One Monsodi Lawrence has raised the alarm over threats to his life by a retired Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral Usman Oyibe Jibrin and his wife, Mrs. Lami Usman Jibrin over a plot of land in Kubwa, a suburb of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja allegedly belonging to him (Lawrence).
Lawrence stated that the retired Naval Chief, his wife alongside four others – Jibrin’s detailed personnel, Moses Kembi, one Ali Abdulsallam, Okon JJ, an unknown armed naval officer, one Dauda, other naval officers on mufti and a self-acclaimed lawyer, Ikemefuna Mojume are threats to his life over the landed property.
In a statement made available to DAILY POST, the embittered young man, Lawrence said he had employed labourers who had begun work on the piece of land but due to the threats, they stopped work for fear of being arrested by Usman and his cohorts following their intimidation.
He said, “Precisely on April 4, 2016, Mrs. Jibrin threatened to send her stooges after me to deal with me.
“These threats were issued after I put a call to her concerning my piece of land, with the description: Plot no. 96 of about 1500m2 at Gbazango Extension scheme Kubwa, which she & her husband Admiral Jibrin asked their boys to fence without my knowledge & permission.
“Immediately after her threats, one naval officer, Ali Abdulsallam started sending me empty text messages and every attempt to get him to pick my calls failed.”
Lawrence added that on the same day, an accomplice, one Dauda called him and threatened that he will “get him” that night.
“On April 8 at about 1pm, I received a call from my supervisor that some officers who refused to divulge their identity had stopped work at my site and threatened to hand cuff my workers and carry them away.”
Lawrence said he made efforts to get the contact of one of those present at his site to disrupt work and the person allegedly turned out to be an accomplice of Usman.
He said, “Coincidentally, the number my supervisor sent turned out to be the phone number of naval officer, Ali Abdulsallam who’s been sending me empty text messages.
“Abdulsallam kept insisting that I should come to the site with my land documents. Despite my asking that we meet before a relevant authority, he kept insisting I come to the property with my document.
“I eventually agreed to meet with them at the site after I had laid an official complaint at Kubwa Divisional Police Station and a police patrol team was dispatched toaccompany me to the site and invite them (Usman and his cohorts)to the station.
“At the station, a police Inspector, Sunday, heard both parties and asked us to wait for his superior officer and while we were waiting I remembered that my car was unlocked and I had some valuable documents in there.
“I left to be sure that they were still intact and as soon as I approached my car, I noticed naval officer Okon JJ whispering something into the ear of an armed naval officer, who started closing in on me. He made to where I was, pointed his gun at me and commanded me to drive out gently or else he’ll shoot me.
“As soon as I reversed the car, he started shooting at me randomly and in that panic-stricken state, I drove off but couldn’t make a good distance because the bullets had damaged my car engine and deflated my front right tire.”
Lawrence said they attempted to take his life.
He continued that, “I was dragged out of my car by some naval men in mufti who beat me; later on, the detailed personnel to Admiral Jibrin, Moses Kembi, Abdulsallam, Okon JJ & their lawyer, Mojume, joined them in beating me and subsequently forced me into the lawyer’s car.
“However, at the entrance of their staff quarters, while contemplating on what to do to me, a call came in from the area commander via my supervisor’s phone. They were asked to bring me back to the station.
“At this point, the detailed personnel to the retired chief, Kembi asked the gunman to alight and enter into their quarters and remain there.
“With the other naval offices dispersed, Kembil and Mojume took me back to the police station.
“At the station, Mojume subdued to pressure and gave his statement but Kembi refused to give statement to the police on the ground that he was a naval officer being detained by the police.
“After statements were obtained from me and my car towed to the station, looking at my condition, I was asked by the police to go to the hospital for treatment. Coupled with the pain incurred from the beating and the trauma of the gun shots, I couldn’t make it to hospital until the next day but presently I am receiving treatment at the Federal Medical Centre, Jabi, Abuja.
“The Police eventually released Mojume after taking his statement; however Kembi who refuse to give his statement to the police was detained.
“I later found out that Kembi was no longer in their custody and I cannot tell how, why or when he was released.”
In the wake of all these, Lawrence said his lawyer had written a petition to the present Naval Chief of Staff.
He said, “Consequent to the petition written by my lawyer to the present naval chief of staff, their Provost on April 14 sent a naval officer to Area command Kubwa to ascertain the genuineness of our allegation.
“The police is yet to invite the former chief of naval staff, his wife, their accomplice; also, Kembi is yet to produce the gunman who shot at my car.
“From the attitude of the police, I perceive conspiracy, which explains why they have halt investigation and are desperately urging me to meet with Jibrin’s lawyer to discuss the settlement of my bullet-ridden car. It is also obvious that they are determined on destroying available evidence.
“I suspect that the police has been induced to make this case less grievous, simply put, the police is subtly coercing me to settle,” Lawrence lamented.
He, however, recalled his previous efforts on the matter which has up till date not yielded any result.
