By Our Reporter
The Police have declared a skin care therapist, Pamela Onyeagusi, wanted for offences of defamation of character and cyberstalking by using the social media to blackmail her client Justice Zaynab Bashir.
The declaration was contained in a special police gazette bulletin issued by the authority of the Inspector General of Police. The gazette indicated that a warrant for her arrest had also been issued by the Magistrate Court of Lagos.
The Police provided in the gazette Pamela’s vital statistics, descriptions and other necessary details that could aid her arrest, and appealed to the public that if seen, she should be arrested and handed over to the nearest Police Station or to the Office of the Assistant Inspector General of Police (INTERPOL) and Head of National Central Bureau (NCB) at the Force Headquarters in Abuja.
Prior to her being declared wanted, a Federal High Court in Abuja, presided over by Justice G.K. Olotu, had ordered the freezing of the bank accounts of the fleeing owner of Lotela Beauty Limited.
The court had also, initially, granted leave to the federal government to declare her wanted because of her refusal to appear in court in the suit filed against her and her company by the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC).
The account-freezing order was made on July 21, 2023, in a suit marked FHC/ABJ/C4/145/2023 between the Federal Republic of Nigeria (complainant) and Lotela Beauty Limited and Pamela Onyeagusi, as first and second defendants respectively.
The FCCPC, had acted on a petition by the legal team to Pamela’s client, who is a judge, urging it to investigate the poor service and breach of the rights of its (legal team’s) client.
Consequent upon its findings that the beauty therapist and her company ran foul of standard regulations and industry best practices, the Commission had, on behalf of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, dragged Pamela through the court.
Pamela reportedly failed to appear in court thrice, back-to-back, prompting the court to grant an ex parte motion by the complainant against her and her company to compel her appearance in court and halt her persistent contempt of court.
The specific orders made by the Court, consequent upon the motion ex parte dated July 20th, 2023, and filed on July 21st, 2023, are listed hereunder ad seriatim:
● An interim order of this Honourable Court freezing the Bank account of the 2nd defendant with First Bank of Nigeria, PLC with account number 3020495579 and any other bank accounts linked with her BVN No: 94283760288 pending the hearing and determination of this charge, the said account being used by the 2nd defendant for illegal and criminal purposes connected with the charge;
● An order granting leave to the complainant to declare the 2nd defendant wanted in the media by publications of her particulars including her photographs in national daily newspapers, international daily newspapers and social media applications-such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram;
●And for such further order(s) as this Honourable Court may deem fit to make in the circumstance.
The Court had said that: “After reading a 23-paragraph affidavit deposed to by one Aniekeme Enefiok of counsel in the law firm of J.S. Okutepa SAN, and Co. together with a written address;
“And after hearing J.S. Okutepa SAN, with Tam Tamunokonbia Esq, Angela Agbo Esq., Imoudu Abass Oroh Esq, Alexandrea Azubike, Esq, Queen Judith Alabi Esq for the prosecution urging this Honourable Court to grant reliefs sought on the motion papers;
“It is hereby ordered:
“1. That an interim order of this Honourable Court freezing the Bank account of the 2nd defendant with the First Bank of Nigeria, PLC with account number 3020495579 and any other accounts linked with her BVN No: 94283760288 pending the hearing and determination of this charge, the said account being used by the 2nd defendant for illegal and criminal purposes connected with the charge is granted;
“2. An order granting leave to the complainant to declare the 2nd defendant wanted in the media by publications of her particulars including her photographs in national daily newspapers, international daily newspapers and social media such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram is granted.”
Justice Olotu had adjourned the case to September 21, 2023, for arraignment.
Meanwhile, there are feelers that Pamela Onyeagusi, who is in hiding, maybe plotting her way out of Nigeria to seek asylum in the United States.
She is believed to have engaged in social media campaign, allegedly creating scenarios of threat and intimidation against and around her person in order to build a solid case for asylum consideration once she files with her social media reports/documentations to the relevant US offices or authorities.
The complainant had gone to court to ventilate contending issues instead of resorting to self-help, thus vitiating the basis of Pamela’s narrative that her life has been under threat as per her claim in social media.
