By Uche Anichukwu, Special Adviser (Media) to Deputy President of the Senate
The Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, has accused the former Chief Judge of Enugu State, Justice Innocent Umezulike, and a presidential aide, Mr. Okoi Obono-Obla, as the masterminds of the smear campaign against his person by Sahara Reporters and other unsuspecting online media outfits for several weeks now.
He, however, assured his supporters that there was nothing to worry about.
In a statement titled “This Too Shall Pass”, Ekweremadu said:
“There has been a sustained smear campaign against my person by Mr. Okoi Obono-Obla, using Sahara Reporters, and other unsuspecting media outfits in the past few weeks.
“I would have continued to ignore them, but for the concern of my well-wishers. Therefore, the public may wish to know as follows:
“About July 2016, former Chief Judge of Enugu State, Hon. Justice Innocent Umezulike, in his capacity as the Chief Judge of Enugu State at the time, together with his lawyer, and Barrister Tagbo Ike, in connivance with some politicians, broke into the Probate Registry, Enugu, took away my will, and left behind a photocopy.
“They copied the properties listed in the will and added many imaginary properties and started churning out baseless petitions to government agencies and officials.
“In their petition to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, for instance, they claimed, in a demonstration of gross ignorance, that I was given money by the Federal Government to develop the South East geopolitical zone, but that I used it to purchase 32 properties.
“They sent similar petitions to Mr. President, the Vice President, Senate President, Attorney-General of the Federation, Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, Code of Conduct Bureau, Director-General of the Department of State Security, Inspector-General of Police, Commissioner of Police (Enugu), among others.
“I do not intend to respond, for now, to the smear campaign related to the 2019 election, which is spearheaded by Okoi Obono-Obla, using Sahara Reporters. I will speak more on this subject at the appropriate time.
“For now, let me state that Justice Innocent Umezulike has since been dismissed from service by the National Judicial Council and is facing trial in different courts. God is also on top of the matter in several other ways in the life of Justice Umezulike’s.
“It suffices to add that with what is unfolding now, the current smear campaign championed by Mr. Okoi Obono-Obla, is helping to expose those, who acted with Justice Umezulike, to steal my will. They have been peddling this so-called ‘discovery’ since July 2016.
“Umezulike has also, in several other petitions, attacked myself and my family. He also, at some point, accused me of killing several people, which the office of the Inspector-General of Police investigated; and probably, he will soon face appropriate charges bordering on false information.
“Let me, therefore, call on all those, who are concerned about this smear campaign, not to worry. This too shall pass. History will vindicate the just and the wicked will never go unpunished”.