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Ifechukwude Okonjo: Man convicted of theft in US emerges traditional ruler in Nigeria

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When Ifechukwude Okonjo emerged as the Obi of Ogwashi-Uku in Delta State in September 2019, there was no indication that he had been convicted of a crime in the US.

Ogwa-Uku is a community in Anaocha South Local Government Area of Delta State, Nigeria’s South-South.

Mr Okonjo succeeded his father, Chukuka Okonjo, a professor whose death was announced on 13 September 2019.

Findings by PREMIUM TIMES showed that he was crowned days after the death of his father.

Chukuka Okonjo the traditional ruler

Conviction in the US

According to court documents obtained by PREMIUM TIMES, Mr Okonjo was convicted of theft in April 1997 at the Circuit Court for Montgomery County, State of Maryland, in the US.

The court documents showed that his younger brother, Onyema Okonjo, was also convicted of a similar offence on 23 January 1998.

Charges, arraignment and trial

Mr Okonjo was first criminally indicted on 20 April 1995 and summoned to appear before a judge the following day.

After initially failing to make his appearance on 12 August 1995, he finally showed up at the court on 14 July of this same year.

He was initially charged with theft and conspiracy to commit the crime with his younger brother, Onyema.

Specifically, the first count charge indicated that Mr Okonjo stole “assorted computers and computer peripheral equipment, the property of Digital Equipment Corporation, having the value of $300 or greater” between 23 January 1995 and 24 March 1995 in Montgomery County, Maryland.

According to the court document, the offence violated Article 27, Section 342 of the Annotated Code of Maryland and was against the peace, government, and dignity of the US state.

He was released on bail on “personal recognisance” after paying a $2,500 bail bond.

Then unemployed and single, Mr Okonjo resided with his elder sister, Ngozi Okonjo, at 7004 West Greenvale Parkway, Chary Chase, MD 20815, in the US.

Ngozi Okonjo, now popularly known as Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has been the director-general of the World Trade Organisation since March 2021.

At the time of the trial, Mr Okonjo was 30 and had lived in the US for nine years. He is now 57.

His brother, Onyema, was criminally indicted by the court on 18 October 1996, and a bench warrant was issued against him the same day.

By then, Onyema was 28 years old and married; he is now 55. He made his first court appearance on 14 November 1997.

His charge indicated that he committed the crime of theft and conspiracy between 28 October 1993 and 24 March 1995 in Montgomery County, Maryland.

According to the court documents, he claimed to be homeless at the time.

Like his brother, Onyema was released on bail on “personal recognisance.”

Mr Okonjo and Onyema were told that the condition of their release was that they should appear in court during sittings or their bail bond would be forfeited.

They were also told that failure to surrender themselves within 30 days after the bail forfeiture might cause them to be further charged, fined and/or imprisoned.

Sentencing

Mr Okonjo and Onyema, after their bail, separately failed to appear before the court on hearing and trial dates, forfeited their bail bonds and also “willfully” failed to surrender themselves within 30 days after the forfeiture, according to the court documents.

One of the documents indicated that Onyema left the US after being granted bail.

The court then separately charged and found Mr Okonjo and Onyema guilty of failing to surrender themselves within 30 days of their bail forfeiture.

Consequently, the court, on 29 April 1997, sentenced Mr Okonjo to six months imprisonment.

For the first count of theft of assorted computers worth $300, the court also sentenced Mr Okonjo to one-year imprisonment beginning from 4 April 1997, when the judgment was delivered.

The court documents did not indicate if the sentences were to run concurrently.

Similarly, the court, on 23 January 1998, sentenced Onyema to 57 days imprisonment.

It is unclear if Mr Okonjo and Onyema served their jail terms in the US or ran back to Nigeria, given that they had jumped bail before their conviction.

Honoured in Nigeria

In 2019, after their father’s death, Mr Okonjo and Onyema joined other princes in the contest for the traditional stool of the Ogwashi-Uku Community.

The community residents were unaware that the duo had been convicted of theft in the US.

After the contest, Mr Okonjo emerged as the community’s traditional ruler and was crowned days later.

He is now the Obi of Ogwashi-Uku, the highest traditional authority in the community.

Petition to the SSS

The conviction of Mr Okonjo and Onyema im the US became public knowledge after some community members obtained certified true copies of the court judgment.

Some members of the community subsequently petitioned the Delta State Government and the State Security Service (SSS) and accused Mr Okonjo of engaging in land grabbing, illegal arms dealings, harassment of indigenes, and formation of armed militia groups, among others.

The petition to the SSS, dated 4 October 2024 and addressed to the SSS director-general, was authored by F.O. Okolie, a law firm, on behalf of some community members.

