2023 Election: Rights Group Raises Alarm over Jihardists’ Plot To Eliminate Peter Obi

The International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law (Intersociety), has raised alarm over plots by terrorists to eliminate the presidential candidate of the Labor Party (LP) in the forthcoming 2023 Presidential Election, Mr. Peter Gregory Obi.

The Onitsha based human rights watchdog, in a statement jointly signed by Mr Emeka Umeagbalasi (Board chairman), Chinwe Umeche and Obianuju Joy Igboeli, notified the United Nations Secretary-General and other top global leaders that Obi’s life was in danger ahead of the epic presidential election next year.

According to Intersociety, “politico-religious extremists in the Nigerian political establishment have assigned the country’s Fulani Jihadists to assassinate him (Obi) in coming weeks or months, or before the 2023 Presidential Election scheduled to take place at a date in February 2023.

The former Anambra Governor, the group insists, should be provided with adequate security cover at all times until the election is over.

“Nigeria will go up in flames if anything untoward should happen to him (Obi) and the present central Government in the country shall bear the social, moral and legal consequences and be held internationally liable”, it warned.

The group claimed that revelation from a recent kidnap victim indicates that Fulani Jihadists operating from forests in some parts of southeast have marked Peter Obi for assassination. The group said in a statement identified the Fulani Herdsmen operating from Isuochi in Umunneochi Local Government Area of Abia State as the hit squad.

“As recently disclosed by the Prelate of the Methodist Church of Nigeria and corroborated last week by another kidnapped victim in the area, Dr Franklin Ezeonwuka of the Spiritan University, Nneochi, some of the Fulani Jihadists who speak Igbo fluently are those born in the area in the past two decades including those born inside the Okigwe Cattle Settlement. Therefore, in the past 175 days of 2022 or since January 2022, the Fulani Jihadists who are now in control of Okigwe-Izogu-Umunze-Umuchukwu-OwerreEzukala-Umunneochi-Leru-Lokpanta axis have abducted hundreds and killed not less than 50 defenseless Igbo citizens.

“The dead include those that died as a result of injuries inflicted on them by their captors or those killed for not being able to pay ransoms demanded or those killed out of anger; or those female captives killed for refusing to be raped or sexually degraded.

READ THE FULL STATEMENT ISSUED BY INTERSOCIETY BELOW:

…Intersociety Raises Strong Alarm

Onitsha, Eastern Nigeria, Friday, 24th June 2022

Politico-Religious Extremists Have Signaled Jihadists To Assassinate Obi

The Int’l Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law (Intersociety) is strongly and unmistakably raising alarm and alerting the world especially the Office of the United Nations Secretary-General and Presidents of the UN General Assembly and the UN Security Council; the Papacy and the Governments of United Kingdom, United States, France, Germany, Canada, Italy, Japan, South Korea, India, Brazil, the European Union and its key Member-States as well as key local and international human rights and pro democracy organizations, respected international personalities and all Nigerians of good conscience that the life, safety and liberty of former Anambra Governor and Presidential Candidate of the Labor Party (LP) in the forthcoming 2023 Presidential Election, Mr. Peter Gregory Onwubuasi Obi, are in grave danger. These are on account of the fact that politico-religious extremists in the Nigerian Political Establishment have assigned the country’s Fulani Jihadists to assassinate him in coming weeks or months, or before the 2023 Presidential Election scheduled to take place at a date in February 2023.

Peter Obi Must Be Protected At All Times

The highly respected local and international authorities above mentioned are hereby prayerfully called upon to be on the proactive watch and compel the Nigerian authorities to ensure that he is protected second by second, minute by minute, hour by hour, day by day, month by month and quarter by quarter until the 2023 Presidential Election is conducted. Nigeria will go up in flames if anything untoward should happen to him and the present central Government in the country shall bear the social, moral and legal consequences and be held internationally liable.

Peter Obi Is The Next To Be Assassinated, Says A Kidnapped Victim Of Fulani Jihadists At Isuochi

Isuochi in Umunneochi Local Government Area of Abia State is the Southeast triangle, mapped and presently occupied by Fulani Jihadists comprising imported Fulani Jihadists and local Jihadist Fulani Herdsmen. As recently disclosed by the Prelate of the Methodist Church of Nigeria and corroborated last week by another kidnapped victim in the area, Dr Franklin Ezeonwuka of the Spiritan University, Nneochi, some of the Fulani Jihadists who speak Igbo fluently are those born in the area in the past two decades including those born inside the Okigwe Cattle Settlement. Therefore, in the past 175 days of 2022 or since January 2022, the Fulani Jihadists who are now in control of Okigwe-Izogu-Umunze-Umuchukwu-OwerreEzukala-Umunneochi-Leru-Lokpanta axis have abducted hundreds and killed not less than 50 defenseless Igbo citizens. The dead include those that died as a result of injuries inflicted on them by their captors or those killed for not being able to pay ransoms demanded or those killed out of anger; or those female captives killed for refusing to be raped or sexually degraded.

