Former governor of Ogun State, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, has petitioned the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, over alleged threat to his life.
In the petition dated Thursday, August 24, 2017, Daniel accused a Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, chieftain from Ogun State, Senator Buruji Kashamu, of being behind the attempt.
Specifically, Daniel stated the essence of his petition as follows:
“To alert the Police authorities about the evil intention of Senator Buruji Kashamu towards my person and request for additional Security protection.
“To inform the Nigeria Police and security agencies on the need and to appreciate that Buruji Kashamu should be put under security watch list and strict surveillance.
“To inform the state, my family and friends that I have not done any deal with any person that remains unfulfilled in my life, and also that I have not been able to condescend to some of the dastardly acts and ways of Buruji Kashamu as a matter of principle and in case anything untowards happen to me, the prime suspect is Buruji Kashamu.”
The former Ogun State governor gave reasons for suspecting Kashamu of being the brain behind the threat to his life.
According to him, there had been no love lost between him and Senator Kashamu since about 8 years ago when they disagreed politically.
Pointing out that Kashamu had since been maligning his character, he said on one occasion, he confessed publicly and wrote in national newspapers that he spent over N3 billion to destabilise and destroy his administration.
He said on another occasion, the senator gathered some fake documents and sought for people who could lie on oath that he, Daniel, killed students and sucked their blood.
He said on several other occasions, Kashamu had boasted in the company of his friends that he would not rest “until he sees my end.”
“This renewed offensive was as a result of the recent Supreme court ruling placing his own faction at a disadvantage and ending the reign of his control over the State Executive committee of the Peoples Democratic Party in Ogun State, which were all secured through various controversial court orders without any democratic process whatsoever.
“It is Kashamu’s belief that I was the brain behind his loss of power and relevance in Ogun State PDP (the main source of milking innocent political aspirants), and he felt I must be brought down by all means.
“This much he stated in an online publication on 24/08/17 (copy attached).”
The former governor gave a vivid description of the attempt on his life at his Abuja residence in the night of Thursday, August 24, which inspired the petition.
It reads: “5 hefty men, 2 of them in Military fatigue, 3 others in black clothes approached the gate honking that the gate be opened. The gateman peeped through the pedestrian gate asking for their identity and mission, they refused to wind down. Gateman then opened the Pedestrian gate to further inquire innocently. They asked for his boss “OGD” (that was the acronym from my full name, Otunba Gbenga Daniel) and he told them I was not at home.
“The 5 men instantly alighted from the car and pushed the gateman forcefully into the compound and started beating him saying he was lying and that they had information that I was at home. They thereafter asked him how many policemen were in the house and he told them five (5) men. They further asked him to show them where the policemen were. He led them into the Boys Quarters and they found one of the policemen lying down and they asked for his service gun. He told them it is (sic) not with him, they then pushed him into the toilet and locked him there.
“They returned to the gatekeeper and told him to start showing them round the house where the other policemen were, while insisting that they have accurate information that “OGD” is in Abuja, and at home. They spotted one of the workers at home and they nearly killed him believing he could be one of the policemen.
“Meanwhile the police that was locked in the toilet luckily had his gun kept in that toilet. He took his gun, went through the ceiling and landed in another main toilet that was not locked and started firing his gun. That was when they took to their heels and escaped. They were said to be carrying pistols or shotguns while one of them who carried a bigger gun stood watch at the gate as the operation lasted. Nothing was removed from the house.
They reportedly came in a black Camry and the 6th person was said to be the Driver who stayed put in the car on standby.”
In the petition, Daniel said his saving grace was that he had left the house in the afternoon of the day with PDP chairman, Ahmed Makarfi, and others on a reconciliation meeting to Ibadan
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