The community members on whose authority the petition was authored included Chiedu Enwenwa, Hyacinth Okolie, Ellen Adigwe and Bruce Ugo Emordi.

In the petition, the community members claimed that Mr Okonjo, Onyema and others recruited some unnamed gunmen from South-east Nigeria into the community’s vigilante security outfit.

They alleged that the recruited gunmen were being used to forcefully take over people’s landed property and also to commit violent crimes such as kidnapping and murder.

They also claimed that the duo and others were using police operatives to intimidate community members, alleging that the issue had earlier been reported to the police authorities in Nigeria and that no action had been taken.

They expressed fear that, given the current tension, the community was on the verge of being thrown into war and a breakdown of law and order.

The community members, in the petition, appealed to the SSS to investigate all the community vigilante groups and palace guards as well as the alleged kidnap and murder of some indigenes of the community.

They also called for an investigation into Mr Okonjo’s alleged “illegitimate dealings in prohibited firearms” allegedly imported into the community by gunmen.

Palace speaks

On 31 October, a PREMIUM TIMES reporter contacted Ifeakanachukwu Emordi, Mr Okonjo’s palace secretary, to seek to speak with the traditional ruler about the allegations.

After dismissing Mr Okonjo’s conviction for theft as untrue, Mr Emordi promised to get the traditional ruler to speak with our reporter on the phone.

Minutes later, Onyema phoned our reporter and claimed, without evidence, that the petitioners were not representatives of Ogwashi-Uku.

Regarding the allegations of land grabbing, he claimed that all lands in Ogwashi-Uku are held in trust by the traditional ruler in accordance with the community’s traditions and customs.

“That’s our land tenure system. Obi doesn’t have to grab any land that is under his custody,” he said.

He said the SSS should be allowed to investigate the allegation of recruiting gunmen into the community’s vigilante groups and harassment of indigenes.

When quizzed about the conviction of the traditional ruler in the US, he responded, “We are not aware of that.”

Our reporter again requested to speak with the traditional ruler. Onyema promised to inform the traditional ruler and revert. But he did not get back to the reporter.

When contacted again on 6 November, nearly a week after, he claimed Mr Okonjo was busy and not available to speak on the issues.

Onyema said he might get another person to respond before the end of the week if the traditional ruler remained unavailable.

When our reporter informed him that court documents shows that he too was convicted in the US, Onyema retorted, “I can’t speak to all of these issues.”

“We will get back to you to try to clear the air as far as any of these issues are concerned,” he added.

Commission of enquiry

In response to the petition, the Delta State Government set up a commission of enquiry to investigate the allegations against the traditional ruler, particularly on land-related issues.

The commission is expected to begin a public hearing on Thursday and conclude it on 20 November 2024, according to an announcement from the Secretary to the commission, Gabriel Eze-Owenz, a lawyer.

SEE COURT DOCUMENT BELOW

DOCUMENT 1 

DOCUMENT 2

DOCUMENT 3 

 

SOURCE: PREMIUM TIMES

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Oniru confers chieftaincy titles on Smith, Idowu, Olorunnimbe, Akintoye others

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January 20, 2025

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The Oniru of Iru-land, His Royal Majesty Oba Abdul-Wasiu Omogbolahan Lawal CON [Abisogun II] has announced the conferment of honourary chieftaincy titles on eminent and distinguished citizens of Nigeria.

 

The revered monarch unveiled the shortlist of recipients as part of activities to mark the fifth anniversary of his peaceful reign on the revered throne.

 

Among the esteemed honourees are Iya Oba of Iru Kingdom – Chief (Mrs) Basira Titilayo Smith, Aare Majeobaje of Iru Kingdom – Chief Adeyemi Idowu, Aare So’ludero ofIru Kingdom- Chief Muyiwa Gbadegesin, Ph.D and Erelu Asa of Iru Kingdom – Chief (Mrs) Bolane Austen-Peters, Aare Fiwagboye of Iru Kingdom – Chief Lukman Olayiwola Mustapha, Asoju Oba of Iru Kingdom- Chief Idris Ibikunle Olorunnimbe and Ajiroba ofIru-Kingdom- Chief Adegboyega Hakeem Akintoye.

 

While extending congratulations to the distinguished honourees on behalf of His Majesty and the Oniru-in-Council, High Chief Abayomi Daramola, Balogun of Iru-Land, in a statement revealed that the conferment of titles will be performed on 14th June, 2025 at the palace (Aafin Oba Oniru), Victoria Island, Lagos.

