One Mr Yakubu Ogwu, a key campaigner for justice for the slain Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) woman leader in Kogi State, Abu Salome, has alleged that his life and that of his family are in danger.
Ogwu, an Abuja-based estate surveyor and an indigene of Ochadamu community in Ofu local government area of Kogi State has been in the forefront of the quest for justice for Salome Abu, who was a victim of the infamous November 18, 2019, mayhem in Ochadamu.
Mrs Abu, a politician and woman leader of the PDP, was burnt alive in her home by suspected political thugs.
Commenting on his ordeal, Ogwu said he was first singled out by armed gangs, who stormed his residence in Ejule on the eve of the 2019 governorship election in the state when they made away with his cash, phones and other belongings.
“Two days after the election, my home was amongst houses set ablaze in Ochadamu. It all started during the 2019 mayhem, when a PDP woman leader, Mrs Salome Acheju Abu, was burnt alive in her house while other houses including that of Ogwu were looted and razed by the rampaging political thugs in Ochadamu town, Ofu local government area of the state,” Ogwu said.
He said three years after the incident, his life and those of his family members are still under constant threats as he urged the security agencies to guarantee his safety and those of his family members.
Ogwu recalled that in December 2021 when he travelled with his family to his hometown in Ochadamu for Christmas and New Year vacation in the company of some security personnel, they had a close shave with death when thugs wielding guns and other weapons in about four sienna buses invaded his house shooting sporadically.
He said his nephew was attacked while vehicles were vandalized during the incident, adding that he and his family members escaped by the whiskers.
He said his children and their mother were traumatized after witnessing the incident and had vowed never to return to the village which they had always longed to visit.
“It is the tradition of the family to always travel home for Christmas and New Year holidays to reconnect with friends and families every year and for the children to reconnect with their cousins and friends to learn their native language which is non-existent in the city.
“We have not been able to do this since the politically motivated attack on my house and that of the PDP woman leader during the 2019 gubernatorial election where she was burnt alive and my house was looted and burnt,” he said adding that he had approached the security agents who came to investigate the looting after about four months,” Ogwu said.
According to him, his five-year-old son, Akache Ogwu, said going back to his native town is like another nightmare that he would like to avoid.
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