BY FOLASHADE KEHINDE
MODUPE Alakija, husband of Folorunsho Alakija, billionaire businesswoman, has broken his silence on his suspension by Ikoyi Club, saying a member of the club videoed him without his consent.
The brawl between him and the member, Ashish Gajarr, had led to Alakija’s suspension.
He said in a letter addressed to the Honorary Secretary of the club, Bamidele Ibironke, dated October 27, that Gajarr violated his rights.
The Ikoyi Club had released a notice of suspension for Alakija from December 1, 2021 to November 30, 2022.
The notice read, “The above-named member of the Club is hereby placed on a one year suspension from the Club for physically assaulting and abusing a fellow member, conduct injurious to the interest of the Club, thereby violating Rule 9(C) of the Club’s Rule Book.”
Alakija, who is the the Chairman of FAMFA Oil, however, objected to the hearing on assault and abuse against Gajarr, noting that it was a criminal matter and that the Committee set up by the club had no power to try such matter.
According to him, he had given evidence that he came into the Club premises on the aforementioned date with his police escort.
The police escort did not step into the club premises but only opened the door of his car in front of the Club house and drove away, he claimed.
Alakija said, “On entering the Club house, I observed all the protocols including the wearing of a mask.
“There was a friendly discussion between, the protocol staffs and I on whether an officer of the Nigerian Police Force duly empowered and armed under an extant, Law lof the National Assembly could be stopped from entering any premises in Nigeria, except certain parts of airports and airplanes.”
“My mask was taken off while having the said debate with the protocol staff. All these took place at the entry point and not in any other part of the Club House,” he added.
He noted that Gajarr, without knowing the subject of the debate and without showing any form of decorum, “with all arrogance, rudely and crudely” shouted at him (Alakija) to put on his mask.
“In reply to his crude and unethical manner, I told him to fuck off and mind his business,” Alakija explained, adding that Gajarr violated his right to privacy, by using his phone to record him without his consent and or permission.
Narrating what led to the alleged assault, he said, “On his refusal to delete the photos as I demanded, I decided to hold on to his shirt, in order to stop him from absconding and taking my pictures away with him.”
According to him, he took that action to prevent his photograph ending up in the hands of kidnappers or assassins, which he said would forfeit the reason the Inspector-General of Police gave him an escort.
“The complainant in his letter admitted that he knew that the Club had its own CCTV but being a busy-body, and in gross violation of my Constitutionally guaranteed right decided, out of his gross disregard for the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, to carry out his illegal act,” Alakija said.
He, however, noted that he had filed a suit at the High Court against the complainant, for the court to grant relief for the breach of his constitutional right.
The committee’s action is now subjudice, according to him, as he has served Gajarr with a notice of intention to commence legal proceedings (pre-action notice).