The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Isiokpo Branch chairman, Dr. Cashmir Ofurum, has responded to the recent assault allegations made against him by Mrs. Promise Nnendah Okitche, the Treasurer of the branch. In a letter addressed to the NBA President, Y.C. Maikyau SAN.

Dr. Ofurum presented his side of the story and provided evidence to counter the accusations.

Dr. Ofurum stated that the allegations stemmed from a long-standing animosity between him and Mrs. Okitche, who had frequently opposed the policies of his administration. He claimed that he had tolerated her behavior in the past, but her antagonism towards the branch’s initiatives had reached a tipping point.

In the letter sighted by our correspondent, stated, “The petition made by Promise Okitche Esq. is as

a result of protracted malice which had been making her develop unnecessary and baseless antagonism to all the good policies of my administration. I have managed her excesses and usually pampered her before she would agree to carry out her lawful functions as the treasurer of the Branch.”

The Chairman recounted a series of events leading up to the incident, providing text message exchanges between himself and Mrs. Okitche as evidence. He explained that he had requested her presence at a committee meeting to sign cheques for the Investment Committee, which had been approved by the General Meeting. However, Mrs. Okitche failed to attend the meeting, citing personal reasons and delaying the process.

On the day of the meeting, Dr. Ofurum called Mrs. Okitche multiple times, but she did not answer. When she finally answered the call, she claimed to be at a different location and refused to sign the cheques as agreed upon. This disagreement escalated, and Ndubuisi Agumagu, a lawyer present at the office, called the police due to Mrs. Okitche’s refusal to leave and her alleged attempts to take the cheques forcefully.

“Without delving into her past antecedents, by early morning of 27/5/2023, I sent text to the Promise Nnendah Okitche Esq. to come along with cheques when coming for the meeting of the Opening Ceremony Committee (as she is a member of the Committee and she is also on the Committee’s Whatsapp platform) so that she can sign cheques for the Investment Committee as the General Meeting have approved its proposal and the Investment Committee has applied for the release of funds. I hereby annex a screenshot of the text message sent to her for your kind perusal. See also the Investment Committee application for funds following the approval of the General Meeting.”

Dr. Ofurum emphasized that there was no physical assault or damage to Mrs. Okitche’s phone, contrary to her claims. He highlighted that the police officers themselves questioned the validity of her allegations during their investigation. The Chairman asserted that Mrs. Okitche’s actions had compromised the reputation of the branch, leading to her subsequent suspension by the Branch Executive Committee.

In his letter, Dr. Ofurum urged the NBA President to disregard the petition against him, asserting that it was filled with fabricated lies aimed at tarnishing his reputation and that of his administration. He provided screenshots of Mrs. Okitche’s social media posts, which he argued were inconsistent with her formal petition.

The Chairman concluded by expressing his commitment to upholding the integrity of the branch and ensuring the proper use of its funds. He requested a fair and unbiased evaluation of the situation based on the evidence he presented.

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