• ‘WHY I’M ON THE RUN,’ BY BEAUTICIAN

The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has declared wanted a beautician Pamela Onyeagusi following repeated absence from court to face a four-count charge preferred against her by the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

CITY LAWYER gathered that the court ordered the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection (FCCPC) and other security agencies to declare her wanted via publications in local and international dailies. The matter was adjourned to September 21, 2023 for arraignment of the defendants.

It was also gathered that the court ordered that the bank account of the defendant should be frozen, even as there are strong indications that the defendant is now a fugitive, having escaped from Nigeria.

According to a charge sheet obtained by CITY LAWYER, Onyeagusi was charged alongside her business entity, Lotela Beauty, for “misleading and deceptive representation to Hon. Justice Zaynab M. Bashir by holding yourself out as a duly certified medical professional in the use of laser technology for skin therapy thereby committing an offence contrary to Sections 123 (1) and 125 (1) of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act, 2018 and punishable under Section 155 of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act, 2018.”

Onyeagusi and her outfit were also charged with inflicting “grievous bodily harm on Hon. Justice Zaynab M. Bashir by supplying a defective and unprofessional treatment with the use of Laser technology for skin therapy,” thereby committing an offence contrary to Section 136 (1), (2) and (3) of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act, 2018.

The charge follows a complaint to the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection by the jurist as well as a hearing by the commission where Onyeagusi insisted on her innocence.

The latest order came on the heels of an earlier bench warrant for the arrest of Onyeagusi issued by the court on May 23, 2023. The prosecution had last Friday informed the court that all efforts to execute the warrant had proved abortive.

CITY LAWYER gathered that though security operatives had launched a massive manhunt for the embattled beauty therapist, trailing her relatives and all known contacts in a bid to bring her before the court for arraignment, this has been futile. This followed the sealing of her beauty parlour which also doubles as her residence.

In an earlier interview with CITY LAWYER, Onyeagusi had denied the allegations, saying that the thigh procedure she performed on the judge went awry because she failed to follow her instructions. Onyeagsui had told CITY LAWYER that she was compelled to refund all monies paid by the judge due to severe threats allegedly heaped on her by the jurist.

According to a demand letter by the law firm of Ganiyu Ajibola Bello obtained by CITY LAWYER, the judge’s solicitors had warned: “This consequently serves as a notice that you shall be charged to court upon this matter if reasonable steps are not taken to remedy all the wrongs committed towards our Client.”

CITY LAWYER gathered that the judge was angered that the therapist’s “representation of being a professional is a false and fraudulent representation while you were indeed criminally negligent and unskilled.”

Titled “CASE OF CRIMINAL MISREPRESENTATION, NEGLIGENCE, RECKLESSNESS AND INFLICTION OF GRIEVOUS BODILY HURT CONTRARY TO THE PENAL CODE ACT, ABUJA AND DEMAND FOR REPARATION AND COMPENSATION” and dated October 7, 2022, the demand letter alleged that sometime in May 2022, the therapist “falsely and fraudulently represented to our client that you are a professional and skillful Skin Care Specialist with requisite skill and knowledge in the act of removing stretch-marks and skin scars arising from surgery using laser procedure.

“Consequent upon the foregoing representation which turned out to be false, Our Client on the 8th of May, 2022 visited your center under an appointment for the professed laser procedure and other dermatological procedures which was supposed to be carried out on Our Client’s face, thighs and stomach.

“In carrying on with the procedure however, you caused grievous bodily harm and injury to Our Client’s right thigh by burning her thighs with the laser machine. The hurt was so excruciating that Our Client had to stop you from continuing the procedure and that was the saving grace for her left thigh.

“Within hours after the unsuccessful procedure, the condition of injury inflicted on Our Client’s right thigh started to deteriorate while she also experienced terrible breakouts on her face.

“Our Client was forced to travel to Lagos on several occasions for treatment of the injury to her thigh and her face. She was put on dosage of several expensive medications while having to bear excruciating pains from the injury for about a month as she could barely walk or engage in bath without suffering excruciating pain form the burnt areas of her body.”

The judge’s solicitors warned that “The foregoing position clearly shows that Our Client have a concrete basis upon which to prosecute you for criminal misrepresentation, negligence, recklessness, infliction of grievous bodily hurt and endangering her life while making you face the wrath of the law,” adding that “The consequently serves as a notice that you shall be charged to court upon this matter if reasonable steps.”

But in a response obtained by CITY LAWYER, the embattled therapist denied the allegations, adding that she is well trained in the field.

According to the response signed by Mr. Charles Sunday of Fredricks E. Itula, SAN & Co., the skin-care therapist was trained both in the United States and United Kingdom, adding that she was issued with certificates to show for her training.

He noted that “It is important to state here that your client before that 8th day of May, 2022 have (sic) had thigh liposuction, gastric bye-pass surgery, many cosmetic procedures, surgeries and facial treatments which resulted in various spotted skin bumps and keloid growths.”

Continuing, the solicitors stated that the judge “persuaded our client to go ahead with the laser procedure with the notion of looking young and beautiful with no one being able to guess her real age.”

He stated that “After the thigh procedure, our client advised your client to observe less movement that will put pressure or friction,” adding that “Your client rather than heed to this advice immediately proceeded to embark on trips to Jos and Lagos which trips consequentially resulted to blisters on the affected areas due to excessive frictions of the thighs couple (sic) with skin lightening (bleaching) cream she uses.”

The solicitors stated that the payment of $2,000 and N500,000 by the judge to the therapist was a clear indication that she was satisfied with the service rendered, adding however that “We were also informed that your client issued a lot of threats and harassment to our client and demanded for the full refund of the fees our client charged her failing which she would face her wrath. The threats were so frightening that our client had to inform the woman who referred your client to her and shudder (sic) when she realized that your client is a serving Judge and could make life unbearable for her, hence the full refund of the payment so made.”

According to the solicitors, “In as much as we deny vehemently the allegations of negligence and recklessness on the part of our client, we however would be willing to have a meeting for a peaceful resolution of the issues.”

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