He said, “It will interest every one to know that after I discovered the encroachment on my property, I wrote a complaint to the director Development Control, Abuja Metropolitan Management Council, on October 16, 2015 intimating them of the trespass.
“Consequently, the afore-described property was marked by the Kubwa District Office and notice served on same day.
“In the course of my private investigation, Officer Okon JJ, the manager of the Jibrin’s hotel situated at Gbazango, Kubwa, confirmed the receipt of the notice served by Kubwa District Office demanding for the Jibrins’ tittle documents.
“I asked him why they didn’t respond and Okon JJ could not give any coherent reason for the contempt.
“Six days after the murder/abduction failed being the 14th of April 2016, the District Office again marked for demolition and a second notice served still demanding for their tittle documents.
“It will interest everyone to know that rather than ignoring the notice as usual which would have been more honorable, their lawyer, Mojume through a means which he only can tell, got hold of the copy of the petition I wrote to EFCC informing the authority of my suspicion (that I fear that my original land papers entitling Plot no. 96 of about 1500m2 at Gbazango Extension Scheme Kubwa to me has been cloned, imploring the commission to invite the Jibrins and one Dauda to explain their source and submit their land papers to enable the commission send both our documents to the relevant authority for authentication).
“Mojume’s pride stunningly brought out before my lawyer, my humble self and two others. Worthy of note is that as at this time, my petition was yet to be approved by the EFCC.
“Mojume tauntingly told my lawyer to advise me to quickly accept whatever they decide to offer me or else it will be big man talk to big man and the matter will be swept under the carpet.
“He further threatened me, saying my pitching against his team was like an ant challenging an elephant to a fight.
“Although I have received my life back in a figure through God’s intervention, I and every member of my household are daily living in fear not knowing what their nextmove against me will be.
“I am using this medium to ask all that read this article to join me to pray the police to do their duty without fear or favor.
“Police protection is one of my human rights among others.”
Meanwhile, Lawrence’s lawyer, S.N Ezema, Ezema & Co. had written a petition against Admiral Jibrin to the Inspector General of Police, copying the Chief of Naval Staff, Ship House, Abuja, the Chairman, Senate Committee on Public Petitions National Assembly Complex, the Chairman, House Committee on Public Petitions National Assembly Complex, the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, the National Human Rights Commission, as well as the Kubwa Area Police Command.
The petition dated April 11, stated that her client, Lawrence Monsodi was attacked by the former Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral Usman Jibrin, his wife and others.
The petition reads, “It is on record that our client is the owner of plot 96 Gbazango extension scheme, Kubwa FCT having begotten his title from Azike Kenneth whose title was never challenged prior to his transfer of title to our client.
“Shortly after the said transfer of title to our client and before he wanted to develop the property for his use, one Admiral Jibrin Usman, a self-acclaimed chief of naval staff and his wife, Mrs Jibrin Usman moved some hoodlums to the plot of land and threatened to kill our client if he does not disown or disappear from the plot.
“On trying to quiz them why and from whom they got their strength to challenge him on his property, our client was beaten up to a pulp,” the petition read in part.
Also, the Inspector General of Police, IGP, had written a letter to the Commissioner of Police, CP, Command Headquarters, Abuja, dated April 11, 2016 and signed by ACP Idowu Owohunwa, the Principal Staff Officer to the IGP, reporting a case of kidnapping, vandalization, shooting attempted homicide among others on Lawrence Monsodi Ifeanyi Chukwu by Admiral Usman Jibrin with a gang of hoodlums including Moses Kembi and Ikemefuna Mojume.
This newspaper further obtained a letter from the Federal Staff Hospital, Jabi Abuja, confirming that the Lawrence was assaulted. The letter signed by Dr. Onyeneke dated April 21, stated that the victim was brought to the facility on April 9 with complaint of chest pain on account of assault.
The medical report due to the assault revealed the victim is currently being managed for a hypertensive heart disease.
When our correspondent visited the Kubwa Area Police Command, no officer on sit was ready to talk about the issue, however when the IPO, Inspector Sunny was contacted, he said he was out of the office and was not disposed to comment on the issue. The Assistant Commissioner of Police, ACP Arungwa could not be reached as at the time of filing this report.
When contacted, the former Chief of Naval Staff’s lawyer, Ikemefuna Mojume told our reporter, “The case is under investigation so there is little or nothing I can say about it. I am a lawyer and I can’t just talk for talking sake. You can approach the relevant places he mentioned in his complaint to you and find out; if the land is genuine, if it truly belongs to him or not.
“I can’t speak on gossip. I’m a lawyer, you can’t just call a lawyer to get a reaction on something. Don’t call me again, if you like, print what I am telling you and say the lawyer said this.”
When our correspondent contacted him again, he said “He (Lawrence) is just parading himself as the owner and all that.
“I know why I am refusing to tell you anything. It’s because I want the law to take its cause at the end of the day. There are other publications before yours.
“Chairman, don’t call me and put words into my mouth. Don’t quote me,” he added.
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