 

The statement read in part, “to mark the fifth-year anniversary of his ascension to the revered throne of his forebears as the 15th Oniru of Iru-land and after a rigorous selection process, His Royal Majesty Oba Abdul-Wasiu Omogbolahan Lawal CON [Abisogun II] – The Oniru of Iru-land upon the recommendation of the Oniru-in-Council, has issued a Royal Decree approving the conferment of respective honouray Chieftaincy titles on the underlisted eminent and distinguished citizens.”

 

 

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Society

‘Not My Property’ – Ex-Petroleum Minister, Diezani Exposes Owner Of Recovered $52.8 Million Loot

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15 hours ago

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January 20, 2025

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Nigeria’s former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, has clarified that she is not connected to the $52.5 million that was recently brought back to the country from the United States of America (USA).

Society Reporters recalls that the federal government on Friday, January 10, announced the receipt of $52.88 million in recovered Galactica assets linked to the former Minister of Petroleum.

The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, announced the recovery during a formal signing ceremony of the asset return agreement in Abuja.

Fagbemi explained that $50 million of the recovered funds would be channelled through the World Bank for the development of rural electrification projects.

The remaining $2.88 million, he added, would be allocated to the International Institute of Justice to enhance the justice system and support anti-corruption initiatives.

However, in a statement issued on Sunday, Diezani, who has been residing in the United Kingdom (UK) since departing from Nigeria, asserted that the funds associated with her in the media as illicit gains actually belonged to Nigeria’s oil entrepreneur, Kola Aluko.

Finally responding to the alleged recovery through her attorney, Mike Ozekhome SAN, Diezani maintained that the term “Diezani Loot” is unfounded, as she had no involvement in the circumstances surrounding the forfeiture of the funds by its rightful owner.

Expressing her stance, the former minister stated that the $52.5 million originated from a vessel that was confiscated by the American authorities from Kola Aluko, which was subsequently sold, with the proceeds returned to the Nigerian federal government.

Her disavowal of ownership over the funds was detailed in an extensive press release issued on Sunday by the Chambers of Mike Ozekhome SAN, titled “There is no such thing as Diezani Loot.”

The statement reads: “My chambers makes this intervention in the public domain as Solicitors to Diezani Alison-Madueke (DAM) ,the former Minister of Petroleum Resources, HMPR.

“As her Solicitors, we are fully versed in and conversant with her present ordeal and the entire facts surrounding her matters both here in Nigeria and abroad. So, we write from the vantage position of one that is aware of the cocktail of lies that have been spurned around her cases in the last ten years.

“Many of the narratives are outrightly false; some others sheer outlandish speculations; and most, simply bizzare stories cooked up by her traducers to extract a Shylock’s pound of flesh from her for reasons she does not know and cannot even fathom.

“This intervention therefore seeks to correct this skewed narrative and set the records straight for purposes of history. Many Nigerians often talk about wanting ‘technocrats’ to be involved in governance. They desire that people with character and integrity should join politics.

“We agree with them. However and regrettably too, now and again and many a time, the same people not only allow, but actually join the bandwagon to mob-lynch those who chose to serve the nation.

“And we often do this insidiously, covertly and overtly, even when there is no concrete or even any iota of proof that such public officers ever abused their offices or stole from public coffers.

“It is therefore surprising and of great concern to us, to see the level of sustained vilification of an innocent Nigerian citizen who has not yet been tried and found guilty of any offence known to law by any court of law whether in Nigeria or abroad. The person at the receiving end is Citizen Diezani Alison-Madueke (DAM).”

Mischievous And Cruel
The statement from Ozekhome’s office described the earlier claims about the asset recovery as misinformation and defaming.

It said: “We note with concern the recent deliberate attempt to link her with what has been described as a civil forfeiture of a yacht Galactica, the sale of which was said to have yielded $52.8m to the US government; which sum has since been repatriated to Nigeria.

This is a clear example of the mischievous and cruel sport of tarnishing the image of the lady through a bouquet of consistent, persistent and unrelenting cocktail of falsehoods and misinformation.

“The purveyors of this line of misinformation term it “name-and-shame”. To sell the storyline, the architects ensured they attached Diezani’s name to a recovered yacht which is not in any way linked to her.

“They now falsely termed it “Diezani loot”. Nothing of the sort ever happened. She was never involved in the purchase, use and sale of the said yacht.

“The yacht Galactica, from information readily available in the public domain and in open sources, was purchased by Mr Kola Aluko who had used the vessel until he agreed to its forfeiture to the United States of America.

“The yacht Galactica was neither owned nor ever used by our client. DAM has in fact never set her eyes on the yacht. Kola Aluko is an experienced businessman who had been in business well before DAM came into office as HMPR.

