By Okechukwu Obeta
365Daily – An Nnewi-based businessman, Mr. Bethrand Onwunzo, has relived how the Nigerian judiciary saved him and his children from false kidnap allegation and possible life imprisonment.
The incident, according to him, would have resulted to a life-long stigmatization for him and his immediate family.
Mr. Onwunzo, who is popularly known as “Betimore” among his admirers, especially his business associates, recounted that the incident happened in 2009.
He said that he was in holiday in Paris with members of his family, including his wife and children, when one of his town’s men, Mr. Bennet Izuegbunam, his wife, Agnes, and, daughter, Chiamaka lodged a complaint at the Police Area Command, Nnewi, against him.
Onwunzo added that a day after his return from Paris, he went to an Nnewi Magistrate Court where he had a matter and was confronted by two men in mufti who attempted to arrest him.
According to him, his lawyer aided him to escape from the arrest when the men tried to put hand-cuff on him and take him away.
The apparently bewildered Onwunzo said that the shocker was later revealed to him when he went to the police Area Command, Nnewi, and was told that a petition was lodged against him by one of his town’s men, Mr. Bennet Izuegbunam, his wife, Agnes and daughter, Chiamaka.
He said that the trio viciously and maliciously lied to the police that he attempted to kidnap Mr. Bennet on September 1 and 2, 2009.
Onwunzo recalled that in their petition, they alleged that on September 1, at about 8.30pm, he invaded their house with six hefty men who covered their faces on a mission to kidnap Bennet. They claimed that when Onwunzo and his men arrived their house that night, it was Chiamaka who met them at the gate and after she told Mr. Onwunzo when he inquired about the whereabouts of her father that he had gone to his place of work at the Magistrate Court where he is a security guard, he handed a threatening message to her to deliver to her father before storming out furiously with his men.
He narrated that Chiamaka told the police that he told her to warn her father that if he did not concede the piece of land he was struggling with him, he would kill him.
Onwunzo further narrated that Bennett also told the police that at about 5.20am the following day after he visited his home with his boys, he stormed his work place at the Magistrate Court with his six hefty men, but on sighting them, he escaped and hid inside a nearby bush where he remained till daybreak proper.
However, the story of Mr. Bethrand Onwunzo and Mr. Bennet Izuegbunam turned out as a case of the hunter who became the hunted.
This is because each of the trio of Bennet, his wife and daughter were later pronounced guilty of giving false information to the police against Mr. Onwunzo after the matter was charged to Court. Each of them bagged a jail sentence for giving false information to the police against Mr. Onwunzo.
While Bennet was sentenced to 30 days community service, his wife, Agnes, who was the first to be sentenced by the Court was thrown into prison for six months. Chiamaka on the other hand, was sentenced to prison for two months with an option of N20,000 fine.
Three Justices of the Court of Appeal, Enugu division: Justices Helen Moronkeji Ogunwumiju, Tom Shuabu Yakubu and Misituba Omodere Bolaji-Yusuff, on July 19, 2018, affirmed the conviction and sentencing of Bennet to 30 days community service by an High Court presided by Justice C. C. Okaa.
Justice Okaa sentenced Bennet after setting aside the ruling of Magistrate Erinne O. N who earlier discharged and acquitted Bennet, but, pronounced her daughter, Chiamaka guilty of the false information charges. Erinne delivered his ruling on February 23, 2016, on charge No. NMC/24c/2010 and sentenced Chiamaka to three months imprisonment with an option of N20,000 fine. The charge was between Commissioner of Police vs Bennet Izuegbunam and Chiamaka Izuegbunam.
The Appeal Court, Enugu, judgment which affirmed Justice Okaa ruling was delivered by Justice Moronkeji Ogunwumiju, and, concurred by Justice Bolaji-Yusuff.
Justice C. C. Okaa’s ruling was based on an appeal brought to the Court against the judgment delivered by Justice O. N. Erinne who discharged and acquitted Bennet Izuegbunam on the charges of conspiracy and giving false information in a. No. NMC/24C/10: commissioner of police vs Bennet Izuegbunam and Chiamaka Izuegbunam.
More chilling about the entire saga, Mr. Onwunzo recalled, was that the kidnap allegation was leveled against him shortly after a law was promulgated by the Anambra State making kidnapping a Capital Offence.