By Chuks Eke
The President of Peoples’ Club of Nigeria/International, Chief Joseph Ilonze, has petitioned the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee, LPDC of the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA against three prominent members of the club who are lawyers, accusing them of being the brain behind the leadership crisis that is currently rocking the club.
The club members are Felix Obi-Okafor, Fidelis Onyebueke and Lawrence Arinze.
The petition is coming against the backdrop of a court judgement obtained by Ilonze which mandated the trio to pay him a whopping sum of N5 million for using the police to violate his fundamental rights.
In the strongly-worded petition dated December 16, 2024 which the LPDC received on December 20, 2024, the petitioner, through his Legal counsel, I. I. N. Nwosu Esq, said he brought it under Legal Practitioners Act. 2004.
In the petition No. BB/LPDC/1584/2024, brought in a Form of Originating Application, Ilonze lamented that the negative actions of the trio of Felix Obi-Okafor Esq. of 109 Oguta Road, Onitsha, Anambra State, Fidelis Onyebueke Esq of 93 Ndidem Usang ISO Road, Calabar, Cross River State and Lawrence Arinze Esq. of 10 Jos Street, Area 3, Garki, Abuja have become inimical to the peace, progress and unity of the club.
According to Ilonze, the negative activities of the trio have become too inexplicable that they are required to answer to the allegations contained in the statement of facts/affidavit which accompanied the petition to the LPDC, adding that such order be made as the committee shall think right.
Briefing journalists on the development over the weekend at the Peoples’ Club House, Onitsha Branch, Chief IIonze said he wrote the petition to the LPDC against the trio who he said have since been expelled from the club, because they have been using their profession as lawyers to harass and intimidate other members of the club, including himself simply because they are lawyers and members of the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA.
He said, “I have petitioned the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee of the NBA over the harassment and intimidating behaviors of their members. We want the NBA to query, suspend or even expel them too from the legal profession because we have already expelled them from the Peoples’ Club of Nigeria International”.
“The three lawyers are using the profession to harass and intimidate us simply because we are ordinary citizens and I am appealing to the NBA to urgently look into their activities and compel them to stop terrorising innocent people like us.
“We expelled them for peace to reign in our noble club which was formed decades ago by our fore-fathers to strengthen cordial relationship among Igbo traders all over the World. Now that they have been expelled, I will commence a peace process to reunite all the waring factions”, said Ilonze.
While insisting that they remain expelled until further notice, Ilonze noted that Arinze was expelled by the Aba branch of the club for not paying his dues as and when due, while Onyebueke was expelled for parading himself as the Calabar branch Chairman of the Club without official induction, just as Obi-Okafor, was also expelled for parading himself as the Awka branch Chairman of the club without official induction as well.
He warned the public not to engage in any business transaction with the trio under the umbrella of Peoples’ Club of Nigeria.
It was gathered that their expulsion might not be unconnected with the ongoing leadership crisis rocking the club over who becomes the authentic national president of the club as according to sources, while Ilonze claimed that he was constitutionally elected by the club members but when he travels overseas, the trio allegedly ganged up and carried out a coup de’tat claiming that they have removed him from office but Ilonze returned from abroad, went to court and the court returned him to office.
Making a reference to July 18, 2023 landmark judgement delivered by Justice Pete Obiora of Anambra state High Court sitting at Ogidi in Idemili Judicial Division now of the Court of Appeal in Suit No. HID/274/2018 which declared that Chief Joseph Ilonze is the Elected National President of the Peoples Club of Nigeria/International, PCNI, Ilonze noted that the latest scuffle arose recently when the trio went back to the Club’s National Headquarters in Onitsha, erected an entrance gate, chased away Ilonze’s loyalists, locked up the Headquarters and stationed a combined team of policemen, soldiers and vigilante operatives on a 24-hour vigilance at the entrance gate with a specific instruction not to allow Ilonze and his supporters have access into the compound anymore.
Meantime, the Atani High Court presided over by Justice Chukwudi Okaa while delivering judgement in a fundamental rights application filed by Ilonze against the trio of Obi-Okafor Onyebueke and Arinze, during which he ordered them to pay him the N5 million as damages for violating his Fundamental rights, also restrained the police from further denying Ilonze access to the Club’s Headquarters.
Joined as co-defendants in the Suit No. AT/MISC.106/2024 as 4th, 5th and 6th defendants are the Commissioner of Police, Anambra state, the Assistant Inspector-General of Police, AIG incharge of Zone 13, Ukpo and the Inspector-General of Police, IGP.
Delivering the judgement on December 20, 2024, after hearing and considering the submissions of Tobechukwu Nweke SAN for the applicant and Onyechi Araka Esq. for the 1st – 3rd respondents, Justice Okaa declared that the unwarranted invitation and threat to arrest and detain Ilonze, the applicant by the officers of the 4th – 6th respondents at the instigation of the 1st – 3rd respondents constitutes a violation of Ilonze’s rights to personal liberty and dignity of human person as guaranteed by Sections 34 and 35 of Constitution of Nigeria.
According to Justice Okaa in the judgement, “the 4th-6th respondents, their agents, servants and privies however described are perpetually restrained from further inviting or threatening to arrest or detain or from arresting and detaining the applicant on account of his discharge of his functions as the National President of Peoples’Club of Nigeria/International, PCNI”.
“The respondents, their agents, servants and privies are hereby perpetually restrained from denying the applicant the right to access and enter for the purpose of associating with members of the PCNI, the Club’s property/building located along Km 3, Owerri Road, Onitsha“.
Reacting to the development, Barrister Lawrence Arinze simply told newsmen on phone that Chief Ilonze was being economical with the truth.
Arinze disclosed that he and his group have gone to the Court of Appeal sitting in Awka to contest the judgement of Atani High Court which awarded N5 million against them and restrained the police from inviting Ilonze to answer certain questions because they believe that the Atani High Court which is in Ogbaru Judicial Division does not have a jurisdiction to entertain a matter that emanated from Onitsha Judicial Division.
