· Alleges powerful personalities threaten him on phone
· Furnishes security agencies with names of suspects
Oluchi Chibuzor
An #EndSARS campaigner and a member of Citizens’ Rally against Oppression, Mr. Dele Farotimi has alleged that some powerful personalities in Lagos State had threatened his life over his agitation against the reopening of Lekki Toll Plaza.
Farotimi, a seasoned political activist and a constitutional lawyer, also alleged that there was a fusion between criminal elements and the ruling class in Lagos State, some of whom he claimed, had threatened to assassinate him during a phone conversation penultimate Monday.
He made these allegations in an eight-minute viral video on Friday, claiming that an associate, who was privy to the information, revealed the plan to kill him by some powerful political interests in Lagos State.
Penultimate Monday, Farotimi said he received messages from a friend that some powerful people were obviously tired of him due to his roles in the #EndSARS protests and agitation against the planned reopening of the Lekki Toll Plaza.
Farotimi revealed that discussion was held at certain levels in the recent time that compelled his source to give him a hint about the plan to assassinate him, a reason he decided to tell the public before they carry out their plan.
He said: “I am not going to disclose the name of my source. But I was sufficiently concerned to know that this is not one of those empty threats. The threat was specific, and names of those behind it mentioned.
“I was aware that I had offended a lot of powerful people during the #EndSARS protests and consequent killing at Lekki Toll Plaza. By Tuesday, I got a phone call giving a specific and clear warning,” Farotimi revealed.
The human rights lawyer said he had not joined anybody in sharing anything and has no worries about consequences he might have done in his own space.
Perhaps if anything happens to him, Farotimi disclosed that the public, especially the civil society organisations and practitioners “should not look any further than the hegemony ruling Lagos State and persons I have mentioned specifically in my petition to security agencies.”
In Lagos, Farotimi alleged that there “is a fusion between the ruling class and criminal elements. Without any equivocation, I say, there is fusion between the criminal element and the ruling hegemony in this state.
Consequent upon threat to his life, Farotimi disclosed that he had duly petitioned the Nigeria Police for protection and would not reveal the identity of the people to the public as he had notified his associates, family members, and the State Security Services through a petition.
He said: “I do not pretend to have the monopoly of wisdom. I have been wrong several times. I expected that when I am wrong, there will be disputations based on reasons. I was not counting on men turning themselves hunters of men instead of rabbits and goats.
“But that is for people to do what they know how to do. I will continue to do what I do. But it is critical that Nigerians understand clearly I am not a drug baron. I do not do business with anybody. I do not cheat anyone.
“If anything should happen to me look no farther than the persons I have named in my petition and whose identities I have already made clear to my own associates, friends and relations,” the human rights lawyer said in the viral video.
