Protect me from assassins, activist Aborisade appeals to police

Mr. Aborisade narrated two attacks he’s suffered.

A renowned activist and senior lecturer at the Ibadan Polytechnic, Femi Aborisade, on Monday petitioned the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar, over attempts on his life.

In the petition, copied to the National human Rights Commission, Mr. Aborisade narrated his two ordeals in the hands of the alleged assassins who threatened to kill him because of his stubbornness.

“They threatened to take me to the bush to kill me, adding ‘won lo lagidi’, meaning ‘they say you could be stubborn.

“In my over 55 years of existence as a human being, I have used the greatest part of my conscious life stubbornly advocating and fighting for good governance based on socialist principles, in spite of cumulative years of detention and prison experiences, without trial – all based on public interest advocacy.” Mr. Aborisade said

He lamented the inability of security agents around his environs to respond to distress calls at the time of these attacks,

“As soon as the attackers arrived on 29 December, I called the telephone number of the

Chief Security Officer of The Polytechnic, Ibadan. The number did not go through. I called the telephone number of the Control Room of the Security Department. As soon as I told them that armed men were around attacking my family, the connection appeared lost.

“This experience was similar during the first attack on 22 November when I called the telephone number of the Chief Security Officer (CSO); the line rang but there was no response,” the lecturer stated.

Mr. Aborisade, therefore, appealed to the police for protection.

“Based on the foregoing, I hereby reiterate my call for protection. My life is under threat. But whatever happens, I would continue to advocate for good governance based on socialist principles until I breathe my last.

“The persecutions, arrests and solitary detention and imprisonment, without trial under Decree No. 2 of 1984 under military dictatorship couldn’t stop me,” he said.

The police through its spokesperson, Frank Mba, however, said they are yet to receive the petition.