You will think him taciturn until he starts talking. He never raises his voice but is as stubborn as a mule on any issue he wants to delve into out of his usual conviction. Kesley Kenechukwu Ezekwo feels his calling is to fight injustice and that, mostly for the weak. He has come to be the face of widows fighting dispossession, and most or almost all the cases he does pro bono. A lawyer and real estate giant whose stake in the sector measures in billions, he took Ahamefula Ogbu through his struggles of life where he ate from the ample pie of lacking in resources but has finally conquered poverty and is a beacon for the helpless. From his checkered childhood to being a gentle giant, he appreciates everything African and enjoys his village, Umuchiu more than any other part of the world…excerpts
Did you set out to be a lawyer, was it your childhood ambition?
Yes, it was my ambition to be a lawyer because it is a platform I felt will help me fight for people’s rights and help the needy; that I see that would help me much, so I had to pursue that after eight years of leaving secondary school.
How and where were you born and under what circumstances?
I was born in Orlu, Imo State, where my father was working. He said it was not a planned thing because they used to space two to three years. I would not say it was an accident but sheer divine providence that I was conceived and they did not have any alternative than to go ahead, they knew within them that something remarkable would happen with that pregnancy and had to go through that process.
What kind of child were you, pliable or troublesome?
I was told that I used to fight, especially if anyone offends my siblings, my senior ones, I used to fight on their behalf. Apart from that, I stayed with my Aunty in Onitsha and I did all my chores and duties although a child must be a child. I was an obedient child
What indelible punishment do you recall growing up?
In Onitsha then, every Sunday, we used to go to Sunday School Class and that was an opportunity for me and my friends to go to River Niger to swim. We lived in Fegge, one street away from River Niger and my Aunty used to use the Sunday school to tie us down. So what I normally do is to go to Sunday School, find out the lesson of the day and still go and meet my friends for us to go and swim at River Niger and to eat fruits, it was mainly mango. I didn’t know how my aunt found out. Because I usually cram what the lesson is so when she asks if I was in Sunday School, I will say yes and recite the memory verse and what I had already crammed. Once you can do that, it is proof that you were in there. Although somebody had already told her that I do go out with those people because, truth be told, we jumped fence to go. Of course, she won’t believe it because I know the lesson and memory verse and once she asks me I will be able to explain. They told her specifically that they saw me and I was part of the team. They used to punish others without punishing me because I used to prove that I wasn’t there. But that day, she insisted when we got home and asked me questions from the lesson that I did not know. That day she flogged the hell out of me and I can never forget that incident and that was the last day I went to swim in River Niger. Imagine I was thinking I was smart but I don’t know how she found out, I can’t forget that day. Unfortunately, one of us who used to go for that swimming later drowned there.
Which schools did you attend and what were your experiences?
I attended Niger City Primary School, Fegge, Onitsha. It was a good school where we had a fence with St John’s Anglican Church so they watched over us. I attended Dennis Memorial Grammar school, DMGS, although I spent three months in Umuchu High School in year one but I didn’t fit in so I had to go back Onitsha. Then in common entrance, you must choose your town school so I found myself in Umuchu High School, then Umuchu Boys and I stayed for just first term and I didn’t even finish the first term and I relocated to DMGS. After that I got admission to study English at University of Port but because of funds, I didn’t go and about three years later in 1992, I got another admission to Nnamdi Azikiwe University to study Law but it didn’t work out because of funding again before I finally went to University of Lagos to study Law and then to law school Enugu campus.
How did you sort out the funding issue when you finally went to UNILAG to study Law?
