More details emerged on Tuesday in the dirty fight between former Imo State Governor Ikedi Ohakim and his woman-friend, Ms Chinyere Amuchinwa.
He said the woman had “a close and trusting relationship with him” and that he would not reveal all the “lurid” details about their relationship.
Ms Amuchienwa had claimed that her quarrel with Ohakim was about some money he owed her.
She also accused the former governor of defrauding her over a piece of land and carting away designer’s suitcase, bags, shoes and other luxury goods from her shop in Lagos, which he has allegedly refused to pay for.
But Ohakim said he did not defraud Ms Amuchienwa of N500 million or purchased any goods or other chattels from her valued at N110million.
In a statement by his lawyer, Aloy Ejimakor, the former governor denied being arrested over Ms Amuchinwa’s petition to the police.
He said: “It was Ms Amuchinwa that was arrested, detained and then granted administrative bail. The matter over which she was arrested (assault of Dr Ohakim) is pending commencement of court arraignment.
“What is true is that Ms Amuchinwa capitalised on a close and trusting relationship with Dr Ohakim and resorted to blackmailing, extorting, seducing and threatening Dr Ohakim since last year (2019).
“Dr Ohakim has done his best within the constraints of being a Politically Exposed Person (PEP) to resist and contain Ms Anuchinwa’s myriad misconduct towards his person.
“It came to a point where Ms Amuchinwa assaulted Dr. Ohakim in Abuja, for which she was arrested, detained and later granted bail. This is a matter of verifiable public record.”
Ohakim said when he could no longer bear Ms Amuchinwa’s antics, he petitioned the Inspector-General of Police on January 20.
He said the police requested for further information/evidence, which he supplied.
The statement adds: “We have adopted the considered decision of our client that the said evidence (very lurid and prurient, as they were) should not be disclosed to the media because our client has an abiding commitment to protecting Ms Amuchinwa’s privacy, even as it might be legally advantageous to him not to do so.”
Ohakim said it was after he had filed his petition that Ms Amuchinwa – as an afterthought – filed a counter-petition on July 8.
“So, it is easy to understand the motive behind the false allegations she made in her petition. Thus, her overall credibility should, therefore, be judged on this score.
“Perhaps the most striking truth is that the said Amuchinwa had from 2019 (when she started this whole saga) to as recently as 21st January through 27th March 2020 intermittently demonstrated contrition and proffered apologies to our client, both verbally and in writing.
“Proofs of the many instances of those apologies and contrition have been well-preserved. Dr. Ohakim is a Politically Exposed Person and thus seen (by some unsavoury characters) as a soft target for clumsy schemes of the nature falsely stated in Amichinwa’s petition.”
When newsmen contacted Ms Amuchinwa last night, she said she would speak at an appropriate time on the matter.
Ms Amuchienwa, who is also from Imo State, lives in Lagos where she deals in luxury items.
Ohakim was governor from 2007 to 2011 and has been married to Chioma Ohakim, a lawyer, for 39 years. They are blessed with children and grandchildren.
The former governor had told the police that Ms Amuchienwa is a 56-year-old divorcee and his friend whom he “lavishly extended a lot of favour to”.
He said she was also involved in his failed 2019 governorship election campaign, but that the woman is now out to “blackmail” and “destroy” him.
Ms Amuchienwa had told an online newspaper, Premium Times, that she dated the former governor.
“I am an adult and I am entitled to date anybody I choose to,” she said.
She said Ohakim visited her shop in Lagos allegedly took several goods on credit and has not paid for them.
On the hotel incident, she said she went there “over money Ohakim is owing me”.
Ms Amuchienwa said Ohakim snatched her phone and ran out of the hotel room with it when she refused to sit down with him.
She said police officers from the Asokoro police station visited the hotel on Mr Ohakim’s invitation, and that no gun was found in her bag when it was emptied at the reception.
Ms Amuchienwa denied Ohakim’s claim in his petition to the police that she was accompanied by people he suspected to be hired thugs to block the entrance to his residence in Abuja in May last year with a vehicle.
According to her, she went to his house with her driver, met his orderly and sought to know whether he left any money for her.
Ms Amuchienwa said it was not true that she could not account for over N100 million Ohakim claimed he gave her as his election coordinator for Ideato North Local Government Area.
On the money Ohakim owes her, she said: “Ikedi brought land document and showed to me. He said the land belonged to him. The land is on the airport road in Lagos, he even took us there.
“He said he was waiting for payment from the buyer of the land and that when they pay him he would be able to pay.
“It was when this trouble started that we discovered the land didn’t belong to Ikedi Ohakim. It is this land he has been using to scam me.
“The witnesses who are aware that I gave him money have volunteered their statement to the police.”
According to Premium Times, Ms Amuchienwa said Ohakim gave her a “fake diamond ring” as an engagement ring, and that she was unaware that the former governor was married.
Ohakim told the police that the “very expensive diamond ring” was a gift.
