July 20, (THEWILL) – Billionaire businessman, Michael Adenuga and Nora Johnson, one of his former mistresses, no longer understand the love language they both spoke secretly for 27 years when she was his confidential secretary. Their working relationship began when he was the chairman of defunct Devcom Bank. While the sweet nothings they whispered to each other turned sour about three years ago, the current state of things between them has transformed that sourness to acidic venom such that they now wish that they never met.
Trouble started when Nora allegedly started pilfering from her lover. From over invoicing on the purchase of vehicles to inflating air ticket fares and appropriating to herself the sum of $300,000, which was money from accounts domiciled in BNP Paribas, Paris, meant to be transferred to another account, on Adenuga’s instructions.
Adenuga also accused her of stealing another $350,000. Pained by this, the Ijebu-born high chief petitioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, through his counsel, Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), accusing Johnson and five others whom he named as co-conspirators, of conspiracy, forgery, stealing and obtaining money under false pretense. He then got an order from Justice Liman of the Federal High Court, Lagos, instructing the EFCC, to take possession of all properties owned by Johnson and her co-conspirators. This includes her residential building, all, but one of which she had bought between April, 2001 and February 2010 and to also freeze her bank accounts. This court order was issued on February 16, 2021.
However, in a petition to the Executive Secretary of the National Human Rights Commission, Tony Ojukwu, via her lawyers, M.J. Partnership, on March 1, 2021, Johnson denied all of Adenuga’s allegations, claiming that she was being harassed for being bold enough to walk away from him after 30 years and refusing to continue to be his lover for her peace of mind.
She insisted that at no time in 2013 was she instructed by Adenuga or Worldspan Holdings Limited to close any account or transfer the said $300,000 to DSL nominees, China as claimed by Adenuga.
Johnson also said that until she left Adenuga in 2019, both as his mistress and employee, she was never queried for the money nor did she steal the sum of $350,000 as claimed. She also added in her petition that she handled many sensitive matters for Adenuga and at no point during her work as his confidential secretary or lover, was she accused of any financial crime or misdemeanour whatsoever.
Fearing that she might lose all that she had acquired, Johnson got a stay of execution order on March 12, 2021 to cancel Justice Liman’s order. But Adenuga was able to get Justice Ambrose Ezeolisa Allagoa of the Federal High Court to deliver a judgment on July 15, 2021, insisting that Justice Liman’s order of February 16th, 2021 still stands in all its ramifications and must be carried out.
In the process of trying to effect Justice Allagoa’s order on Thursday July 15, all hell went loose as Johnson began to weep profusely, pleading with the billionaire to leave her alone. “Mike Adenuga, leave me alone. What have I done? He said I stole money. But I didn’t steal any money because I wanted to break up with him. For 30 years, I gave my life to Adenuga. Yet he wants to drive me away from this house. This same house that I built. How many houses do I have? What did he do for me? He didn’t do anything for me. I have no husband or children. I am finished,” she said, weeping uncontrollably.
We hope the erstwhile couple will find an amicable way to settle their differences.
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