Fiery Lagos lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) Festus Keyamo, on Saturday, said his office is unable to reach one of his clients, Stephanie Otobo after she confessed to being paid to defame Apostle Johnson Suleman.
Mr. Keyamo, who spoke to this newspaper on the telephone, said he had watched the video where Ms. Otobo claimed she was paid by powerful politicians and pastors to rubbish the Delta State-born pastor.
“She is yet to contact us. My lawyers in Lagos in Lagos cannot reach her. You know they are the one in charge of the case. I called them to know whether she has reached out to them and they said her phones are switched,” Mr. Keeyamo said.
“I saw the video but my lawyers are yet to reach her just to authenticate it. We don’t know what is happening. We need to reach out to her and once she reaches out to us we will let you know. We have been trying to reach her. We have no idea.”
This newspaper had reported how Ms. Otobo, who is currently facing defamation charges, made a U-turn and recanted the things she said about Mr. Suleman.
READ ALSO : Powerful Politicians, Pastors Paid Me to Defame Apostle Suleman – Stephanie Otobo
Between February and March last year, when the Canada-based Nigerian lady dropped the bombshell that shocked many, Mr. Kayamo had through his chamber in Lagos came down hard on Mr. Suleman for having illicit affair with the lady.
One of the letters issued by the law firm when Mr. Suleman challenged and accused Mr. Keyamo of being paid to damage his reputation read, “The attention of Festus Keyamo Chambers has been drawn to a series of press releases and letters by one Apostle Johnson Suleman (who claims to be a “man of God”) and his lawyers attacking the person of our Head of Chambers, Mr. Festus Keyamo in respect of the discharge of our professional duties to one of our clients, Miss Stephanie Otobo.
“Whilst our formal response to the ill-advised letter by his lawyers is on its way to him, we deem it necessary to make this release in response to the series of releases Apostle Suleman has recently made.
“Firstly, Mr. Festus Keyamo is not even PERSONALLY INVOLVED in this matter. He has no personal interest in it at all. Upon accepting the brief of Miss Stephanie Otobo at the Lagos office, Mr. Keyamo, (who has been in the Abuja office all this while) instructed three of the lawyers in Lagos (including both undersigned) to handle the brief professionally.
“Apart from an informal and friendly phone conversation Mr. Festus Keyamo had with a reporter in Punch Newspapers and one other blog about this matter, Mr. Keyamo has never personally signed or issued any letter or press release on this issue. The lawyers in the Lagos office are working on this.
“So, it baffles us that Apostle Suleman and his aides have decided to drag Mr. Keyamo PERSONALLY into this issue. Mr. Keyamo never owed Apostle Suleman any professional duty and so was under no legal restriction to accept a brief against him.
“Secondly, all the allegations of some imaginary grand conspiracy being perpetrated against Apostle Suleman are not only pathetic but are ludicrous and a nonsensical smokescreen. We have the instruction of our client to ask Apostle Suleman the following questions:
“(a) Whether it is the Hausa/Fulani herdsmen that instructed him to be paying millions into the account of our client who he calls a ‘stripper’ all the way in Canada.
“(b) Whether it is his special calling as a so-called ‘man of God’ to be paying millions to strippers and prostitutes to leave their trade when there are poor women and widows within his congregation in Nigeria that need help badly.
“(c) Whether it is the Hausa/Fulani herdsmen that instructed him to be exchanging amorous text messages with a girl he calls ‘a stripper’. These text messages would all be investigated and revealed when full criminal investigations commence.
“(d) Whether it is the Hausa/Fulani herdsmen that instructed him to be having Skype conversations with Miss Stephanie Otobo and to be requesting her to open her bare breasts to him.
“(e) Whether it is the Hausa/Fulani herdsmen that told him to be exposing his private part to Miss Stephanie on Skype; which pictures are in our custody.
“We make bold to say that when criminal investigations commence, all these text messages and pictures would be subjected to serious forensic analysis, and the truth would be established. The hotels they slept in and the evidence of their meetings in and out of this country would be revealed. The pitiable excuse of ‘photo-shop’ has become a convenient escape route for all culprits caught on tape these days.
“Finally, Mr. Festus Keyamo is not the problem of the ‘Apostle” gentleman. His problem is the little girl whom he thought he could easily take advantage of and destroy her life. Somehow, she has found the strength and the voice to fight back and this is where we are now. Other unfortunate victims of this same self-proclaimed ‘Man of God’ are also in touch with us now and are also itching to tell their story, with proofs.
“Please, he should face the consequences of his ‘sins’ and leave Mr. Keyamo alone.”
