The newly elected National Secretary of the just concluded election of the new leadership of Nigerian Guild of Investigative Journalists, NGIJ, Abdulrahman Aliagan has called on the Inspector General of Police, IGP, Mr. Mohammed Adamu and the Director General of the Directorate of State Security, Alhaji Yusuf Magaji Bichi to save his life from one Mr. Olawale Abydeen, Publisher, Security Monitor an online platform and the immediate past Acting President of the Guild.
Mr, Abydeen was the former, Acting President of the steering committee of the Guild until his led acting executive was dissolved at the Guild’s Congress conducted via online in June, 2020 owing to the prevalence of COVID-19 and in compliance with lay down protocol by NCDC and PTF on COVID-19.
According to the statement, “It becomes necessary for the association to dissociate itself from nefarious activities of the Mr. Wale who was using the Guild as his personal property as well as a tool to witch-hunting corporate organizations, particularly, banks for his personal gains.
“Wale, a Lagos based journalist, has since being in Abuja acting under the guise of his wife, who is a Police officer in Lagos, making contacts with some Police Officers-SARS, closed to Sharon Ultimate Hotel in Garki Area of Abuja.”
Abdulrahman said he got the hint of Mr. Wale’s arrival in Abuja from Lagos through a friend Lawyer that incorporated the Guild, according to the Lawyer, “Wale called me to inform me that he is in Abuja, that he wanted to settle an issue with Abdulrahman and he wanted me to come with him.
“He told me that, he was in a Garden and since I was closed to the garden, I rushed to see him there. Unknown to me, that he was in a company of some Policemen about four of them.
“They started interrogating me, “why did you give the Guild’s Certificate to the Secretary of the Guild and not the President who sent you the money? “I told them, that it was Abdulrahman that I know, his name is there as one of the Trustees and all the documents that were used to incorporate the Guild, including your own (Wale) and the remaining members of Trustees, I got them from Abdulrahman. And for close to two years, you did not call me to ask anything about the Certificate why now?” The Lawyer quarried.
The Lawyer added that, “I am aware that you have embarked on some programmes together with the same Abdulrahman some of it involves traveling, you are as well called me sometimes last year that the Guild wanted to engage me as their Lawyer and that was the last time we spoke and it was over a year, then why are you bringing me to any misunderstanding between you and Abdulrahman now? Why can’t they invite him officially for interrogation? He quarried.
According to Abdulrahman, “the allegedly called SARS have been tracking my conversations and that has made me to switched-off my phone going to four days now.”
He added that, “Wale has earlier called members of his family, friends and colleagues that, I sought to his exit as the President of the Guild and promised to deal with me decisively.”
He said, “It becomes more necessary for me to call on the Inspector General of Police, the DG DSS and other security agencies to SAFE MY LIFE and that of MY FAMILY from OLAWALE ABIDEEN popularly called RAYNERS. When a friend of my sent me a text message when he could not reach me that one YUSUF OLAYINKA ERUBU alias Bobulux called him to ask for my house number, my street and where I lived in Abuja.
“Olayinka who has been known to be Wale’s friend for decades, has also called on one of the NGIJ’s member to arras and call him a betrayer. Aliagan said.
Aliagan stated that, “All efforts to reach Wale for over three weeks for possible resolutions through friends, colleagues, several calls, texts and WhatsApp messages have been proving abortive.
“I therefore called on all authority to safe my life and that of my family, from a desperate journalist. He cries out.