Jesus Christ!I always want to share that experience, even from my university days, it wasn’t easy because if not for some friends that saw me through, encouraged me, someone like Austin Ezendu that encouraged me and sometimes give me stipends, I wouldn’t have made it through. I had to work at Idumota first in the morning and bike straight to UNILAG, sometimes missing my lectures or meeting them halfway, and sometimes work with the transport section of an importer shuttling between school and work. I had to work and save money for two years before I could save enough money to buy the JAMB form, write the exam, and go to UNILAG and pay my fees. If not for God first, I would not have succeeded because the greatest problem I had was feeding. Yes, you can get books from the library but you need to eat before you study; so feeding was my greatest challenge. Even after graduating, I couldn’t go to Law School immediately because of funding, school fee of about N80, 000 so I had to go and work with a clearing agent, Pablo for a year. It was in that process that I was lucky and my name came out again and I had saved up money for the law school, Enugu Campus. There were three levels of feeding in law school for the rich, middle class, and the lower grades, where you could eat without meat. For me, I was eating Okpa and drinking water, I could not join my mates for parties because the little money I had to eat, I could not use to transport myself to town where they used to have parties. The day we graduated I had to leave by night bus to avoid spending part of the money for my transport back to Lagos. That notwithstanding, we packaged a lot as if we belonged. My case is proof to people that no matter the field you find yourself, if you are focused and determined, you can achieve anything in life, the only thing is that you go through stages of difficulties, challenges, but that determination with God by your side, you will excel. In my own case, God saw me through.
Did lack of funds not push you into temptation to indulge in sharp practices to make ends meet?
Not at all. You know these days people say there no this or that that’s why they are not exceling, See, difficulty is not an excuse for you to commit any crime, after all those days I see people drop money in hostels and all that yet it didn’t move me, it wasn’t my own and if it was God will give it to me. Hunger or hardship will never make someone who has a relationship with God to soil his hands. It is just like those young girls now doing hookup because they feel they are suffering; it is a lie, there are so many things they can do, technology has even made things easier now. There are a lot of things one can do online to earn a living. There are lots of youths doing online business and content creation, online marketing, they go to offices and still make ends meet. Then I use to work in Idumota, No. 2 Hull Street where we use to load something. People will buy goods, we package it, put it in a scale and they pay us one naira and sometimes five kobo and we were saving the money because I believe in the philosophy of saving for you to grow, so anybody that says it is because things are difficult that he is into crime, it is his decision to do it ; It has never come to me, all I believe is that if I don’t have money I will not be able to eat so I try and work hard and save up. I will always want to have a plan that if what I do does not work this year, it will work next year, always give yourself a plan say in the next five or 10 years and if you follow it the way it is there is no way God will not see you through.
What is your philosophy of life?
I believe in to do good to others especially that anybody you cannot help, don’t compound the person’s problem. I believe in doing good and good begets good, evil begets evil. If you can’t help humanity, don’t oppress or suppress human beings.
What do you consider your best moment in life so far?
Three things, apart from being called to the bar as a lawyer which was my life ambition and good memory was the day I had my first child, October 2nd. Each time I remember that, I always know that it is a moment that I will cherish forever though I have my three kids, October 2nd 2016, September 24, 2009 and 17th September 2011, these days, each time I remember I feel the Lord is good to me. I don’t think there is anything again in life that will give me that joy. The birth of my daughter especially because something happened that day. I was called that my wife was in the hospital and when I got there I was told she had delivered but I could not see her or my wife. The nurses showed me children lined up and asked if I knew which one was my child and I said no. When I was entering the place something happened, one of the children smiled at me so when the nurses asked me if I know the cloth the mother came with to deliver and I said yes and when we checked, it was the child that smiled at me when I entered that was my daughter. It gave me unforgettable joy.
What do you consider as your saddest moment in life so far?
