Posted by By Abimbola Akosile on
Lagos lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana, yesterday raised alarm over a death threat allegedly issued on him by Governor Ayo Fayose of Ekiti State, at a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) gathering in Ido Ekiti.
Lagos lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana, yesterday raised alarm over a death threat allegedly issued on him by Governor Ayo Fayose of Ekiti State, at a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) gathering in Ido Ekiti. He further accused police authorities in Ekiti State of complicity and collaboration with the State governor to unleash mayhem on the indigenes.
Speaking at a media briefing in Lagos, Falana, former gubernatorial candidate of National Conscience Party (NCP) in Ekiti State, said that he had, like Chief Afe Babalola, SAN, also written a letter to President Olusegun Obasanjo on the death threat.
Falana premised his alarm on an incriminating video clip showing Fayose where the governor was seen and heard issuing threats on him (Falana). According to the human rights lawyer and activist, the video was sent to him by one of Fayose's security personnel, who did so allegedly out of concern for the lives of the people of Ekiti State.
"Following Fayose's denial of plans to assassinate Afe Babalola, a concerned person, working for the Ekiti State Government, brought the tape to me out of concern for our lives. He provided the tape to me because, according to him, 'he was particularly angry by Fayose's denial on Afe Babalola issue, and he therefore wanted him (Fayose) confronted on such open threats against Falana, Engineer Segun Oni and Adebamigbe Akilaya (both Ekiti PDP chieftains)".
"I was also informed by the security man that before this open threat, the governor had given strict instructions for my physical elimination for defending victims of his reckless intimidation of Ekiti indigenes by rendering legal services to the people, which cut across all political hues, including members of his own family".
Falana, who revealed some alleged moves by Fayose to implicate him in a poster-defacing matter while using two Ekiti youths who were tortured to confess Falana's complicity, said, "on May 26, before I got the tape, someone had phoned me after listening to Fayose's threat, and urged me to take action. I did a letter to the Inspector- General of Police and held a meeting with him in Abuja on May 27, urging him to stop the governor from causing mayhem on 28".
Claiming that his plea was ignored by the police, which eventually resulted in the death of an overseas returnee, Mr. Tunde Omojola on Saturday, May 28 during the councillorship bye-elections at Ifaki Ward 2, Ifaki-Ekiti, Falana decried, "no one was arrested by police for the brutal murder of Omojola, who was beaten to a coma and strangulated by Fayose's henchmen and police detail".
"Unfortunately, there is a confirmed complicity and collaboration between Governor Fayose and the police authorities in Ekiti State. I have, over the past year, shouted myself hoarse, calling for disband-ment of Fayose's hit squad, whose members are well known to the security forces. My cry has fallen on deaf ears. If the political will can be mustered, the authorities can hardly get to the root of the assassination threats. If the police had listened to my warning, Omojola would not have died", he lamented.