N10bn defamation suit: Lagos lawyer, Ugwuonye moves to destroy evidence

…pulls down Facebook account

Ruffled by the N10b defamation suit instituted against him by the ex-husband of missing Charity Aiyedogbon, David Aiyedogbon, Lagos Lawyer, Emeka Ugwuonye may have been making desperate efforts to destroy evidence linking him to the offence.

Sources close to the controversial lawyer say he “will stop at nothing in ensuring that evidence linking him to the offence is destroyed”.

It would be recalled that in a post made on his Facebook Group, The Due Process Advocates (DPA) recently, Ugwuonye claimed that his Facebook account with the name ‘Emeka Ugwuonye’ had been brought down by his “opponents.”

The account was the same he used in making all the posts against ex-husband of Charity Aiyedogbon that attracted the litigation and is believed to be at the centre of all the evidences in support of the defamation suit.

In a post on the 19th of November, 2016, using a new Facebook account with the name “Emeka Emmy Ugwuonye”, Ugwuonye said:

“My Facebook account, Emeka Ugwuonye, came under heavy and professional attack by hackers. Based on my security preferences, the account had to be disabled until we could confirm the nature and source of the encroachment. The sad news is that you will not be able access any of my writings from that account.”

Independent investigations however revealed that the DPA founder deliberately disabled his Facebook account based on an advice by a close ally, as a way of evading justice, having used the account to commit heinous crimes against many.

Service of Court processes on N10b suit

After allegedly hiding from the bailiff who came to serve him with Court papers for three days, Ugwuonye finally showed up at the Court of Appeal, Abuja, where he is being prosecuted by the Body of Benchers of the Nigerian Bar Association for ethical misconducts. He was eventually served with the Court processes by the bailiff.

About an hour after he was served, Mr. Ugwuonye snapped a personal photograph of his and posted on his DPA Facebook group, claiming that the bailiff and plaintiff in the defamation suit were yet to show up in Court.

Thirty minutes later, he made another post:

“Today, as I arrived here by 8:30am, I expected to see them battle ready. They were nowhere to be seen. After more than two hours of waiting, they sent a poor fellow who introduced himself as the bailiff to serve me the suit papers.”

Investigations at the Federal Capital Territory High Court 14, where the matter is pending however showed otherwise, as the proof of service shows that he was served at about 10:50am on the 21st of November, 2016, while his post was made at about 11:42am same day.

Mr. Ugwuonye’s fate as a member of the Nigerian Bar is hanging in the balance, as the Body of Benchers allegedly withdrew his Call to Bar Certificate on the 26th of October, 2016, when he was summoned, prior to his prosecution at the Court of Appeal by the Nigerian Bar Association, through the Legal Practitioners Council.

Impeccable sources revealed that most of the lawyers that were earlier working with him may have deserted him, since after the withdrawal of his Call to Bar Certificate.

Meanwhile, Mr. Ugwuonye’s Due Process Advocates is presently in disarray, with almost all the lawyers in the House deserting him.

His former Deputy, Kingsley Ughe has opened a rival Facebook group, Joint Legal Action Aides- JLAA and presently consolidating, while the other lawyers in his group have either joined Kingsley or gone their different ways.

Another major source of trouble in the DPA is that of alleged misappropriation of funds contributed by the members for various purposes, amounting to about Twenty Million Naira. Sources say the DPA founder is unable to account for the funds and has resorted to deleting of members that question the absence of transparency in the Group.

Thousands of DPA members are believed to have paid Six Thousand Naira (6,000) each, as membership registration fees, amounting to tens of millions of Naira and are forbidden from asking questions.

Available statistics suggest that no fewer than a thousand DPA members have been ‘blocked’ in the last one week, for challenging his alleged criminal activities.

Sources also say that huge sums were contributed by the members for intervention in the case of missing Abuja woman, Charity Aiyedogbon. The funds, which were paid into his private law Chambers account, Eculaw cannot also be accounted for.

Findings show that the body earlier posted on Facebook, with the handle, Emeka Ugwuonye (now brought down) has been exhumed and samples taken abroad for proper medical examination and results being awaited. The results will show the actual identity of the body.

It would be recalled that the ex-husband of the missing Charity Aiyedogbon, David Aiyedogbon had sued Mr. Ugwuonye for Ten Billion Naira (N10b) for falsely accusing him of having a hand in the sudden disappearance of his estranged wife, Charity Aiyedogbon.

The Suit, with number CV/2750/16, between David Aiyedogbon (Plaintiff) and Emeka Ugwuonye (Defendant) on defamation of character, before Justice Peter Kekemeke of Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court 14, Apo Abuja; also prays that the defendant be ordered to pay for the cost of the suit.

The Plaintiff is also seeking an order of perpetual injunction “restraining the Defendant, his Agents, Privies, Associates or whosoever called” from making further defamatory publications against him and his family members.

Meanwhile, Ugwuonye is also at war with one Mayor Ezee, the man who signed his bail bond at the Police headquarters. Their matter came to a head when Mr. Ezee took to social media in expression of his regrets insure teeing him, threatening to withdraw his assent.

“Emeka, you are very comic and laughable to accuse me of joining your acclaimed attackers…have you forgotten so quickly the ungodly hours that I stood with you there in the Police and as it relates to your David Aiyedogbon issue? Have you run short of memory of all that I deprived myself for your sake on those occasions? Emeka, this is the worse appreciation you could show to anyone that stood to surety and took you on bail twice. It is despicable that after standing by you and risking my life for your sake that the least appreciation you could show is to link me to your perceived enemies. I would only hand you over to the law of karma. Hence you deemed my goodness to you as ill. In summation, I would ask to know at this juncture if you have replaced me as your bail surety and if you have not done so, what arrangements have you made or making to do so….Finally, Emeka, must everybody be your enemy?” Eze queried.