An electrician based in Asaba, Mr. Mmakwe Francis Uche has petitioned the Delta State Commissioner of Police over what he described as threat to his life allegedly by a hotelier, Mr. Emeka Ogidi.
In a petition by his counsel, C.J. Makwe of K.O. Ajayi & Co., the electrician alleged that he was assaulted by Ogidi for demanding the sum of N150,000.00 being the balance payment for a job he had completed at his Golden Tulip Hotel.
The petition entitled: Re:Threat to life, Assault, Conversion, Intimidation and Conduct Likely to cause Breach of the peace by Chief Emeka Okwu Ogidi – owner of Golden Tulip Hotel, he claimed that the hotelier engaged hi professional services.
According to the petition, Ogidi had contracted the electrician to install electric energy saving switches in about 57 rooms at the Golden Tulip Hotel for an agreed amount of N250,000.00, saying that the contractor commenced work immediately after engaging two helpers upon being paid an advance of N100,000.00.
The petition read in parts: “Our client had completed the said job since one month ago and has been demanding for his balance of N150,000.00 but has continued to be fed with excuses.
“On the 29th day of July, 2019, our client went to the Golden Tulip Hotel to meet with and demand for his balance from the said Chief Ogidi who blatantly refused to pay our client but instead claimed that the job our client did was rather too simple and could have been done for a lesser price by any electrician. He further demanded that our client should refund the advance payment of N100,000.00 he had made back to him.
“It is our further brief that as our client tried explaining to Chief Ogidi the skill and time expended in ensuring that he performed the contracted job to specification, he rushed our client and snatched our client’s bag but on discovering that the bag only contained ear medications and work tools he flung the bag away and pulled from our clients his wrist watch while descending upon him with slaps and blows.”
It also said that the assaulted electrician was passing through severe eye and ear discomfort “as a result of the beating he has received and feels devalued as a kobo coin following his public disgrace, intimidation and embarrassment from the culprit.
“The fear in which our client is living in now is as a result of threat being issued by the above mentioned culprit as our client does not have the might to withstand same, hence this petition.”
