Civil rights advocacy group, Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria, on Wednesday, asked the Inspector General of Police, Usman Baba, to investigate the alleged threat to the life of Jennifer, one of the wives of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.
National Coordinator of HURIWA, Emmanuel Onwubiko, made this known in a statement titled, ‘Atiku’s wife: HURIWA wants allegations of threats to life investigated’.
The PUNCH had reported that Jennifer claimed that her life was threatened after requesting to divorce her husband, noting that the threat made her leave Nigeria.
She had said, “Since this incident, I fear for my safety and that of my kids. His Excellency’s security operatives especially Ibro and others have been making threats and calling my relatives, friends, and staff and searching for my assets to seize and monitoring my phone calls and those of friends and relatives.https://imasdk.googleapis.com/js/core/bridge3.496.0_en.html#goog_1999249618
“For that reason, I have exited my law firm and sold all my assets, and moved abroad until peace reigns. I have done nothing wrong except to ask for a divorce…”
Atiku has yet to make any public statement on the issue as of the time of filing this report.
Reacting, however, HURIWA called on members of the organised women’s rights community to speak out in defence of the estranged wife of the former Vice President.
The statement read in part, “We are alarmed just like millions of other Nigerians to read the shocking allegations made by the former wife of Nigeria’s erstwhile Vice President and we are worried by the disturbing disclosure alleging that she is subjected to threats by agents allegedly working for Atiku Abubakar.”
“No harm should come to that distinguished daughter of South-East of Nigeria and her children. Whilst we hold no brief for either of the parties, we think that this matter that is now in the public domain must not be overlooked because of the political status of the person being accused rightly or wrongly. We are not in a position to confirm or deny the allegations, but we think allegations of threat to life are critical and section 33 (1) of the 1999 Nigeria Constitution obliges the federal government to protect the right to life.
“HURIWA has therefore asked that the security forces should be proactive and take actions guided by law to stave off any danger or harm from happening to her since she has made a public appeal to save her life and we are demanding an open and transparent probe,” the statement added.
Credit: PUNCH