amuchienwa said she declined a ride from the former governor when both of them were done and were about leaving the station.
Ms Amuchienwa also responded to Mr Ohakim’s allegation that she could not account for over N100 million she received from him for the prosecution of the 2019 governorship election campaign in Ideato North Local Government Area, Imo state, where she was the co-ordinator.
She said the former governor could not provide any evidence or witness to substantiate the allegation when the police at the force headquarters requested him to do so.
“They asked him (Ohakim), ‘you said you gave her N100 million, how did you give it to her?’ He said he was the one who carried it (in cash) to her. Nobody was there? No signature?” Ms Amuchienwa told PREMIUM TIMES.
“I have never asked him for N700 million (as he is claiming in his petition),” she said. “I don’t blackmail. All I want is for Ikedi Ohakim to give me back my money.”
“Ikedi (Ohakim) brought land document and showed to me, he said the land belonged to him. The land is on the airport road in Lagos, he even took us there. He said he was waiting for payment from the buyer of the land and that when they pay him he would be able to pay (me my money).
“It was when this trouble started that we discovered the land didn’t belong to Ikedi Ohakim. It is this land he has been using to scam me.
“The witnesses who are aware that I gave him money have volunteered their statement to the police,” Ms Amuchienwa said.
When asked if she did not consider that Mr Ohakim’s wife could have been at home when she went to meet Mr Ohakim’s orderly.
“Is he married? Why do you people want me to get into that point? Is Ikedi Ohakim married?” Ms Amuchienwa responded.
Ms Amuchienwa said Mr Ohakim gave her a “fake diamond ring” as an engagement ring.
The former governor, in his petition to the police, confirmed he bought a “very expensive diamond ring” for Ms Amuchienwa. He, however, said the ring was just a gift to her and that he bought it in response to a request from her.
KanyiDaily had also reported how Ikedi Ohakim was arrested for allegedly defrauding Mrs Amuchinwa of over N500 million.
