Businessman Olu Agwu, who accused the Enugu State Police Command’s anti-kidnapping squad of extorting N62 million from him, has denied knowing Mr. Emeka Abba, who claimed to be his lawyer.
Agwu told newsmen that Abba is part of the extortion ring within the anti-kidnapping unit, alleging that he collaborated with the police as a front.
Newsmen previously reported Agwu’s account of being coerced into paying N62 million into various accounts linked to senior police officers to avoid detection. This was allegedly part of a scheme that falsely labeled high-profile victims as members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) or Eastern Security Network (ESN) to extort them.
Although the Enugu State Police Command denied the allegations in a statement by its spokesperson, SP Daniel Ndukwe, newsmen on Saturday released further details linking Commissioner of Police Kanayo Uzuegbu to the extortion scheme.
However, Emeka Abba, whose account was reportedly used by the police to receive part of the extorted funds, claimed in reports published on some blogs that the commissioner was not involved.
Abba, who identified himself as Agwu’s lawyer, stated that the N20 million paid into his account was his fee for professional services, thereby exonerating the police commissioner from any involvement in the scheme.
Abba described the allegations as “unfounded, frivolous, annoying, and vexatious,” insisting that the police were not involved in the payments related to the matter.
“The police acted as a form of alternative dispute resolution agency,” Abba said. “They are still investigating the case. If they find that Olu was involved in funding or using ESN or IPOB to threaten Mr. Michael Umeh or any other allegations, they will pursue it accordingly.”
Abba claimed he did not know Olu Agwu until a colleague asked him to take up the case.
“Agwu was arrested in December 2024. When I met him at the police station, they said he could be granted administrative bail pending further investigation but withheld his vehicle on the grounds that it was suspected to be a proceed of crime,” he explained.
Addressing the claim that his account was used to receive funds, Abba said, “My account was not used to transfer money to the police or on their behalf. I only found out about this on social media and was shocked. I was briefed about the case on December 26, 2024, while I was in the village, and the suspect was detained at the Anti-Kidnapping Unit in Enugu.
“We agreed on my professional fee, which was part of the amount being circulated online as the alleged extorted funds.”
However, in an interview with SaharaReporters on Monday, Agwu contradicted Abba’s account, stating that Abba was introduced to him by one Mr. Chinonso Ike.
Agwu alleged that Abba’s account was used to channel N20 million meant for some police officers involved in the extortion scheme.
He said, “When they brought him to me, the policemen at the anti-kidnapping unit claimed he would get a court order showing that Inspector General of Police Kayode Egbetokun had ordered my indefinite detention. They said the N20 million was for bail.
“I had never seen him before. The police actually introduced a man named Nonso, who the Commissioner of Police admitted was his close friend. They told me to provide N20 million to cancel a court order.”
Providing more details, he explained, “I didn’t know the lawyer. My sister asked me to contact someone named Chinonso, but I didn’t have my phone at the time. Then, a man came to the station. I didn’t know him, but he introduced himself as Chinonso. He said my sister had sent him. I felt emotional, thinking my sister had found out about my situation.
“He assured me not to worry and to cooperate because he was there to help me. After some discussions, he told me there was a court order holding me, and since it was December 26, there was no way to quash it. He claimed he had spoken with the CP and the IG, who also said the order couldn’t be quashed unless I paid N20 million and hired a lawyer. They never showed me this supposed court order. He promised to bring a lawyer and work with him to resolve the issue.
“He claimed that the petition was sent to the CP and that the IGP was interested in the case. He insisted that I needed to pay N20 million to resolve the matter.
“I told him I didn’t have that amount but could try to raise it if they allowed me to make phone calls. I asked if paying would guarantee my release that day (December 26, 2024), and he assured me it would. They gave me my phone, and I started calling people. Eventually, I found someone willing to send the money once the lawyer arrived. Chinonso was the one who brought the lawyer.
“I agreed, even though I hadn’t met the lawyer that day. Chinonso provided the account number where the money was to be deposited. I met the lawyer the next day when my accusers also showed up.
“They had promised I wouldn’t spend the night in the anti-kidnapping cell once I paid the money. But after the payment, they made me sleep there, claiming they needed more time to process everything. They assured me that the next day they would come with a court order to quash the previous one, and I would be free.
“The next day, they brought me out, and my accuser was also present. They made us negotiate a settlement. It was then I realized that all of them—Chinonso, the lawyer, and the policemen—were very familiar with each other. They were laughing and chatting like old friends.
“They pressured me to pay the accuser, even though I insisted I owed him nothing and that his claims were false. One policeman acknowledged this but said they wanted peace to reign. They insisted I had to pay because they heard I made N250 million monthly. They claimed I was greedy for not wanting to share my wealth.
“They made it clear that if I didn’t pay, I wouldn’t be allowed to leave. One of them, Chinedu, mocked me, saying I wanted to keep all the money to myself. They accused me of being greedy and said if I refused to pay, I would either rot in the cell or be killed.
“I confronted them, asking why they were so intent on keeping me detained and demanding money. I told them if I had committed a crime, they should charge me to court. I later discovered that this so-called informant was just being used by the police to torment me.”
“I don’t know the lawyer, but I overheard him talking when they were drafting the agreement. I heard Chinonso, the lawyer, and others discussing how they planned to make money off me by working together. They said it was a minor issue but that they could profit from it if they coordinated. At that point, I became cautious. After that day, I never saw, spoke with, or interacted with them again. I don’t know the lawyer, and even if I saw him now, I might not recognize him.”
Regarding how Chinedu knew about his income, he explained, “I have no idea. I’m a businessman, and I’m into rentals. That Christmas season was peak event time. They arrested me at the height of the season, and I lost millions of naira due to refunds to clients. I even have a petition from one of the vendors who sued me. The case is in court because he’s demanding a full refund.”
Addressing the allegations that he’s a member of IPOB or ESN, he said, “Those accusations are fabricated to keep me detained and extort money from me. It’s a false allegation. Even the CP admitted to me that this issue has nothing to do with IPOB, ESN, or kidnapping. He said it’s just a misunderstanding between two brothers and advised us to resolve it amicably.”
Explaining his relationship with the petitioner, Michael Umeh, he stated, “It’s a straightforward matter.”
Umeh alleged in his petition that Olu Agwu owed him N400 million.
Agwu said, “Umeh lives in Vietnam, and his wife is Vietnamese. She often posts hair and other Vietnamese products online. I gave Umeh money to buy hair for my wife’s business.
“I sent him the money, but it became one excuse after another. Every time I asked about the hair, he’d tell me he was relocating or moving out of his house. This went on for months. I eventually told him that I suspected he had spent the money.
“Keep in mind that we’re from the same village. I reminded him that Vietnam is far, but not that far. I told him, ‘No matter how long you stay in Vietnam, you’ll eventually return to Abribe. And when you do, you’ll have to pay me back. If you plan to keep the money, then stay in Vietnam because once you come back to Abribe, I’ll make sure you pay me.’
“I later heard that he had marital issues, got divorced, and was deported to Nigeria. After his return, he collaborated with Chinedu Ike to use the police against me, flipping the situation so that I became the target instead of him. That’s what happened. I paid Umeh N6 million between August and September of 2023. He stayed abroad until he returned last year.”