30th May 2018 was the day I lost my mom. It was just like ehm… would I say she didn’t plan to die? I just spoke to her and everything was fine the next thing they said was that she was no more and I said it was a lie, how can somebody I just spoke with just die. I asked them to show me on video and she was just there still moving, maybe that was on my mind because I didn’t want her to die and I told them not to put her in the mortuary. They had to keep her from around 9 o’clock till around 5 even when they had certified her dead. It wasn’t a good moment for me, it was a moment I don’t like to remember at all. She was a very good woman and I believe that things would have been better were she still around because she used to pray for me and now I have to pray for myself. My mom is someone who will call me and say we are going to do midnight prayers and will recharge her phone and call me and pray from midnight till 5 am for someone going to work the next day and she will say God will sustain you. Though she is no longer praying for me, my wife also does that a lot, she did a lot in that direction of building up my spiritual growth.
So ordinarily you can say you were closer to your mom than your Dad?
Sure you know men would like to force you to do things their own way while my mother would like to correct, you your father would want it to be done his own way and some of us who from infancy knew our rights and want to assert it, if you do, punishment will come if you don’t do it your dad’s way, punishment will come but your mother would want to correct you so I have had soft spot for her because I believe that she is a very nice woman.
Have you had any near life experience?
That was on 1st July 2018, when I was coming back from my mother’s burial, we had a fatal accident, that was three weeks after committing my mother to the earth when I was coming from Umuchu to Lagos, four of us were in the vehicle; we survived despite the pains and challenges. Another was in December 22, 2024, another accident, this time with my family. Both of them were bad, especially the second one, because I was with my wife and two kids, but no one died. it was bad, and they are very bad memories I have.
How did you meet your wife?
I saw her first at the outing service of my cousin’s mother December 27, 1993 after the outing service of my cousin’s mother I was among the people that were trying to move to the house, so when I finished, I came out and saw two young girls that said they were going to the house but there was no vehicle so I had to trade my place for them and trekked to the house so when I went home they came to say thank you for what I had done for them, for sacrificing my space for them. And then next time was when they were looking for someone to help them with their JAMB and I was there to do it. Later on I saw her in Lagos, this time more mature and from there we became friends but there was no relationship o. I told her that I know for sure that I will marry her I told her to at least give me 10 years, I will marry you and she said I had to tell her mom and I had to follow her to go and tell her mom. The Mom said no, they don’t marry like that, that I should bring my people. I did that and after about 10 years and I kept to my words. The rest is history and we are where we are now.
Were there distractions?
Definitely there were a lot of distractions. One thing about me is that I always try to keep my words and one thing about her, if you meet her you will know that she is worth waiting for. There is one article that I wrote and described her as source of my inspiration and most people who know us know about it. Till today, her younger sister cannot address me without putting those words, source of inspiration. She was worth anything and I saw her as a battle I must conquer because her parents, especially the Dad and the uncles were against it. I was even threatened not to try it, it was a war but because I felt it was a challenge and I had never told any woman that I will marry her till today so that particular one, I even told her that even if they kill me in the process it is good at least before they kill me I must marry you and thank God I fulfilled my promise and desire. The people kept bringing men from outside trying to entice her. At a point after her first year I had to bring her to Lagos closer to me in UNILAG to reduce that pressure and we succeeded and look at us today. I know and was convinced but look at me, a man who did not have any money, did not have anything but I was determined but I believe in one thing, whatever we say with our mouth with conviction must surely come to pass. Once I saw her I told her I will marry you, I did not mince words, I told her I will and I did. She thought it was a joke. It took her like five years to see her father especially who was in another camp. They are eight and the father and her uncles were in one camp while the mother with her siblings were in my own camp, it was a battle. The father and the uncles and sisters were against it and in another camp and also the elderly ones. It got to a point where we had to argue this thing, at a point it was as if the marriage was between me and their kindred, they would not agree and we too didn’t agree but anything that God has said yes, nothing can change it. What I saw then, the elderly ones didn’t and finally it worked and I have never regretted anything at all.
So there has never been challenges in your marriage?
None
As a successful man women will always flock around you, how do you deal with seductions?
