By Deborah Hassan
365Daily – A former House of Representatives member, Hon. Linus Okorie, has asked the Inspector General of Police, Baba Alkali, to order an investigation into an alleged threat to his life.
In a petition sighted by 365Daily, Okorie also added that the probe should also cover criminal conspiracy, cyber stalking, conspiracy to provide false information to the Nigeria Police Force to undermine national security and conductlikely to cause a breach of peace and xenophobic attacks by Ogbuatu Chidi Simbad, Barr. Chika Onyema, Damian Okafor, Ugochukwu Oji,Eze Collins and others.
Dated 17th May, 2021, the document was signed a legal counsel of Hon. Okorie, Wisdom Elum, Esq.
Elum said Hon. Okorie was being framed for the kidnap of one Barr. Amos Ogbonna, even after distancing himself from the crime in a Facebook post on May 13, 2021.
He continued: “Mr. Ogbuatu Chidi Simbad, Barr. Orji Uchenna Orji, Barr. Chike Onyema, Damian Okafor, Engr. Ugochukwu Oji, Eze C. Collins began posting on the various social media and social messenger, concocted lies and without evidence, that our client and other persons were behind the disappearance and kidnap of Barr. Amos.
“Our client, upon seeing the said publications at various social media platforms, quickly wrote a rejoinder and the suspected persons individually came and threatened to deal ruthlessly with our client for colluding with other state stakeholders to discredit the effort of Governor David Umahi, the Executive Governor of Ebonyi State.
“Although our client denied their baseless allegations, the suspected persons have continued to send various strange faces and hoodlums to threaten our client’s life. Since our client ignored them they have resorted to cheap blackmail and threatening to take our Client’s life.”
The petition further stated: “Mr. Ogbuatu Chidi Simbad, Barr. Orji Uchenna Orji, Barr. Chike Onyema, Damian Okafor, Engr. Ugochukwu Oji, Eze C. Collins and others have threatened to use the newly constituted security outfit (Ebube Agu Security), to kidnap, kill our client and members of his family and have boasted of being in possession of enough arms and ammunition provided by the government of the state and are at liberty to use same for execution of their plans that kill our client.
“We are being compelled to bring to your attention the fact that our client’s life has been subjected to serious threats from Mr. Ogbuatu Chidi Simbad, Barr. Orji Uchenna Orji, Barr. Chike Onyema, Damian Okafor, Engr. Ugochukwu Oji, Eze C. Collins and others.
“The suspected persons have on several occasions individually and collectively threatened to cause physical injuries to our client and members of his family and the threat of the suspected persons have caused our client psychological trauma.
“Our client is being compelled forcefully by the suspected persons never to enter into Ebonyi State despite knowing that Our Client is elder statesman who equally has his businesses running in the State.
“It is heart breaking and pathetic that the suspected persons have been publicly boasting with every impunity and alacrity that they will use their political influence to cause Ebonyi State government to forcefully shut down and/or demolish any known businesses belonging to our client that is situate in Ebonyi State particularly CITIHUB and assured our client that he should not take same as threat but a promise.”
Hos counsel added that since the suspected persons issued their threat of violence against Okorie, he has been seeing strange faces around his business area, office and residence including following him up in his car and has suspected the hoodlums to be the one sent by the suspected persons to attack him.
The petition also added that “the suspected persons have equally conspired amongst themselves and others to write frivolous petitions against Our client and same shall be distributed with various law enforcement agencies include but not limited to Nigeria Police Force, DSS, National Security Adviser, Military etc to get our client arrest and kept incommunicado with their state power.”
It appealed that the suspected persons and their cohorts should be investigated and brought to book for threat to life amongst others, having subjected Hon. Okorie to blackmail, and equally putting him to a fearful state of being physically harmed.