"The need for the IGP to protect him from being attacked or abducted by the Policemen sent after him by the governor.”
An Abuja-based businessman and financial consultant, Dr. Maurice Ibe, has petitioned the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Usman Alkali Baba, citing threat to his life and accusing the Ebonyi State Governor, Dave Umahi, of allegedly orchestrating it.
Charles Ude, Esq of Charles Ude and Co, Solicitors to Dr. Ibe had, in a petition (Ref No. CU/01/EB/2022) to the IGP, raised the alarm to the police authorities to forestall the alleged “illegal and unlawful attempt to abduct, kidnap and harass Dr. Maurice Ibe by the executive governor of Ebonyi State.”
Ude had alleged in the petition that his client, who is also the chief executive Officer of Mauritz Walton Nigeria Limited, Abuja, had noticed “clandestine moves by some policemen around his home and office premises in unmarked vehicles, which he has reasons to suspect the men were acting on the instruction of Governor Dave Umahi, consequently, the need for the IGP to protect him from being attacked or abducted by the Policemen sent after him by the governor.”
In the said petition, the solicitor explained that based on a Memorandum of Undertaking (MoU), Mauritz Walton Nigeria Limited and Andrew Bishopton Limited, acting as partners, entered into a working relationship that enabled them to collaborate on a consultancy contract for Ebonyi state government, resulting in the recovery of the sum of USD119,419,427.59 (One Hundred and Nineteen Million, Four Hundred and Nineteen Thousand, Four Hundred and Twenty–Seven United States Dollars, Fifty–Nine Cents) for the state, as over-deductions and miscellaneous charges wrongfully made by the federal government of Nigeria on foreign loans utilised by Ebonyi state government from 1995- 2002.
According to him, the Ebonyi State government defaulted in the payment of the consultancy fees agreed between her and the consultants, resulting in the filing of Suit No. FHC/PH/CS/35/2022 between Andrew Bishopton Limited and the firm of his client, Mauritz Walton Nigeria Limited, versus the government of Ebonyi state.
“Consequently, on Thursday, July 21, 2022, the Court, presided over by Honourable Justice Stephen Daylop Pam passed judgement in their favour, and ordered Umahi and the Ebonyi state government to pay them the agreed amount based on the services rendered.
“Our client had observed the following of his car and the strange movement of persons in unmarked vehicles around his home and office, on or since the 31st July, 2022,” the petition indicated.
However, in a reaction, the special assistant on media and strategy to the governor, Chooks Oko, said, “Ebonyi State does not know Dr. Maurice Ibe and thus has no business with him. It is clear to all Nigerians how the Paris Club refund to states was achieved; is Ebonyi different? The person he named as his partner ended up apologising that she misled the public about her case with Ebonyi; so what case is he referring to again? It is good he petitioned the IGP, let the police do their work.”