That is inevitable for any man that can feed himself, if you are able to take care of yourself, pay your bill, you will always encounter that. The only factor that can save a man from that is the fear of God because we want to make heaven and you are told if you do those things you won’t make heaven and some of us have realised that there is a life after here and you want to make heaven and we are told that it is not good that after enjoying everything here, you miss heaven like the story of Lazarus and the rich man. The rich man after enjoying life on earth died and was suffering. It is basically the fear of God and then the type of woman you have as a wife that is another thing, if your wife is good to you, you know what men need is not food or sex but respect, when your wife respects you and you have fear of God. With good character from a wife like I have, they use it to tie us and keep us in one place.
What do you consider your guilty pleasure?
I travel a lot. I don’t smoke, I don’t snuff or gamble. I like to go to a place and relax and have a good time especially to my village, Umuchu, it is the nicest place in the world where I can relax without worries, where I don’t need medication to sleep. I tell people that if not for insecurity, I will prefer to always visit my place. For someone like me, that’s the best place in the world, I have visited all parts of the world and my village is still the best place.
What do you consider your greatest earthly possession?
Life. Anything you have in the world without life is useless. No matter what you have, without life it is useless
Apart from life which is general what do you consider your priciest earthly possession?
My kids, my family, I can’t trade them for anything in this world.
You are known to might for weaker parties in conflicts especially helping oppressed widows, what informed that?
It is part of the reason that I studied law, to fight for people especially in a society where people don’t have those that will fight or defend them. For example in Igbo land when a man dies the wife and the children become victims, sometimes they will even accuse the woman of killing their brother so that they can dispossess them and push them away to enjoy the husband’s wealth. Although it is general but I am using Igboland to cite example or as reference point, for someone like me, I don’t think it is right for the woman to be pushed out or for anyone to be made to suffer. Under such circumstances our office, Magna Chambers will handle the matter and ensure justice is done. We also have Chukwuka Foundation which does the sponsorship of such cases. The foundation brings the money to pursue the case while Magna Chambers handles it legally. I hate injustice. We do that as a way of giving back to society and as a way to thank God for what He has done in my life as a lawyer, so I use that opportunity to bring happiness or make other families happy. Majority of the cases we handle we do so on pro bono basis that is the purpose to study law.
Do you have Political ambition?
Not at all but everybody believed I have, especially in my area because of what I do and I am close to a lot of politicians who come to my house. In my early days of life, I thought of joining politics to serve but with what is going on now, which it is being run as a business and I don’t see politics as business. Except for people like His Excellency, Peter Obi who changed a lot of things especially in my state where we never knew of good governance until he came to effect the change. Obi’s performance is what would have made me to consider it a bit but I heard someone on social media saying if you want to be a Senator you will spend N2 billion and N1.5 billion for House of Reps and N500 million for House of Assembly member so how do you recover the money and how much id your salary? I don’t think any of them is more than N3 million, If I bring out N100 million to invest I will at least make like 60 per can’t profit so I see politics as service to humanity not business and I can’t join. That’s why you see EFCC virtually on their neck, all of them except Peter Obi has been challenging people to come out if they have anything against him. It is better for me as a private person touching people lives than to be a politician without touching their lives because if I use so much money to get into an office I will have to recover the money but I won’t join but I wish we were in a saner society with the right values, I would have joined to serve but now, no.
So how come you are taking all the big titles in Igboland and still claim disinterest in politics, so why did you go for titles in the first place?
