David Siunoje, a former aide to Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State, has been arrested and charged in Toronto, Canada, for sexual assault, sexual harassment, extortion and criminal breach of trust as well as diversion of funds, SaharaReporters has learnt.
Siunoje, a former Personal Assistant on Special Duties to the Governor popularly known as “Mama”, was sacked by Okowa for allegedly using his office to defraud members of the public, especially a group of Igbo traders. He escaped to Canada with his family some years ago and sought asylum.
However, he was said to have been picked up at the Toronto Pearson International Airport in Canada on his way from Nigeria on April 11, 2023.
Confiding in SaharaReporters, an officer at the state police command who is privy to the incident, disclosed that in the build-up to the 2023 general elections, Siunoje “sexually assaulted and harassed a married woman who had before now given him some form of assistance in life and a young girl who just turned 18 a few months ago”.
The source continued, “Siunoje was held and disgraced at a party in Toronto by the mother of the 18-year-old girl for sexually molesting her daughter and party guests had to plead with the woman and he immediately fled from the party hall and the woman also pressed charges against him.
“He was contacted by Canadian police authority while in Nigeria that a case was reported against him, but failed to tell him the nature of the case, and was placed on a watch list. So, on landing at the Toronto Pearson International Airport, he was picked up.
“He was arrested and detained on April 11, 2023, at the Brampton police station with a case file with number PR23014809, and was released on bail on April 19, 2023, following his plea using his medical condition and his wife, Jessica Nkechinyere, who stood in as surety with a bail bond of $5,000.
“Do you know, Siunoje defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) a few weeks before the governorship election in the state? He’s now a chieftain of the APC in Delta State.”
“Anyway, he’s expected to take his plea on June 5, 2023, at Court 103, 7755 Huronotario Street, Brampton, Ontario, Canada, where he will be facing four counts of sexual assault, sexual harassment, extortion and breach of trust,” the security source added.
It was also gathered that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) was petitioned to investigate Siunoje for allegedly duping a victim to the tune of $112,000.
As of the time of filing this report, all efforts by our correspondent to speak to the former aide to the governor, Siunoje, proved abortive as he did not answer when SaharaReporters called his Canadian number. He also did not reply to a text message sent to the mobile line.
