Lagos-based Journalist Petitions IGP Over Threat To Life

<strong><em>Olatunbosun Awoniyi</em></strong>

AKINSINDE ADEOLA OYINDAMOLA

A Lagos, Nigeria – based journalist, Olatunbosun Awoniyi has written a Save Our Soul (SOS) to the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris Kpotun over what he described as threat to his life from some unknown people in the society.

Awoniyi, who works with Xinhua News Agency (Nigeria office) said through a petition written to the IGP by his lawyer, Deji Roland Omokhaiye of Deji Rowland Chambers, Ikeja, Lagos, that it has become imperative for him to cry out so that he would not meet his untimely death in the hands of people who are hell bent of getting rid of him in the course of doing his lawful job as a journalist.

The lawyer described Awoniyi as “a good citizen of this country and a practising journalist who has been doing his legal work to advance the course of humanity and Nigerian society.

“Our client’s career in journalism has been stainless, excellent and development oriented. He has never had any criminal record anywhere in Nigeria.”

But the peaceful live Awoniyi has been living with his family turned sour when “his work as a journalist is now given some people in the society sleepless nights to the extent that they are finding all ways to make sure that our client is silenced.”

“We recalled that on 16 September 2016, his cousin, Isiaka Oriyomi, who is living with him was kidnapped by some armed men who held him until he was released on 19 September 2016. Isiaka Oriyomi informed his uncle, Olatunbosun Awoniyi, who is our client that the kidnappers, said it was his uncle the armed men were looking for, and they vowed that they would not relent until he was apprehended by them.

“They told Isiaka Oriyomi that our client has been writing critically of the activities of the government which some people within the government have not been happy with,” the petition reads.

The lawyer disclosed in the petition the needful was immediately done by reporting the kidnap incident to the police at both Idimu and Meiran Divisional Police Stations in Lagos State.

The lawyer wants the IGP to be aware that the kidnap of Awoniyi’s cousin might be a prelude incident of a greater action that the unknown people maybe planning against their client.

“It is on this note we write this petition that the IGP should be aware that the life of Mr Olatunbosun Awoniyi is under threat for doing his lawful job as a journalist.

“It is on record that individuals, especially journalists like our client, often face persecution from many faceless groups and their families are targeted and harassed as a way of intimidating them.

“Many journalists in Nigeria have been kidnapped, while some lost their lives in the course of discharging their lawful duties.

“Our client has been destabilized mentally with unimaginable fear and apprehension due to this threat and persecution.

“We implore the Inspector General of the Police to use his good office to urgently investigate this matter and provide protection for him because we cannot avoid any harm to come the way of our client, Mr Olatunbosun Awoniyi.”

The petition was copied to the Director of the Department of State Security (DSS), Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Lagos and others.