MASSOB chief Ralph Uwazuruike may go to jail – Lawyer

Barely 24 hours after Chief Ralph Uwazuruike, founder of the Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) alleged that a High Court in Owerri plans to unjustly arrest and jail him over a civil suit, an investment solicitor, Mr. Chigozie Iheama, also a party to the suit has dismissed Uwazuruike’s claims as mischievous.

Iheama, who said that the property litigation between him and Uwazuruike may reveal the ugly underbelly of the MASSOB leader, noted that Uwazuruike’s claims of victimisation were manipulative lies intended to subvert the course of justice.

This is also as Uwazuruike has denied his alleged disrespect for the court accusing the two judges who had heard the case since 2013 of bias and of being favourably disposed to the lies of the defendant.

But Iheama explained that the order for Uwazuruike’s arrest was consequent upon his glaring disdain to court orders and pronouncements.

According to him, from 2013 to 2017 when the case has been on, Chief Ralph Uwazuruike had refused to appear in court in a matter he is the plaintiff.

He also added that before the matter was transferred to the present court, the former judge, Justice Florence Duruoha Igwe, was hearing contempt proceedings against Uwazuruike for defying the orders of court for parties to maintain status quo and commencing building on the disputed land.
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Iheama averred that plots by the MASSOB leader to frustrate justice did not stop when the matter was transferred to the court of Justice Kemakolam Ojiako.

“Consequent order of the court to seal the property by chaining and padlocking the gates was also subverted by Uwazuruike who instead removed the gate and sealed up the area with a block wall making it impossible for court officials to enforce the order,” he said.

Iheama added, “On October 14th, I was not in court and my lawyer informed me that the presiding Judge, Justice Kemakolam Ojiako had expressly ordered that the parties in the contempt proceedings be present in court on the next adjourned date which was October 24th, 2017. Uwazuruike’s lawyer, E.E. Chukwuka was in court and must have conveyed the order.

“Before 8am on the said date, I was already in court because, as a lawyer, I know the implication of a court order especially in a contempt proceeding which is a quasi-criminal matter.

“Chief Ralph Uwazuruike, also a lawyer, shunned the order of court and again, did not come to court. Consequently, the Judge among other things, ordered for his arrest.”