AWKA/Nigeria: A Nigerian-American U.S. Army veteran, Mr. Bonaventure Ezekwenna, has called on Governor Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra State to urgently address alleged death threats, extortion by state prosecutors, and interference in criminal cases pending before the courts.
Speaking at a news conference on Monday in Awka, Ezekwenna said his legal team had submitted a formal petition to the governor’s office, seeking immediate action. He alleged that he had survived multiple assassination attempts linked to suspects in two criminal cases involving attempted abduction, malicious damage, and threats to life, offences supported by reports from the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID).
“One of such incidents reportedly occurred on March 19, when gunshots were fired during a court session at the High Court, Oba Division, forcing the judge to move proceedings for safety,” he said, adding that the cases had allegedly been stalled for more than a year.
Ezekwenna accused two prosecutors in the Ministry of Justice of extortion and professional misconduct, alleging that they demanded financial mobilisation from him but failed to make tangible progress in the cases for over seven months. He said a petition to the Attorney-General, Prof. Chika Ifemeje, yielded no result as she dismissed his concerns and advised him to apply for a fiat.
“The delay in prosecuting the cases has emboldened the lead suspect, who continues to issue threats to me and my legal team,” Ezekwenna stated. He urged Governor Soludo to order an independent review of the Attorney-General’s handling of the matter, direct the prosecution of the suspects based on police investigations, discipline erring prosecutors, and provide security for him, his family, and legal team.
Mr. Jude Obiora, counsel to Ezekwenna, alleged that his client had been subjected to intimidation, harassment, and extortion, warning that “failure to act may turn state prosecutors into enablers rather than defenders of justice.”
Responding, Attorney-General Prof. Chika Ifemeje dismissed the allegations, stating that she had reprimanded Ezekwenna for allegedly attempting to bribe state prosecutors. She explained that a new prosecuting counsel had since been assigned to the cases, but claimed Ezekwenna had also clashed with the new lawyer.
“If he cannot work with our prosecutors, he should write to the Governor who appointed me, rather than going about maligning my image,” Ifemeje said.
