The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has declared a beautician Pamela Onyeagusi wanted following her repeated absence from court to face a four-count charge preferred against her by the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
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.
According to the charge sheet, Onyeagusi was charged alongside her business entity, Lotela Beauty, for “misleading and deceptive representation to Hon. Justice Zaynab M. Bashir by holding Ayourself 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.”
According to the information made available to the media, sometime in 2022, Justice Bashir had gone for a skin treatment at Ms. Pamela’s Lotela Beauty Center in Abuja where the treatment she used caused bodly damage on the Judge.
Rather than take steps to adequately remedy the wrong and may be enrol for further studies and certification, Ms. Pamela was alleged to have embarked on a media campaign against His Lordship. While the media engaged by Ms. Pamela circulated the news of her claims of harassment and intimidation without verification, His Lordship on the other hand, reported the matter to the Consumers Protection Commission for proper investigation.
According to his Lordship, there is no law that prohibits a judicial officer from taking care of their health and her utmost concern was to prevent the danger which the quack practice of the therapist would cause to other unsuspecting clients.
His Lordship in the petition presented to the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission sought, amongst others, that Ms. Pamela be investigated and, if found culpable, prosecuted for her quackery and reckless practice which caused His Lordship grievous bodily harm.
She also demanded that if found culpable, the FCCPC should shut down Ms Pamela’s beauty center. She also demanded that Ms. Pamela cause publication to be made in at least two national dailies, retracting all the false publication made about the complainant while also tendering an unreserved apology to His Lordship, her family and the National Industrial Court.
His Lordship also demanded that Ms Pamela’s lawyer, one Adaeze, who refused to honour the invitation extended to her by the Commission be cautioned to refrain from taking issues relating to consumer/service provider disagreement to the press to blackmail either the consumer or the service provider particularly when it is already before the Commission.
FCCPC concluded its investigation and Ms. Pamela was charged to court on a 4 counts charge at the Federal High Court and having failed to appear in court after 3 consecutive adjournments, a bench warrant was issued for her arrest.
The matter was adjourned to September 21, 2023 for arraignment of the defendants.