Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has raised the alarm over alleged threat to his life and those of his family members.
In a petition to President Muhammadu Buhari, dated September 7, 2018, Atiku linked the alleged threat to his decision to contest next year’s presidential election on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The petition, a copy of which was sent to PDP’s National Chairman Prince Uche Secondus, urged President Buhari to urgently probe the allegation
The petition was titled: “Petition over criminal intimidation and threat to my life; that of members of my family, and cyber stalking using mobile phone number 08148228704”.
Atiku requested more police protection for himself and members of his family from the President.
He stated in the petition that his wife and daughters had received separate text messages from a mobile line, demanding that their patriarch backed out of the presidential race, failing which they would be raped and killed.
The former vice president added that the author of the threat text messages had stated that members of his family were being closely watched.
Urging the President to urgently order an investigation into the matter, Atiku warned that the threat could lead to serious security breach and that it posed real danger to national security.
The petition reads in part: “I present my highest compliments to the president and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and have the honour to request your excellency’s kind review/investigation and urgent consideration of extra protection for my family and I against some criminal intimidation and threat to my life, that of my family, and the cyber stalking against my family and I, using telephone mobile number +2348148228704″.
Atiku in the petition, said the author of the message had threatened that if he did not withdraw from the presidential contest, “we will kill, rape your wife and daughters”.
He added that the stalker had mentioned two of his daughters – Mariam who works at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and Fatima, a former commissioner in Adamawa State.
According to him, the author of the said threat message had also threatened to blow up his plane and poison him and members of his family.
“We will blow your plane off the sky and we will poison you and your family. You are going to see what we will do with your family. We know where and where your children travel to”, he quoted the from the threat message.
The author of the said message was also said to have threatened to blow up all his property and those of his wife.
“We control the aviation towers in Nigeria and South Africa. We are in government and Buhari will win again. Your party members will never select you and if they do, we will assassinat (sic) you. We will kill you by blowing up your plane”, the threat message further stated.
Atiku further stated that in separate text messages to his wife and daughters, the author had asked them to ask him to back down from the contest or they would be harmed.
Concluding the petition, Atiku stated: “From the foregoing, Mr. President can see that if adequate and urgent steps are not taken to identify and deal with these threats, they could lead to serious breaches and may constitute real danger to national security.
“Considering that these threats border on the right to life of my family and I, as well as my freedom to aspire for and contest for the Presidency in Nigeria, I urge you to commence urgent investigation with a view to identifying the person(s) behind the threats, expose and prosecute the culprit(s) in accordance with the laws.
“I request that you ensure the continued protection of my rights to life, that of my family, my property and my rights and freedoms to associate and aspire to any political office as guaranteed under the 1999 Nigerian Constitution (as amended)”.