Alleged Stealing Of N14million Vehicle By ASP Cosmos Ejiofor: Suspect Misinformed Police, Investigation Reveals

By Frank Oshanugor

A Lagos based lawyer (name with-held) who helped a suspect to write a false petition against an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Cosmos Ejiofor attached to the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (SCIID), Panti Lagos has now recanted as investigation revealed that he was misled by his client Mr. Ositadinma Vincent Okololeni.

Earlier in the week, an online platform had published a story alleging the stealing of a GLK Mercedes Benz 2013 valued N14million by the police officer who was also alleged to be sleeping with the wife of Okololeni. The publication was based on the contents of the claims in the petition by Okololeni’s lawyers to police authorities. And as at the time the online story was about to be published, Lagos police spokesman was yet to come up with the true story.

Sequel to the online publication, Atlanticnewsonline went into investigation and it has been discovered that the matter was contrary to the allegation already in the public space. According to findings, one Onyinye Anaka, a Lagos based business woman at the popular Balogun market had sent a petition to the SCIID against her former husband, Ositadimna Vincent Okololeni, alleging that the estranged husband fleeced her of the sum of N20million prior to the dissolution of their marriage which lasted for seven years without a child.

Both Onyinye and Osita, had lived as husband and wife over the years and it was gathered that Osita who deals in car stereo, fan parts and other accessories had troubled times with his business at a time during which Onyinye assisted to bail him out with N10million from her own business. The money was reportedly mismanaged. The woman went ahead to assist more times with the sums of N12million and N14million at different times but all these went down the drain.

Obviously for the love Onyinye had for him, another N20million was given to Osita, this time as repayable loan. The money was allegedly paid to Osita via his Zenith Bank account. He was yet to refund the money when misunderstanding set in, resulting in altercation and physical fight. Osita was said to have beaten up the woman such that she opted to quit the marriage. The matter was reported to their families and as Onyinye was no longer interested in the marriage, she offered to repay the bride prize paid on her. The money was returned to Osita’s family and the marriage automatically came to an end.

However, at the return of the bride prize, Onyinye was said to told the families that Osita was owing her N20million and she would like to have the money paid back immediately. Osita admitted owing her such money but offered to pay only N1million instantly with a promise to pay the balance of N19million within three months. Onyinye accepted but Osita eventually reneged on the promise after three months.

This prompted Onyinye to report the case to SCIID, Panti since it is more of obtaining by trick. The case file was assigned to ASP Cosmos Ejiofor popularly known as Tam-Tam at the D16 Unit at SCIID. It was gathered from investigation that prior to this time, the police officer had not known Onyinye nor had any business with her. So the ASP took up the matter and made effort to get Osita to come and give his own side of the story.

Police detectives went out looking for him but he was said to have moved away to somewhere at Idi-Oro. He was somehow elusive until he was finally traced, but before he could be picked, he found his way to Area F Police Command, Ikeja to institute a case against the same Onyinye Anaka. When Ejiofor and other officers at SCIID heard from Onyinye that Area F police were looking for her, a signal was originated at SCIID to Area F, asking them to transfer their own case file to SCIID.

The matter was eventually transferred along with Osita. At SCIID, he was arrested based on the allegation of obtaining by trick. A search warrant was procured and detectives went to his residence to execute the warrant during which five counter-cheques and other items were recovered. He was subsequently asked to make a written statement which he did and admitted that he gave someone part of the N20million to buy Mercedes GLK for him in America. He said he wanted to use the Mercedes Benz to start a car selling business instead of what he was known for.

During interrogation, he disclosed that the GLk Mercedes Benz had already arrived Nigeria and was kept with a car dealer somewhere at Shomolu area of Lagos. The dealer was traced but could not initially be seen until he was got on phone. He eventually brought the vehicle to SCIID, Panti. Osita was thereafter released on bail. It was gathered that soon after Osita’s release, he went to Zone Two to report a case against ASP Ejiofor to the effect that he had taken side with his estranged wife who was trying to deprive him of the vehicle which he had intended to use for business and begin his life again.

Based on the report, Ejiofor was summoned at Zone Two headquarters Onikan to defend the allegations against him one of which was that he broke Osita’s head with a dangerous object. The Zone Two investigators were said to have carefully examined the case and took a deep observation of the alleged wound on Osita’s head with a conclusion that the wound was not a fresh one. Osita had reportedly told the Zone Two investigators also that ASP Ejiofor demanded N1million bribe from him, allegedly that Ejiofor had promised to release the vehicle to him instead of Onyinye, once he could pay the N1million. When asked if he eventually paid the money to Ejiofor, he said no.

The Zone Two investigators subsequently directed that the case should be returned to SCIID Panti for continuation. Osita was therefore charged to court, Magistrate Court I, Yaba. On the hearing date, his lawyer was said to have requested the Magistrate to discontinue with the case as it was a marital issue between husband and wife. To this, the Magistrate was said to have responded that the case before him was not marital but if the lawyer could prove it in the process of trial, he would have no objection.

The lawyer was said to withdraw his services at this juncture, thereby forcing Osita to engage another counsel. The second lawyer reportedly took over the case without a deep understanding of the issues at stake. As a lawyer, he ought to have asked for the proof of evidence, to enable him understand the details of the matter. He took things for granted and never cross checked the file to be well informed.

With sufficient evidence to prove that the GLK Mercedes Benz was bought with part of Onyinye Anaka’s N20million, the police in turn released it to her after duly signing a bond. She reportedly took the vehicle. Investigation has revealed that ASP Cosmos Ejiofor did not take the vehicle away to his house nor sold it as alleged by Osita’s lawyers. When Atlanticnewsonline contacted Onyinye Anaka on Thursday on phone, she confirmed having taken possession of the vehicle as it rightly belonged to her.

Our investigation further revealed that due to Osita’s allegation, his lawyer was at SCIID last Friday to level certain things against Ejiofor. When confronted by his superior officers, the ASP told them that the matter was already in court. He was in turn directed to go to court and bring the case file to enable them peruse the facts of the case before the court process could continue. On Monday 22nd July, 2023 ASP Ejiofor was at the court to retrieve the file only for him to discover on return to his office that there was already an online story alleging that he stole the GLK Mercedes Benz in question and that he was sleeping with Onyinye Anaka.

When the police officers at SCIID looking into the matter read through the story which was false and libelous, they drew the lawyer’s attention to it since the story quoted his Chambers’ petition. He denied ever writing such petition and contended that it was written by another lawyer in his chambers without him knowing. He reportedly went begging when confronted to show video clip or evidence of ASP Ejiofor in sexual affair with Osita’s estranged wife.

Atlanticnewsonline learnt that given the gravity of the allegation and defamatory nature of the story, Osita’s lawyer had been directed by the police at SCIID to produce his colleague or subordinate who authored the scandalous petition given to the online publication.