Journalist Alleges Threat To Life Over Story On Samiat Bada, Ikosi-Isheri Council Boss

A reporter with an online news platform, Justnews.ng, Mr. Wole Adepoju, has raised an alarm about threats to his life over a story that was recently published on the platform about the Executive Chairman of Ikosi/Isheri Local Council Development Authority (LCDA), Ms. Samiat Abolanle Bada.

The news platform had reported a petition filed against Ms. Samiat Bada, accusing her of insensitivity for picking an Aso-Ebi worth N650,000 to celebrate her 50th birthday anniversary at a difficult time such as this.

The Council boss was also alleged to have made it compulsory for councilors of the council, supervisors and workers to buy the Aso-Ebi among other allegations leveled against her by a group called Concerned Ikosi-Isheri LCDA Residents, signed by Comrade Ajibola Subair.

Adepoju, however, claimed that in the morning of Sunday, 6th August, 2023, he received a call from an unknown caller, who threatened him for daring to publish the story.

His words; “I was at home on Sunday morning when I got a call. The caller asked if I was Wole Adepoju, which I confirmed and asked what I could do for him. But rather than explain himself in the tone with which he started the conversation, he became unruly and went thus: ‘You are the one that wrote that Ikosi Isheri is forcing people to buy Aso-Ebi’.

“I tried to explain to him that he should read the story, so he would discover it was a petition. He then interjected, ‘And you are the one that can write?’

“He continued, ‘Don’t worry, you will face it squarely. Sebi, you know how to write; you will face it’. At this point, I tried to ask about his identity since he didn’t introduce himself, so I asked, ‘Please, what is your name?’ He retorted ‘Get the fuck’, and he ended the call.”

However, the journalist when he did a check run on the phone number revealed ‘Rof Yemisi Ilese’ as the registration detail of the phone number.