A Lagos-based legal practitioner, Okechukwu M. Ogbodo, has filed an affidavit before the High Court of Lagos State, Eti-Osa Judicial Division, raising the alarm over persistent threats to the life of her client, Mr Aliu Ago, allegedly by members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
In the sworn affidavit on November 4, 2024, titled “Affidavit of Facts in Support of Threat to Life”, Ogbodo, a barrister and solicitor of the Supreme Court of Nigeria with over 22 years of legal practice, narrated how Mr Ago approached her in June 2023, seeking legal representation over the threats he claimed were directly linked to his involvement in the political campaign of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu under the All Progressives Congress (APC).
According to the affidavit, Mr Ago and his late brother, Aliu Olubunmi Andrew, were both active members of IPOB. Ogbodo disclosed that the group forbids its members from supporting the Nigerian Government or participating in the political process of the country.
She stated that the two brothers violated IPOB’s directive by actively campaigning for the APC and President Tinubu in Anambra State during the 2023 general elections. This act, she claimed, led to dire consequences.
“Upon the discovery of their involvement in the politics of Nigeria, particularly in the election of the President under the All Progressive Congress, they were severely tortured and threatened to be killed,” she said.
The affidavit further revealed that Mr Ago’s brother, Aliu Olubunmi Andrew, was allegedly set ablaze by suspected IPOB operatives. Though he was reportedly rescued by officers of the Nigeria Police and rushed to a general hospital, he later died as a result of the burns and injuries sustained.
The violent attack, according to the affidavit, compelled Mr Ago to flee Anambra for Lagos, fearing for his life. However, Ogbodo noted that despite relocating, the threats have persisted, with alleged IPOB informants tracking his movements in Lagos.
She explained that a petition had been submitted to the Force Criminal Investigation Department of the Nigeria Police Force on behalf of Mr Ago, but lamented that the police had not provided assurance of his safety.
“The onslaught of the Indigenous People of Biafra Republic is a national problem. Mr Aliu Ago cannot afford VIP protection of the Nigeria Police Force, and by so doing, his safety cannot be guaranteed,” the affidavit stated.
Ogbodo further added that the Nigerian Police “cannot guarantee Mr Aliu Ago’s safety and that of his family if he ever returns to Nigeria.”
The affidavit was deposed to at the High Court Registry, Eti-Osa, Lagos, and was sworn before the Commissioner for Oaths, Ojogbani Lafayat.
The lawyer affirmed that the legal document was made for official and record purposes, in accordance with the Oaths Act, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria.
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