On Wednesday, 15th June 2022, Dr. Frankln Ezeonwuka of the Spiritan University, Nneochi in Umunneochi Local Government Area of Abia State was pursued in his jeep and abducted by some AK47 rifle armed Fulani Jihadists. This was after his car had been riddled with bullets and forced to stop. He was driving along with a female staff of the University from the School back to Awka in Anambra State around 1pm. Dr. Ezeonwuka and his fellow female staff were taken inside the bush where they spent some days under terrible inhuman conditions. They were taken round the circle inside the bush and mercilessly tortured. A huge ransom of N20m was later mobilized by his Amesi kinsmen and paid before he was freed along with the female staff. It was while in the captivity of the Fulani Jihadists that the physician-turned university lecturer was told so many unprintable evil plans the Jihadists have against the Igbo Nation. These include lethal plans to stop the candidacy of Mr. Peter Obi who they said has been marked for assassination. The Fulani Jihadists also tagged the respected former Governor and Labor Party Presidential flag bearer as “second enemy after Nnamdi Kanu”, “for having the audacity to vie to become the Christian/Igbo President to impede their quest to conquer and Islamize Igbo Land (or Southeast and South-south)”. The University teacher had also in his released audio account (attached with this statement) disclosed among other things that his abductors were the same Jihadists that abducted the Prelate of the Methodist Church and others and that he was shown some of his properties still with them.

He also observed that the Jihadist kidnappers use different sign languages to communicate with the indigenous locals and drafted soldiers and police personnel in the area. Dr Ezeonwuka had further observed that the operational modes and areas being used by the Jihadists have been fully synchronized; with locals including Okada riders, kiosk operators, local church members and natives in areas under their captivity falling into their hands and working in collusion with them. The Fulani Jihadist kidnappers, according to the University doctor, also have many Igbo young ladies as their sex slaves or girlfriends, saying he overheard them making several calls in that regard or direction.

Why The Extremists Want Obi Dead

It must be remembered that apart from the country being deeply divided along ethnic and religious lines with attendant hatred and promotion of structural, physical and cultural violence, the outgoing central Government had since 2015 deepened the divisions, hatred and intolerance especially along Christian-Muslim divides. Totality of the above has seriously threatened the country’s secular status and supposedly peaceful coexistence as a country of multiplicity of religion and ethnicity. They have also reared their ugly heads in the ongoing electioneering towards the all-important 2023 Presidential Election. By the country’s political arrangements including its rotational presidency since moves towards its independence in 1957, the Southeast geopolitical zone, dominated by citizens of Igbo Trado-Judeo-Christian Faith, is the next in line to produce the country’s next President in 2023; to be followed by the Northeast, dominated by Muslims after the Southeast had taken its turn. Contrarily, it is not only that the politico-religious extremists within the country’s political establishment have refused to allow same, but they have also become desperately intolerant to the extent of insisting on returning the country to the Muslim Presidency of northern extraction or alternatively, the southern Muslim Presidential/northern Muslim Vice Presidential ticket. This is after the same Northern Muslims have held the position for eight outgoing years or 2015-2023. It was the insistence of Mr. Peter Obi to be president of Nigeria focusing on rescuing the country, its citizens and economy devoid of corruption and ethnicity and religion that has refused to go down well with the country’s political extremists and their imported Jihadists; to the extent of signaling the latter to mark Mr. Peter Obi for assassination.

Methods By Which Obi Can Be Assassinated

Going by the past records of unmasked or uninvestigated high profile political assassinations using “perfect killing” methods, Obi can be assassinated using plotted plane crash or use of lethal substances including food poisoning or killer sprays or perfumes or plotted car accident or another caused by planted macro or micro explosives including planted improvised explosive devices; or road way or event or residence assassination and other “perfect killing” or raw killing methods. This is more so when this is not the first time the country’s politico-religious extremists are signaling jihadist others to assassinate high profile political or security chiefs in Nigeria.

Statistically, Late Patrick Musa Yakowa was the first Christian Governor of Kaduna State who had earlier deputized former Gov Namadi Sambo, a Muslim. Late Yakowa became the substantive State Gov on account of his election in 2011, seriously frowned at by Islamic extremists in the State political establishment and beyond. He was assassinated by the Establishment Muslim extremists via a plotted helicopter crash on 15th Dec 2012 in the Forest of Okoroba, Nembe in Bayelsa State and was succeeded by another Muslim, Mukhtar Yaro. He was killed along with the then National Security Adviser, Lt Gen Owoye Andrew Azazi. Late Police DIG Haruna John was an astute officer who flew into Jos, Plateau State and promised to deal decisively with Fulani and Boko Haram Jihadists that had laid siege on Jos and its environs following the deadly attacks on St. Finbar’s Catholic Church in early March 2012 leading to dozens of death. He was killed in another suspicious helicopter crash on 14th March 2012 on his way back to Abuja when the newly acquired police surveillance helicopter crashed into three buildings and turned them into rubbles.

Signed

For: International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law

Principal Officers:

Emeka Umeagbalasi (Criminologist), Board Chairman

Chinwe Umeche Esquire, Democracy Head

Obianuju Joy Igboeli Esquire, Rights and Rule of Head

Chidimma Udegbunam Esquire, Publicity Head