More details have emerged from the brawl that resulted in suspending Modupe Alakija from Ikoyi Club 1938.
According to a document seen by TheCapital, Modupe Alakija had responded to a mail sent by the Club in respect of the allegation of physical assault and abuse, saying he was “rudely and crudely shouted at” and his privacy breached by Mr. Ashish Gajjar, who made the allegations against him.
In the letter addressed to the club, titled “RE: 2ND INVITATION – PHYSICAL ASSAULT AND ABUSE OF MR. ASHISH GAJJAR G992” Alakija explained that he objected to a hearing which perhaps had been instituted by the club to look into the case, which according to him was “a criminal matter that the Committee has no power to try.”
According to the billionaire Folorunso Alakija’s husband, a friendly discussion had ensued between him and protocol staff of the club on “whether an Officer of the Nigerian Police Force duly empowered and armed under an extant, Law of the National Assembly could be stopped from entering any premises in Nigeria, except certain parts of airports and airplanes.”
In the course of the “discussion” which reportedly held at the entry point of the Club house, Alakija claimed to have removed his face mask, which he had worn as part of observing the protocols. Things took a new turn when the complainant, Ashish Gajjar, interrupted him.
“The Complainant, without, knowing the subject of the debate and without showing any form of decorum, with all arrogance, rudely and crudely shouted at me, to put on my mask. All your staff testified to this crude and rude intervention.
Alakija said he told Gajjar off to “mind his business.”
“In gross violation of my constitutionally guaranteed right to privacy, he brought out his camera and started to videotape me without my consent and or permission.
“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.
“The Inspector General in his discretion decided to give me a police escort as I am at a risk of been kidnapped.
“My photograph might end up in the hands of kidnappers or assassins that prowl the Streets of Nigeria.
“It was therefore necessary to stop him from going away with my photographs.
“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 went ahead in the letter, dated 27th October 2021, to waive “my rights to view the said CCTV footage recording, as I do not see its usefulness to this case, more especially as the case of assaults is not before the Committee.
“I have commenced proceedings against the Complainant at the High Court for a grant of relief for the breach of my Constitutionally guaranteed right.
Alakija termed the matter sub judice, as he has served the complainant with a notice of intention to commence legal proceedings.
“The Chairman had thanked everybody and declared the proceedings closed after rebuking me for my harsh language, which I did, in good faith, accept.
“I do not see the benefit of further hearing unless there is a fresh evidence (sic), which has not been brought to my attention.
“I hereby enclose a copy of the letter from my Doctor for an appointment for the 28th October, 2021.
“I hope that this matter will now be put to rest,” Alakija wrote.
The Club has since gone ahead to place Modupe Alakija on one-year suspension for what it termed “physically assaulting and abusing a fellow member.”
The Capital