I didn’t take titles for politics or position. I never knew I will take these titles o, it was not planned, it just happened that I did some charity works, I renovated some schools, till today I still pay some teachers in my town, there are a number of us, about three that have been doing that. My security man called me in 2016 or so that there were some letters they brought to the house and I asked him to open them and snap and it happened that the principal of Dyna secondary school, formerly Umuchu Girls and they wrote to me that they don’t have a place for teachers and that the one they had was leaking and the school environment was not conducive for learning. She never knew me, maybe because my house is close to the road and my house is still new and that whoever must have that kind of house must be rich, I told her I am not o but an ordinary lawyer trying to bring something home, so she said I should help and I said okay and I looked it, got the cost of the roofing and renovation and I did that. I told her not to disclose who did it, that it should be between me and her but I think she told the local government people and they started looking for me. In the process, our traditional ruler got aware that the local government said that one of their sons has done this and ought to be celebrated and said I should come. And then there were some roads I did near my house and in the village and then there is something I do every year during cross over where I host a lot of dignitaries in my town just to say God thank you and before you know it, it turned into a carnival and they said you alone that is doing this you are qualified to have the title and I wasn’t doing those things to get a title, not at all and since then, it has been from one title to the other even outside my state. So I believe it is an avenue to even reach out to help people especially as a lawyer.
How do you relax?
I go home and lie down or I go to a nice cool relaxation center and cool off especially a place that is close to nature, watch football if there is a match.
What can’t you do even under duress?
I can never betray a friend; I can never betray anyone who puts his trust in me even if you point of a gun on my head I will never.
What draws you close to people?
Integrity. You must be an upright person, not fake or trying to impress me, no. I choose my friends, my friends do not choose me. I watch your lifestyle and it has to match. Such person must be of high integrity standard and somebody who must have fear of God, that’s another thing and that is what will make you not to betray or kill someone is the God factor. The Igbo have a saying, that agwa bu nma Nwanyi (character is the beauty of a woman) so I believe in that.
What puts you off in people?
Dishonesty
What advice do you have for Nigerian Youths?
Hard work pays, you need to work hard and believe in yourself but above all, you must have God.
If we were to raid your wardrobe, what global brands are we likely to cart away?
African prints, I so much believe in Africa attires. If I were to be in government I will make a policy where nobody dresses in what we don’t make because if you give the jobs to dress us to our youths it will empower them and create jobs. I have those foreign brands but I no longer wear them, I have African attires and title regalia like skirts and I feel African attires look better. Go to Aba and see what they are doing and we need to support them through patronage, some of them are in Lagos now doing well.
Between Law Practice and other businesses like real estate where you are a big player, which one pays better?
Without thinking, other businesses and real estate is good and rewarding and that is what is happening to some lawyers. One problem here is that here, people will come to your office and you bill him N5 million and he pays N 1.5 million and you won’t see him again till the matter dies and you have to beg the person to pay or if there is a soft landing, the person abandons it won’t come again. But if there are other businesses that you do it will help, that is why many lawyers leave practice although in our practice they frown at it that lawyers should not engage in another job and that is why you see many lawyers leaving practice.
What is your view about corruption in the judiciary?
Hmmmm By allowing the governor or president to appoint people to the bench it will take an angel in Nigeria I mean, to be the appointing authority and put the angel in a certain position and you want the angel to do your bidding, the angel will do it in Nigeria but outside Nigeria, it is not like that. A president in the United States will respect rule of law but look at Nigeria, even when everything is obvious that it is this, someone will use grammar and turn it upside down. It used to be the hope of the common man but the question is, is it still the hope of the common man? It is not and some of us are not really proud of what is going on. The judgment they churn out every day they are so many. I have a friend who said he won’t be able to say he is a lawyer anymore o especially what is happening in the election tribunals, we know what is going on there, Even when you take them before tribunals for corrupt practices, it is tiring. Anyway, it is not from my mouth that you will hear that Reverend Fathers wear trouser before they put on cassocks but I’m telling you if we want to get it correctly there are a lot of cleansing that we have to do in the judiciary. I as a lawyer do I believe in them? Honestly there is corruption in the judiciary also touching every aspects of our society and how do we change it? It is for us as individuals to first purge ourselves. Those who have found themselves in the bench or bar should be able to purge ourselves. A judge who writes a judgment knows what he is doing , they know and that is why we are where we are today although in every sector there is corruption but people believe that judiciary should be able to stand firm and do the right thing so once there is corruption in judiciary I would say there was a country.
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