Political Rights activist, Austin Okai has petitioned the State Security Service (SSS) alledging that Kogi State Deputy Governor, Mr. Edward Onoja was planning to frame him up for arrest by Security agents.
Okai explained that the Deputy Governor who was then Kogi Governor’s Chief of Staff had serially and severally frame him and others up which led to invasion of his privacy and arrest using the machinery of government.
The petition which was addressed to the Director General of DSS dated 8th December, 2020 and made available to CAPITAL POST urged the Department to urgently and discreetly investigate Mr. Edward Onoja.
The petitioner further averred that, the Deputy Governor had cloned a Twitter account and Facebook in his name to alledge that he (Austin Okai) impersonated as the Deputy Governor, wondering how dirty, Mr. Onoja could go.
Okai stressed that his insistence on good governance in the obvious maladministration of Kogi State by Yahaya Bello and Edward Onoja was the only reason for blackmail and intimidation, adding that he could not afford to watch governance abuse as a citizen.
Part of the petition reads:
“I write to draw your attention to the above subject matter for possible investigation and speedy intervention.
“The attack against me by Mr Edward Onoja began in 2016 when I criticised the way and manner in which the government of Kogi State was handling the affairs of civil servants in the state. Encouraged by the Federal Government’s desire to fight corruption and relying on the Freedom of Information Act, I requested that Kogi State Government be more transparent in affairs of governance.
“But my effort was met with intimidation, blackmail and frameup by Mr Edward Onoja who was then the Chief of staff to the Governor of Kogi State.
“In a desperate effort to keep me quiet, he accused me of trying to bomb the state Revenue House, using of pseudo account to abuse the Govenor, spreading the rumour that the Govenor was sick, breeding of political thugs in Okene, amongst others. Consequently, Mr Onoja used the defunct Anti Special Robbery Squad (SARS) to arrest, torture and imprison me for over a month.
“Recall that it was on account of similar blackmail and frameup by the same Mr Onoja that I was arrested and detained by the Department of state Security services in November 2019 at the Lokoja office.
“This political intimidation and bullying by the deputy governor has taken a more dangerous direction now. Last week, without the least of evidence, Mr Onoja openly accused me of impersonating him on the social media.
“He claimed that I was using a twitter account that bore his name. He went further by publishing my personal Mobile number and that of one Mr Monday Yusuf on his official Facebook page. In what follows, I have been receiving threat to life calls from Mr Onoja’s loyalists. In one of those calls, the caller promised to make good their threats whenever I dare to visit Kogi State.
Observation
“I am aware the Agency is well armed to trace and unearth those behind these wanton allegations laid on me and so pray that due diligence is employed in investigating and unearthing the people behind it.
“The Deputy Governor of Kogi State, Mr Edward Onoja has a history of blackmailing and framing up innocent citizens he perceives as political opponents.
“He has framed up so many people in Kogi state including retired Deputy Commissioner of police, DCP Ejeh Abutu who was whisked away and stripped naked by illegal police men that were operating under his instructions.
He also framed up Senator Dino Melaye , Mohamed Audu and amongst others.
“Using his office and influence, Mr Onoja has formed the habit of sending Security services to my residence to bully, harass my family and arrest me always. On this account, I feel grossly violated as a law abiding citizen.”
Prayers
“The agency should intervene in this matter speedily and conduct a thorough investigation to unearth the personality behind the said twitter account that Mr Onoja is using to blackmail me.
“I seek the assistance of the agency to protect me against the incessant frameup, blackmail, political intimidation, bullying and threat to life by Mr Edward Onoja and his loyalists.
“I pray the agency to protect me against the frequent invasion of my home and privacy by security operatives acting on the instructions of Mr Edward Onoja.
“As a citizen of Nigeria, my rights of freedom of expression and political associations is constantly violated by Mr Onoja and loyalists. I therefore seek your protection.”
