EXCLUSIVE: Documents show how Foreign Ministry allegedly abetted impersonation, forgery, theft, trafficking; Ambassador Ocheni indicted; Buhari petitioned

Fresh documents obtained by ElombahNews have revealed how some personnel of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, particularly Ambassador Ingekim Regina Ocheni, who was Director of Training and Staff Welfare, allegedly aided an impersonator to defraud the Federal Government of millions of naira.

A petitioner, Mr. Winston Chuks Obikwelu has written President Muhammadu Buhari alleging that his Ambassador-appointee, Regina Ocheni aided one impostor, Emmanuel Winston Obikwelu to impersonate him, defraud the Government of millions of naira, and traffic his children to far away Venezuela.

Recall that ElombahNews reported on February 1  that Ocheni, the Nigerian Deputy Ambassador to Germany, was accused of alleged “abduction/ trafficking, impersonation, forgery, perjury, criminal conspiracy, abetment, gratification, corrupt demand by persons and deliberate frustration of investigation.”, et al

The petitioner, Winston Obikwelu alleged that one Emmanuel Obikwelu connived with Foreign Affairs Ministry personnel and impersonated him, forged birth documents of his children with which he facilitated the theft and corruption aided by Ministry personnel.

The Ministry reportedly issued him and his late wife introduction letter with which he fraudulently obtained diplomatic passports and visa to travel with trip paid from the federal purse.

Currently, both the impersonator and Ambassador Ocheni are under investigation at the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and INTERPOL.

According to the documents, the Ministry introduced the first person “Eyiazu Theresa Obikwelu” as petitioner’s child to obtain international passport.

When contacted, he told ElombahNews: “I don’t know who she is. She was illegally paid Foreign Service Allowance pursuant to Nigeria Foreign Service Regulations.

“The birth certificate of the children including one Eyiazu Theresa Obikwelu bears my real name Obikwelu Chuks Winston as the father.”

While tendering some fake documents, he said: “This is the documents they submitted to Immigration and certified.

“This is my marriage certificate submitted to Immigration as if it was me and supported by the Ministry.

“This is the picture of the suspect who impersonated me as Emmanuel Winston Obikwelu (his real name is Emmanuel Iladion from Edo State).

“He is under investigation by ICPC, NAPTIP and INTERPOL.

“This is the data page of the suspect international passport bearing the name of my town (Ukwulu) LGA (Dunukofia).

He showed ElombahNews the letter he wrote to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and attention Ambassador Regina to avail her all the ruling ongoing in a divorce and custody of the children with his late wife which she ignored and aided the suspected criminal.

The letter showed the Ministry that the marriage is still subsisting but he was ignored by Ocheni who never replied the letters.

He also presented the following documents:

• Letter from wife’s lawyer informing the court that she has died
• Ruling from the court striking out the matter on the death of the wife
• Police filed FIR on the 29th September 2017 on defamation, false information and criminal conspiracy against his wife; the Ministry was duly communicated and the Head of Service of the Federation (HOSF) issued a directive to MFA on the 27th December 2017 to comply with the provisions of public service Rules (Interdicting an officer) but the Ministry ignored the directive and illegally posted the wife out on the 18th May, 2018.
• Warrant of arrest issued against Mrs Emmanuela Obikwelu for jumping bail; the Ministry was duly communicated but they ignored the letter.
• Ruling of the trial court that Mrs Emmanuela Obikwelu has a case to answer but the Ministry shielded her.
• Mrs Emmanuela Obikwelu’s posting letter . She was already standing criminal trial on the 29th September 2017 before the Ministry fraudulently sent her on a foreign posting in May, 2018, even when she is not due yet but they posted her out to frustrate the criminal trial.

Mr. Obikwelu insisted that there was syndicate racketeering in the Ministry and institutional conspiracy that denied him justice.

He said: “The corruption in MFA is stinking.

“MFA has been doing this fraudulent conduct over the years by siphoning money in the ministry and nobody has challenged them or exposed the corruption except me.

“Besides, the misinformation that my wife is my ex-wife is incorrect.

“We have not divorced and we are in court before she died as you can see in the ruling from Customary Court, Dawaki.

He raised concern that the Foreign Affairs Ministry behaved with inconceivable cruelty.

He noted that it is indescribable to believe that a whole agency of government like Ministry of Foreign Affairs with all their supposedly international exposure will want to pull down the image of the Ministry just to protect their own staff and institutionalize corruption; this is indeed most unfortunate and regrettable.

The petitioner prayed President Buhari to intervene and direct a fully and uncompromised investigation on this matter.

He also requested the following:

1. Withdrawal of the appointment of Ambassador Ingekim Regina Ocheni (Newly appointed Nigeria Deputy Ambassador to Germany) who is already under criminal investigation and others in the alleged commission of crime; her absence will occasion grave Injustice and frustrate the ongoing investigation.
2. Establish a panel of inquiry to determine various roles played by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Nigeria Immigration Service who issued passport to the suspect (Emmanuel Winston Obikwelu) without any evidence of means of identification pursuant to NIS Act.
3. Direct the ICPC, INTERPOL and NAPTIP already investigating various criminal infractions perpetuated by the suspects and prosecute them in accordance with their Laws, while administrative actions will be taken based on the report of the Investigative Panel of Inquiry.

“I have spent so much time and money over this matter to get justice for the past 3 years,” lamented Obikwelu.

Another effort to reach Ambassador Ocheni again failed as she did not reply the following text message sent to her GSM phone:

“Good day madam. This is Tim Ifeanyi of ElombahNews. I’m in possession of petition by Winston Obikwelu to Buhari alleging that you aided one impostor, Emmanuel Obikwelu to impersonate him, defraud Govt of millions & traffic his children to Venezuela. How do you respond to that before I publish my report?”