Kelechi Eze, counsel for the defendant, Chioma Toplis who is a Nollywood actress, asserted that a PDP chieftain, Chief Uche Akwukwegbu, CEO Bawas Oil, r#ped, impregnated, subjected her to ab#rtion and thereafter buried the f#etus of the pregnancy when she was a teenager.
During an interview, the mother of Chioma Toplis, Mrs Bessie Orji, 85 years old, who also is the mother-in-law of the aforesaid Chief Uche Akwukwuegbu alias Bawas and also a witness in the case confirmed the revelations.
The weighty allegation and other sordid revelations made in the court compelled the judge, Justice Ogechi Okeahialam to recuse herself from the trial, prompting the case to be reassigned to another court for continuation of hearing.
Actress Chioma Toplis is standing trial for criminal defamation in a case (SUIT NO: HU/181/2022) following posts made from a social media, which she vehemently denies any knowledge of.
According to a reliable source, trouble started after Chief Akwukwegbu, a brother in law to the actress, following the social media posts he suspected were emanating from the actress, initiated a case of criminal defamation against the actress, which saw police men from Zone 9 Umuahia, Abia State, swooping on, arresting and charging the actress to a magistrate court in Umuahia, which lacked jurisdiction to entertain the case, leading to Chioma Toplis being detained in a correctional facility at Umuahia. The detention, widely reported in the media at the time, prompted uproar amongst her colleagues in Nollywood.
According to the source, “Chioma was arrested on Friday 18th of June 2021. After the interview with the former AIG Okon on Monday 21st June, the said Okon held that the case lacked evidence but the CSP Johnson continued to detain Chioma Toplis at the instance of the said Chief Uche Akwukwuegbu. Chioma Toplis was also made to provide landed/house documents in Umuahia, Abia State as part of the requirement for her bail condition. She was eventually granted administrative bail and the matter was eventually charged to court yet, the prosecution on the instructions of Chief Uche Akwukwuegbu refused to release the said documents back to Chioma Toplis. Chioma’s mother tendered her son’s house document as security for Chioma Toplis' bail she was released on bail on Thursday, 25th June 2021 making it 6 days at Zone 9 Police cell.
“Feeling that her rights were trampled upon, Chioma went to report the case in Abuja and Chief Uche Akwukwegbu was arrested and detained. The case was consolidated and moved to Abuja but as soon as Chioma went to London for treatment, Akwukwegbu transferred the case back to Umuahia without investigation from the FCID Abuja headed by the late DIG Egbunike. When Chioma returned to Nigeria after her medical trip, she was informed in Abuja that the case has been moved back to Umuahia. She went to Force Headquarters, Abuja to report the matter and the Late DIG Egbunike advised that the matter the case file should be returned back to Abuja.
“Chioma later returned back to her base in Lagos and went to the bank to do a transaction, only to find out that her business account was frozen and in the course of making inquiries, she was arrested in the bank and taken to Panti. She was detained until she put a call across to DIG Dan-mallam who again informed Late DIG Egbunike what had happened. Late DiG sent a signal to Panti for Chioma’s immediate release and invited all parties involved in the case to appear in his office on the 17th of December, 2021. “
According to the source, the late DIG Ebunike had admonished them, urging them to make peace since they were all relatives, they embraced peace and left. But that was not to be, following the death of DIG Egbunike.
Going further, the source averred: “On the 14th of March, 2022, Chioma was in Asaba filming, and on her way back from a location with two of her colleagues some unknown men accosted them on the way in what looked like a kidnap. Her colleagues immediately reported to the TV and Radio stations and the news went viral that Chioma had been kidnapped. It was later revealed that the men were policemen from Zone 9. They seized her phones, so she could not call anyone, even her lawyer. The following day, the 15th, she was moved to Umuahia by the Police Officers from Zone 9 who came to Asaba. At about 5pm they arraigned her in a magistrate court in Umuahia with her phones still seized and ordered her remand in correctional center in Afara, Umuahia. Her lawyer Kelechi Eze filed and secured her bail at the High court Umuahia where she was granted bail and the case still ongoing.”
The PDP chieftain, Chief Akukwegbu however dismissed the allegations. According to him, the matter is being addressed in court. “She is standing trial for criminal defamation as we speak, so I expect the court to do justice to the matter”.
The chaos in this story, I had to pause and catch my breath.
ReplyDeleteI'm telling you,too much wahala
DeleteNa wah. Is it the NPF they are using to measure preeq. No due process.
DeleteIkwakwakwa.
Nothing is hidden under the sun.
ReplyDeleteVery long and confusing story. The law should take his course
ReplyDeleteFamily Fued
ReplyDeleteIt's more like sexual assault being covered up and the victim being traumatized again.
DeleteI pray she survive this. So, she's related to the man's wife. Ndi ala adi nma.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteLet the truth be free.
ReplyDeleteHmmm he still ended up as thier inlaw?
ReplyDeleteLove of money.
DeleteUse your brain. He was obviously married to her sister when she(Chioma) was a teen and he allegedly raped her.
DeleteThe Things some men do with their wife's sisters and maids come back to bite them
What kind of intimidation is this?
ReplyDeleteMay God help this girl oooo.
Cos this man is out to destroy her with his influence and connection.
There are so many wicked people in this world. You raped your wife’s relative when she was a teenager and had the guts to get her arrested over petty stuff. Anyway, it has opened up a can of worms. I wonder where the sister stands.
ReplyDeleteVery confusing story
ReplyDeleteSee ehn, a lot of girls got raped in their teenage years in Nigeria. Dem just lock up because nobody will believe them. As for me, l almost got raped in a judge’s chamber and what saved me was that his secretary came in. I ran out of there and never returned. A whole judge.
ReplyDeleteThere’s no free thing anymore. Some men will always take advantage of young girls. You see ehn, my dad died while we were all going and this his colleague, saw my brother with his friends one day. He asked of me and my brother told him l was at home. He told my brother that l should come see him. His office was a lot closer and along the way. So l chose to go see him at the office. When l got there, l filled the form and the secretary, not knowing who l was initially (l was in junior high when dad passed) jumped up with the form and ushered me in quickly. That man, acted like he all so sympathetic with us. Talked about my Dad then asked what l was doing. I told him l just finished my A’Levels. Waiting for JAMB’a direct entry forms to come out. He was happy with me. He then said, he will give me money for the JAMB form. He brought out the money, gave to me and quickly unzipped his pants. He was hard. I got confused. He grabbed my hand, telling me to touch it. I just cringed. I couldn’t. He then said l should sit on him. I refused. Dude now stood up to grab me and his Secretary opened the door. She looked at the way l stood, looked at her boss, told him he had a visitor waiting. I just shouted thank you sir and left. I never went back there again.
Don’t trust nobody. Pervert’s plenty.
God have mercy. How have men so debased themselves to this level? Very shameful.
DeleteImagine exploiting a vulnerable teen who was fatherless. Somw of these men are worst than animals in the wild
DeleteMany of them parading the place, wild animals better pass them
DeleteWild animals are far far better than them.
DeleteMy husband told me that while growing up in PH township, there was a man known to rape all those girls that hawked fruits. He always acted like he wanted to buy and then dragged them inside. My husband still talks about him with so much disgust.
ReplyDeleteHmmm may God judge them all
ReplyDeleteBefore now I use to think Chioma is troublemaker and somehow loud but for this one I believe her she has been through so much and needs justice not intimidation from this wicked man .And truly if I had the means I would help her put this man in jail ..
ReplyDelete