The Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC) has urged the Inspector General of Police, IGP Usman Alkali Baba, to ensure urgent actions are taken to guarantee the safety and liberty of Chief Cosmas Okoli and to protect him from any threat or harm by one Oluomo Alade Anifowoshe on account of his political views, reports ITREALMS.
A press statement endorsed by RULAAC's Executive Director, Mr. Okechukwu Nwanguma and available to ITREALMS in Lagos, the group said that it received information from one Chief Cosmas Okoli who had expressed fears of being attacked following alleged threats to his life by Mr. Oluomo Alade Anifowoshe.
RULAAC noted that Chief Okoli, is a Nigerian of Igbo extraction who resides and does business in Amuwo-Odofin, Lagos State for over 30 years, thereby contributing to the development and prosperity of the state.
RULAAC went on to inform that Chief Okoli alleged that Mr. Oluomo Alade Anifowoshe had threatened his life simply because he expressed his political view, which is in contrast with Mr. Oluomo.
“That he expressed his opinion on WhatsApp as follows: ‘Fellow compatriots, history beckons on all of us. Let us eschew personal interest and join hands together to install a man who we (the people) can jointly hold accountable to our commonwealth. Peter Obi is the hope we have in times like this’ the people yearn for him. Let us bring him in.’
“That in response to his nonviolent and harmless message, Mr. Oluomo Alade Anifowoshe wrote and sent him the following threatening message: ‘Why don’t you hold him accountable for what he did when he was Anambra State Governor? When he invested State money in his family business. Please if you continue like this we will ensure we send you out of Lagos state comes June.’
“That he received credible information from reliable sources that there is an underground plot to kill or grievously harm him and anyone else like him who reside in Lagos, but fails to support Mr. Anifowoshe’s political party and Presidential candidate.
“That he believes that this is a very unfortunate and worrying development. Section 42 of the Constitution provides that no one should be discriminated against, not to talk of killed or even harm, on account of his political opinion. And section 39 gives every citizen the freedom to express his or her opinion, including political opinion.
“That what makes him even more vulnerable is the fact that he is a person living with disability as he is on a wheel chair and his addresses are well known to Mr. Anifowoshe and his cohorts who have in the past approached him to abandon his political party and join and support their own political party and candidate but he told them his conscience does not support that.
“That his area of residence is prone to political violence and attacks by agents and thugs of Mr. Anifowoshe’s political party who often harass residents for not supporting their political party and are known to have also violently disrupted elections in the area because election results were not likely to go in favour of their political party.
“That he is seriously concerned because this is a season of political killings with reports of politically motivated attacks and killings across the county dominating daily news reports”, the statement said.
It therefore, called the attention of the IGP to the complaints by Chief Cosmas Okoli and requested him to use his good offices to take proactive action to restrain Mr. Anifowoshe and his cohorts and nip in the bud any plot to kill or maim Chief Cosmos and any other person who may knowingly or unknowingly be in similar danger as the 2023 general elections approach.
“RULAAC calls on the IGP to guarantee the safety and liberty of Chief Cosmos and to investigate the threat to his life by Mr. Anifowoshe with a view to bringing him to book if found culpable”, RULAAC submitted.
RULAAC noted that Chief Okoli, is a Nigerian of Igbo extraction who resides and does business in Amuwo-Odofin, Lagos State for over 30 years, thereby contributing to the development and prosperity of the state.
RULAAC went on to inform that Chief Okoli alleged that Mr. Oluomo Alade Anifowoshe had threatened his life simply because he expressed his political view, which is in contrast with Mr. Oluomo.
“That he expressed his opinion on WhatsApp as follows: ‘Fellow compatriots, history beckons on all of us. Let us eschew personal interest and join hands together to install a man who we (the people) can jointly hold accountable to our commonwealth. Peter Obi is the hope we have in times like this’ the people yearn for him. Let us bring him in.’
“That in response to his nonviolent and harmless message, Mr. Oluomo Alade Anifowoshe wrote and sent him the following threatening message: ‘Why don’t you hold him accountable for what he did when he was Anambra State Governor? When he invested State money in his family business. Please if you continue like this we will ensure we send you out of Lagos state comes June.’
“That he received credible information from reliable sources that there is an underground plot to kill or grievously harm him and anyone else like him who reside in Lagos, but fails to support Mr. Anifowoshe’s political party and Presidential candidate.
“That he believes that this is a very unfortunate and worrying development. Section 42 of the Constitution provides that no one should be discriminated against, not to talk of killed or even harm, on account of his political opinion. And section 39 gives every citizen the freedom to express his or her opinion, including political opinion.
“That what makes him even more vulnerable is the fact that he is a person living with disability as he is on a wheel chair and his addresses are well known to Mr. Anifowoshe and his cohorts who have in the past approached him to abandon his political party and join and support their own political party and candidate but he told them his conscience does not support that.
“That his area of residence is prone to political violence and attacks by agents and thugs of Mr. Anifowoshe’s political party who often harass residents for not supporting their political party and are known to have also violently disrupted elections in the area because election results were not likely to go in favour of their political party.
“That he is seriously concerned because this is a season of political killings with reports of politically motivated attacks and killings across the county dominating daily news reports”, the statement said.
It therefore, called the attention of the IGP to the complaints by Chief Cosmas Okoli and requested him to use his good offices to take proactive action to restrain Mr. Anifowoshe and his cohorts and nip in the bud any plot to kill or maim Chief Cosmos and any other person who may knowingly or unknowingly be in similar danger as the 2023 general elections approach.
“RULAAC calls on the IGP to guarantee the safety and liberty of Chief Cosmos and to investigate the threat to his life by Mr. Anifowoshe with a view to bringing him to book if found culpable”, RULAAC submitted.
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