“The only tenuous basis for deliberately linking DAM to the said yacht is the false narrative that the Strategic Alliance Agreements (SAAs) which were entered into between Kola Aluko & Jide Omokore’s Atlantic Energy companies and NNPC, were allegedly corruptly awarded to the said companies by DAM. DAM was not the GMD of the NNPC as so did not and could not have awarded the said contracts.

“We plead, as her lawyers, with all and sundry that she be accorded fair hearing and that the process of these UK court proceedings be allowed to take their natural course to avoid prejudice to her in the ongoing subjudice UK proceedings against her.

”Those purveyors and peddlers who habitually spin these outrightly false, unfounded, defamatory, unintelligent and indefensible narratives to denigrate and humiliate her should please find better use of their time and leave DAM alone.

“Let the law take its natural course without interference. We humbly pray.”

 

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Society

Bisi Onasanya, ex FirstBank MD flees Nigeria to Ghana as EFCC closes in……

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2 days ago

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January 18, 2025

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Bisi Onasanya, the embattled former Managing Director of FirstBank has followed in the steps of Oba Otudeko, the former chairman of FBN Holdings and fled the country.
Onasanya who is expected to appear at the Federal High Court in Lagos on Monday January 20 to answer to the charges brought against him by anti-graft agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, may likely be absent in court as he is currently holed up in Ghana in hiding.

He was spotted at Movenpick Hotel in Accra where he checked in at exactly 8 am on Friday morning.

Society Reporters had earlier reported that Onasanya will be arraigned before Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke for looting over N12.3 billion.

He will be arraigned alongside Otudeko, also the chairman of Honeywell Group who is equally on the run, as well as two others, a former board member of Honeywell Group, Soji Akintayo and a firm, Anchorage Leisure Limited connected to Otudeko.

The quartet committed fraud in tranches of N5.2 billion, N6.2 billion, N6.150 billion, N1.5 billion and N500 million, N6.2 billion and N2.09 billion between 2013 and 2014 in Lagos.

The 13-count charge, filed by EFCC counsel Bilikisu Buhari on January 16, 2025, further claimed that the defendants made and uttered forged documents to deceive the bank.

Specifically, count 1 accused the defendants of conspiring “to obtain the sum of N12.3 billion from FirstBank Limited on the pretence that the said sum represented credit facilities applied for by V-TECH DYNAMIC LINKS LIMITED and Stallion Nigeria Limited, which representation you know to be false.”

In Count 2, it was alleged that the defendants, on or about the 26th day of November 2013 in Lagos, “obtained the sum of N5.2 Billion from FirstBank Limited on the pretence that the said sum represented credit facilities applied for by V TECH DYNAMIC LINKS LIMITED which representation you know to be false.”

The 3rd count claimed that the defendants, between 2013 and 2014 in Lagos, obtained N6.2 Billion from FirstBank Limited on the pretence that the said sum represented credit facilities applied for and disbursed to Stallion Nigeria Limited, which representation you know to be false.”

In the 4th count, they were accused of conspiring to spend the N6,15 billion, out of the monies.

According to the Commission, the offences contravened Section 8(a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act 2006 and are punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act.

Counts 5 and 6 read: “That you, CHIEF OBA OTUDEKO, STEPHEN OLABISI ONASANYA, SOJI AKINTAYO AND ANCHORAGE LEISURE LIMITED on or about 11th day of December 2013 in Lagos, procured Honeywell Flour Mills Plc to retain the sum of N1,5 Billion, which sum you reasonably ought to have known forms part of proceeds of your unlawful activities to wit: Obtaining by False Pretense and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 18(c), 15 (2) (d) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 (as amended) and punishable under Section 15(3) of the same Act.

“That you, CHIEF OBA OTUDEKO, STEPHEN OLABISI ONASANYA, SOJI AKINTAYO, AND ANCHORAGE LEISURE LIMITED on or about the 17th day of December 2013 in Lagos, converted to the use of Honeywell Flour Mills Plc the sum of N500 million only which sum you reasonably ought to have known forms part of proceeds of your unlawful activities to wit: Obtaining by False Pretense and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 15(2 (b)) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 (as amended) and punishable under Section 15(3) of the same Act.”

“That you, CHIEF OBA OTUDEKO, STEPHEN OLABISI ONASANYA, SOJI AKINTAYO, AND ANCHORAGE LEISURE LIMITED on or about the 17th day of December 2013 in Lagos, converted to the use of Honeywell Flour Mills Plc the sum of N500 million only which sum you reasonably ought to have known forms part of proceeds of your unlawful activities to wit: Obtaining by False Pretense and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 15(2 (b)) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 (as amended) and punishable under Section 15(3) of the same Act.”

The Street Journal

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