MAGU: Lawyer Riases Alarm over Threat to His Life for Dragging Magu to Court, Petitions EU, US, UK, DSS, IGP, SENATE HOR

An Abuja based Constitutional Lawyer [Barr. JOHNMARY CHUKWUKASI JIDEOBI] who has dragged the Acting Chairman of the EFCC, Ibrahim Mustapha Magu, has raised alarm that his life has come under THREAT. This is revealed in a short telephone interview he had with odogwublog.com in Awka, Anambra State.

The Anambra-born Human Rights Lawyer is alleging serial threats to his life in recent times by unknown callers over the action he filed against the Acting Chairman of the EFCC seeking his removal by the Abuja Federal High Court. According him “Since the past one week, I have been receiving calls from unknown [hidden] telephone numbers who usually call with menacing voices and their message have remained one and the same which is to withdraw [hands off] the suit I filed against the Acting Chairman of the EFCC forthwith and unconditionally. I have been specifically warned that I will not live to tell the outcome of the suit I filed against the Commission’s Acting Chairman should I fail to heed the voice of reason.” “ The callers would usually inform me of my residential address, the addresses of my siblings and loved ones whom they threaten to deal with even if they are unable to hit me.”

Asked what steps he has taken to deal with the situation the Lawyer replied “ First of all, I have always known that task of tackling impunity is a dangerous one. I am equally convinced that the suit I have filed is to discharge one of the sacred duties a Lawyer owes his society. One of the cardinal duties of a Lawyer is to uphold the Rule of Law, defend the democracy of his State and oppose impunity. I have discussed the serial threats to my life with my Lawyers whom I have instructed to petition the State Security Service {DSS}, the Inspector-General of Police and other security Agencies and the Human Rights Communities including relevant Diplomatic Missions of the European Union, United Kingdom and that of the United States of America. Of course, my Lawyers will equally petition the Committees on Human Rights and Judiciary of both the Nigerian Senate and the Federal House of Representatives. I have equally instructed them to bring this ugly, sad, ungodly and condemnable development to the attention of the Court when the matter comes up for hearing tomorrow (tomorrow). Above all, my protection is ultimately in God’s hands alone” “They have equally threatened me with arrest and indefinite detention but I am unshaken. “

Recall that the Lawyer had gone before the Federal High Court Abuja asking the Court whether in the light of the refusal of the Senate to approve of the appointment of Magu as the substantive Chairman of the EFCC his tenure as the Acting Chairman has not ended. He sought for the immediate sacking of Magu by the Federal High Court. The matter is fixed for hearing on 30^th May, 2017 before the Honourable Justice Quadri of the Federal High Court.