.. JODERS says attack on HEDA Chairman-Suraju, major setback for Nigeria’s anti-corruption claims, asks police to fish out perpetrators
Ayo Ola
The Publish What You Pay (PWYP), Nigeria Coalition on Thursday in a strong term, condemned the primitive invasion and attack on the family of the Chairman of Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA Resource Centre), Mr Olanrewaju Suraju in Lagos, Nigeria.
National Coordinator, PWYP, Comrade Taiwo Otitolaye, in a statement also said that
HEDA Resource Centre, which he said is a member of the PWYP campaign, has been in the forefront of the anti-corruption crusade in Nigeria especially, ‘the Malabo oil scandal.’
According to him, the attackers of Suraju’s family operated in the fashion of hired assassins with precise instructions.
Otitolaye said, “The PWYP holds the Federal government of Nigeria liable to answers on the circumstances surrounding the attack on Suraju’s family.
“A few weeks back, it was the invasion of the office of Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) another member of our Coalition; by the State Security Services (SSS); now it’s an assassination attempt on Suraju and other members of his family.
“Corruption has expanded widely, deeply, and has become a commonplace. It is endemic and a way of life especially in the Oil and gas; and solid minerals Sector. This is the sore of a Nation.
“Civic spaces in Nigeria have been caged. Nigeria and Nigerians are in DEEP DISTRESS. The people’s natural resources are not Beneficial to them in any way.
“Looting of the Commonwealth is at its highest order, abject poverty and insecurities are everywhere in the land.
“As citizens, we must re-invent our sense of collective human dignity. An injury to one is an injury to all!
“Finally, we hold the Federal government of Nigeria liable for the attack on Suraju’s family. The perpetrators must be fished out and made to face the law.”
It could be recalled that the Executive Secretary, Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA Resource Centre), Mr Sulaimon Arigbabu had on Tuesday raised the alarm that Suraju and his wife had been hospitalised after gunmen numbering five attacked them at their Lagos home.
He added that the suspects also carted away valuables at their Lagos home.
Arigbabu in a statement said the gunmen at about 2:15 am on Monday invaded only Suraju’s residence out of the other 220 buildings in the estate.
According to him, the heavily armed men threatened to kill Suraju and thereafter physically hit him and his wife, which led them to be hospitalised.
Arigbabu said, “Armed men numbering 5 invaded the home of Mr Olanrewaju Suraju, Chairman of HEDA Resource Centre and carted away 5 phones including 1 Samsung phone, 2 iPhones, 2 iPads; 2 Macbook pro laptops, a Dell laptop, a Toyota Corolla 2014 car, pieces of jewelry, ATM cards, cars keys, bank tokens, office documents among other valuables belonging to Mr. Suraju and his Family.
“The assailants who were heavily armed with guns, knives, and other dangerous weapons also threatened to kill Mr Suraju, physically hit him and his wife both of whom had to be hospitalised.
“The assailants who were caught on CCTV camera invaded Mr Suraju’s home in Lagos at around 2:15 am on Monday, 28th March 2022, breached the Estate’s Security and burgled the security features in his house with sophisticated tools. Currently, both the intent and the extent of the damage cannot be fully estimated yet.
He added, “The assailants, who invaded only Mr. Suraju’s home out of other 220 buildings in the estate, collected all valuable items in the house and coerced Mr Suraju to provide all his security details including phone passwords, bank log-in details, laptops passwords, among others. The assailants then immediately gained access to his email, phone numbers including WhatsApp and other messaging platforms as well as bank platforms.
“To be sure, at the earlier moment after the invasion, the assailants were found deleting some of the CCTV footage through Mr Suraju’s phone before the camera was switched off by the family. However, the matter has been reported at the relevant Divisional Police Station in Lagos State.”
Meanwhile, The Journalists for Democratic Rights, (JODER) said that the attack on Suraju and his family is a major setback in the fight against corruption in Nigeria.
JODER, a pioneer Nigerian media rights group, in a statement by its Executive Director, Mr Adewale Adeoye said the armed invasion of Mr Suraju’s home by five heavily armed men mocks the image of the country in the comity of nations.
The group asked President Mohammadu Buhari to show personal interest in the sordid Monday armed attack involving Suraju who leads Nigeria’s most outstanding anti-corruption organisation.
JODER said the Nigerian police authority owes the local and international community the obligation to investigate the armed invasion and ensure the perpetrators are arrested and made to face the wrath of the law.
‘It was a clear case of murder attempt with a high degree of suspicion that the actors are agents of corrupt individuals fighting back to defend sleaze and mismanagement of public funds, a battle that has been the centrepiece of Mr Sujaru’s decade long anti-corruption campaign’ Adeoye said.
He said JODER and thousands of human rights groups home and abroad stand with Mr Suraju and his organisation at this moment of turmoil.
‘We are concerned about the fact that Suraju brought the campaign against corruption in the OPL 245 scam into the front burner of international discourse. We are aware of his yearly documentation of high profile corruption cases.
There is an almost irreversible temptation to trace the murder attempt on him to corrupt individuals which he has exposed for the heinous crimes against humanity unless the police prove otherwise.’
The armed men invaded Suraju’s home around 2.3am. They threatened to kill him. They stole his phones, his car key and private materials some belonging to his wife and children. All these happened in the presence of his little children that watched in awe guns pointed at their father.
JODER said the attack has further confirmed the fear that Nigeria is fast becoming one of the most dangerous places to live especially for those who have chosen the career to light injustice and lift the country from its stupor… Continue reading