Lawyer To George Turnah Threatens To Sue Efcc Chairman And One Bodmas Kemepadei Over Defamation Of Character

In a press statement released by the learned Professor, a onetime Lecturer of the Niger Delta University, he stated that the publications by the said Bodmas which he attributed to the zonal head contain statements of falsehood to the effect that his client corruptly enriched himself. Below is the said defamatory report published by the said Bodmas as produced in the press statement: “For the records, Barr. Alabh George Turnah has been remanded to Kirikiri Prison. This was by Justice Ibrahim Watilat of the Federal High Court, sitting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, on Wednesday. Though his lawyer has been told to apply for bail, he is facing a 12 – court charge bordering on obtaining by false pretense, money laundering and abuse of office to the tune of N3,094,268,235.69. Now, let us rewind to the time before he was being remanded. After it, was learnt that Barr. Alabh George Turnah was arrested by the EFCC, youths gathered themselves and stormed the EFCC office to protest, describing Turnah’s arrest as an act of injustice, saying he is a good man with a good heart. They stayed there singing demanding his unconditional release. The EFCC South -South Zonal head, Ishaq Salihu, instead of pushing away the protesters, called them together and began to educate them. These were the words: “If I tell you all how this young man has contributed to the under development of your region, you youths you will be ashamed to be here. Believe Goerge has so much to tell why EFCC is after him; now let me ask you: (I) Did George tell you that the EFCC is after him because they found billions of naira in one Eluantazitza George account? This is the account of his five years old daughter. (2) Did he reveal to you all that huge sums of money amounting to billions were discovered in the accounts of the following companies owned by him without any traceable office except one or two? A). KOLO CREEK PETROLEUM DEVELOPMENT COMPANY B). GEOHAN TELECOMS NIGERIA LIMITED C).ADAKA BORO MARINE SERVICES NIGERIA LIMITED D). TURNOIL NIGERIA LIMITED E). TURNAH GLOBAL SERVICES LIMITED F) EL-GODMAS GLOBAL SERVICES LIMITED G). YENAGOA MALL LIMITED H). SUGARLAND INTEGRATED FARMS LIM ITED I). CELTIC PRIDE ENGINERRING AND CONSTRUCTION LIMITED J). CELTIC PRIDE INSTITUTE OF AGRICULTURAL STUDIES K). BUILDING ASSOCIATED LIMITED (3) Did he tell you that the NODC have furnished EFCC with details of his salaries and allowances while he served as SA to two MD’s which was not even up to #30/47 (4) Did he reveal to you that he collected a contract for the building of Ogbia 8retherh.7od village, which was awarded to one of his companies and money was paid lit full, which he converted to mere renovation of the hall? (5) Did he reveal to you that in 2014, huge money running to billions was awarded to him for the organization of a programme tagged “Niger Delta Peace Carnival, a programme meant for the whole of Niger Delta was then converted into Voodluck Jonathan Cup for Ogbla Youths oily’ and the embezzled the funds? (6) Did he reveal that the EFCC have showed hint various incriminating document from NDDC, detailing programs which he had collected funds for in the name of Niger Delta Youths running into billions, for programs which never held? (7) Did he tell you that he collected many funds to bring light to most of your communities in Ogbia? Do you have light? Did he reveal that the Kolo to Ogbia Electrification project awarded to one of his company was abandoned even when full payment has been made? (8) Did he tell you that the Niger Delta volunteer program designed to empower 2000 youths of the region for 4 years with a stipend of 150k per beneficiary, that he paid 70k each, please multiply 80 by 2000, it will amount to N160,000,000 every month, which he was receiving for four years, amounting to about N7.6bn? Now, we are still investigating if at all he employed the said 2,000 youths. These and many more facts we have in our possession, as time progresses, more will be revealed. Now I ask you, do you still think he was really a good man with a good heart? Do you still think his intentions for Ogbia people were good? Do you think he is worth protesting for? Because he gives you crumb from the billions he has stolen, is that enough to call him a good man? Have you all pondered and ask yourself if Ogbia or the youths would have been the same way it is now, if only he spent half of the money? I ask you