President of Creative Industry Group, CIG, Ambassador Felix Duke, has cried out over alleged attempt to kidnap him and his wife by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crime Commission. The said officials last week stormed the upscale Duke and Duchess Hotel at Abule Egba area of Lagos State, seeking to arrest the proprietor of the hotel, Felix Duke; over an alleged fraud case reported against him by one Joseph Onuh Ogwuche, a retired United States of America soldier.
The EFCC officials numbering eight came in an unmarked bus with three of the officials armed.
The men of the anti- fraud agency attempted to arrest the wife of singer and business man, Lady Capriz without a warrant, since he was not available. She however refused, demanding to see a warrant of arrest from the court before she could go with them. She further reminded them that she is an American citizen, so they can not badge into her property and forcefully adopt her.
The EFCC officials were not done, the armed officers blocked the entrance to the hotel preventing customers from coming in or going out of the hotel. While the armed officials manned the gate, the others broke the doors of the rooms in the hotel with the excuse that they were looking for Mr Duke. The singer later found out that the officers that broke into the rooms allegedly made away with 5000 euros kept in one of his rooms.
A copy of a petition by Amb. Duke’s legal team to the Inspector General of Police, through the office of the DIG, Force Criminal Investigation Department, Abuja, and made available to this correspondent showed that the Creative Industry Power, of which Ambassador Felix Duke is the MD/CEO, partnered Bigger World Multinational limited who provided plots of land to Creative Industry Group members at Ibeju Lekki.
The land were offered to CIG members who were to pay on installments based on agreement. Joseph Onuh Ogwuche , a retired United States soldier, was introduced to the scheme by another member. He made a part payment based on agreement and some plots were allocated to him.
However, Creative Industry Power and Bigger World Multinational limited fell apart and the contract was terminated. The CIG president Amb. Duke, offered to source for another land for Ogwuche and at the end, he gave him land at Sangotedo area of Ajah, where he has some plots of land; as a swap to compensate for missing out of the Ibeju- Lekki allocation.
According to the letter, the land was shown to Ogwuche ‘s lawyer, Stephen Ubimago and his said relative Eddie Ogwuche, who all agreed that it was a good buy after consultation with Joseph Ogwuche. Agreement was reached for the payment of the balance by both parties after the contract of sales letter was prepared by Joseph Ogwuche’s lawyer Stephen Ubimago.
*Thereafter Ogwuche paid additional ₦1m in addition to the ₦22m down payment he made earlier for two and half years.He however promised to pay the balance later at once which was ₦7, 000,000
However according to Duke, Joseph Ogwuche through his lawyer called for a meeting where he pleaded for more time to pay the balance as his client did not have money. After the virtual meeting between the two parties, Ogwuche pleaded that they would pay the balance in three trenches that is : 30th April, 30th June and 30th July all in 2023.
But three days before the payment of the first installment of the balance, Stephen Ubimago (Joseph’s lawyer) demanded that both parties meet at the said land to sign the Contract of Sales which according to Felix, he didn’t agree initially, but had to so that the deal can sail through.
When they got to the land at Sangotedo, they met one Tony Ogwuche another relative of Joseph Ogwuche, raised the issue of the land at Ibeju Lekki to which Duke told him that both parties have gone beyond that. Then Tony, who according to Duke claimed to be a thug used insulting and disparaging words on him and push him into the swamp nearby. It took the effort of Mr Segun, a surveyor who was at the site to bring him out of the swamp.
Duke, after the rescue reported the matter at Ajah police station and the case is still on. He also petitioned the Inspector General of Police over the attempt on his life by Tony Ogwuche and his gang.
On 23 May 2023, Duke’s lawyer again wrote to Joseph Ogwuche’s lawyer reminding them on the need to pay the balance as agreed. Surprisingly, Ubimago instead of encouraging his client to pay the balance, lodged a complaint of fraud against Felix Duke at the Anti Fraud Unit, Ikoyi.
Felix Duke’s residence and office were later invaded by officers from the Anti- Fraud Unit, Ikoyi, Lagos, incidentally he was on admission in the hospital when this raid took place.
But further investigation by the anti- fraud unit, he was exonerated by the police .
Again, Joseph Ogwuche through his lawyer petitioned the EFCC and on January 17, 2024, the CIG president received a call from the agency intimating him of a petition written by one Joseph Onuh Ogwuche accusing him of fraud.
Duke however responded through his lawyer Prince Sunny Ebhojiaye, who informed them that there’s a similar case before the police both at the State Criminal Investigation Department, SCID, Panti, Lagos and the Anti Fraud Unit in Ikoyi.
Duke said the new twist by Joseph Ogwuche and his lawyer in trying to shut him up through the EFCC is to make sure that the the petition on attempt against his life by Tony Ogwuche is swept under the carpet .
He revealed that Joseph and his cohorts have been using security operatives and thugs to intimidate and threaten him. Duke wondered why EFCC should get involved in a land matter which is a civil case.
A call to Joseph Ogwuche’s lawyer Stephen Ubimago to get their own side of the story could not go through.
In the meantime, Amb. Felix Duke has dragged Joseph Onuh Ogwuche, the EFCC and one Oni Deborah O, Head Investigation, EFCC, to court for what he termed abuse of his fundamental human rights.
Duke, (Applicant ) is asking the court to declare that the use of the 2nd and 3 respondents, that’s the EFCC and it’s officer, by the first respondent Joseph Ogwuche, in the harassment, intimidation, threat, arrest and detention of the applicant by the respondents over purely civil and contractual land agreement amount to the violation of the applicants fundamental human rights.
Amb. Duke is also seeking for a ₦500,000,000,00 ( fifty million naira) in payment as general and exemplary damages for infringement on his fundamental human right and theft
The applicant (Felix Duke ) is also asking the court to compel the respondents to issue an apology for the unlawful violation of his fundamental human rights.