again, you think he is good for giving out crumbs? You think he is good for depriving you of what is yours? Don’t your mother’s and father’s in the village deserve better life? Next time before you join this kind of protest, ask yourself what his sources of income are as compared to his flamboyant life. I will leave your conscience to communicate with you”. Immediately the EFCC south -South head ended his speech, the protesters were all cold; they could not utter a word again. One by one, they started dropping their placards, and before you know it, even his close associates who were all there were shocked at the revelations, they too threw away their placards, everybody went back home. My people, looking at the evidences before us, do we still blame Gov. Dickson for saying we wasted six years in Presidency, it’s time for us as a people to sober effect. “One of the revelations from the EFCC is that Barr. Alabi Turnah owns about 11 companies registered under his name, of which he used in collecting contracts from NOCK* amounting to billions during the past regime. One of such Companies is the ‘ADAKA BORO MARINE SERVICES’. For those who don’t know Late Isaac ADAKA Boro, the Founder and frontier of the ljaw struggle, who led a revolution against the Nigerian state, demanding economic freedom for the Niger De/tans, he died in active service. It was as a result of his struggle, Niger delta I believe was compensated with Presidency, as a result of this the NDDC was created and many more, but till date his family lives in abject poverty. It is painful to note that Barr. Alabh Turnah, used the name of this man in amassing wealth for himself, leaving the family in poverty.” According to the learned professor in his press statement: “The duo alleged that his (Turnah) eldest daughter’s retaining billions in her account. Barr. Tunah’s demand for apology and compensation was made in Letters addressed to Messrs. Ishag Salihu and Bodmas Kemepadei, EFCC South -South Zonal head and Social Media Practitioner, respectively dated 30″‘ of May, 2017. The letter to Mr. Salihu said Barr. Turnah wants a total withdrawal, if he made the statement credited to him or his disciplinary action against Mr. Kenepadei, if he never made the statements while addressing the protesters at the EFCC Port Harcourt Office on the 22th of May, 2017 as reported by Mr. Bodmas K. Kemepadei via his Facebook post on May 25, 2017 at 6:59am. For Mr. Salihu, Barr. Turnah noted that as an EFCC top official he should know and he did know that his statements were defamatory, prejudicial, subjudice and contemptuous and forms a valid ground for defamation, especially given the fact that the Statements were widely maliciously broadcasted. For Mr. Kemepadei, the Letter reckoned that his being a Social Media Practitioner should imbue him with knowledge of cross checking facts before going to press and the dictates of fair hearing and presumption of innocence as guaranteed by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The Lawyers notes that Mr. Bodmas K. Kemepades’s Facebook posts was viewed by 1,874 Friends, with 298 likes, 471 comments and 596 shares that are continuing. In the light of the foregoing and in the spirit of second chance, we have our Client’s instructions to give you an ultimatum of seven days from the date/receipt of this Letter to issue an apology in three major National Dailies, your facebook page, two most visited Nigerian blog sites and payment of N100 million naira only to avoid a defamation suit of N 10 Billion Naira only. Your apology which should be heartfelt, must be a total withdrawal of your claims and imputations, it must contain also a manifest expression of deep regret for the unwarranted attack and must also contain a retraction of the false and malicious publications of yours”. Apart from demanding an apology from the duo, George Turnah through hi counsel has requested for NDDC’s clarification on some alleged contract deals made with the said accused person. Stating in a heading titled “Truth v. Falsehood”, the learned counsel could not link the said billions in the so-called Turnah’s account to the orders sought by the claimant. In this vain, Turnah through his counsel seeks for a discharge of interim order of forfeiture and a grant for an application of Bail failed before the court. Recall that George Turnah has been facing trial for Economic and Financial Crimes and Money Laundering filed against him by the EFCC, in which some of his properties involved have already been ceased by the Commission. ]]>