Sir: Threat to my life, plot to invade my office and residence and plan to use the court and security agencies to implicate and persecute me by the Kano state government.
I am Mallam Tukur Mamu the Publisher and Editor-In-Chief of Desert Herald Newspaper. I write to formally forward a petition on the above subject matter with the hope that my claims will be thoroughly investigated in the interest of justice and rule of law.
My life has been under threat since our publication on the murder of Sheikh Ja’afar Mahmud Adam in Kano. Specifically, the threat is coming from the Kano State Government and I have received several phone calls and text messages in that regard. My callers and the text messages are categorical and that the Kano Government precisely Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau will deal with me for daring to publish a story against the interest of the government. It is important to emphasize for further investigation that there was nowhere in the report of Desert Herald the name of the governor or any of his officials was categorically mention as the alleged killers or sponsors of the murder of Sheikh Ja’afar Mahmud Adam. But they were offended by the nature of the report even though the report does not violate the normal journalism ethics.
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After the consistent phone calls and text messages and using my contact to investigate further, I became convince that the plot to eliminate me by the Kano state Government is real. I was on alert and had to live my house for eight days. I used my contact to let them know that I was aware of their plot against me. The plot to burn down my office so as to destroy available documents they believe will indict and implicate them also failed because my contacts with in the some government gave me a prior notice and revealed the privileged information. Members of the neighborhood can testify how a Peugeot 406 with Kano State Government plate number strangely parked at the opposite direction of my office and thereafter attempted to force themselves into the office but ran when the security guard appeared from the other side and started shorting for help.
The latest which can be verify by your good office is the on going plot by the Kano State Government to use the court and obtain a search warrant for any office, Kaduna residence and my house in Potiskum, Yobe State. The plan according to my source is to use the Police and the SSS in Kano to search my houses and office and to implicate me with anything incriminating so as to furnish image and destroy my career. The Kano State Government are also not comfortable and they are convince that I am in possession of several incriminating documents that may be use to furnish the government in the media. The search is also therefore to enable them know the extent of documents I may have possesses, destroy them and know how to deal with me. They cannot do other wise now because they don’t exactly know what to have against the government. They also want to know my sources of information at all cost through the abuse the executive powers vested on the governor.
I was reliably informed that at one time they attempted to use the IGP but the Police boss decline to do their bidding. They now want to use the Kano State Police Command and the SSS in Kano to violate my fundamental human right and the right to practice journalism.
If proper investigation is conducted, your good office will discover that the Kano State Government with the active involvement and supervision of the SSG Alhaji Abdulkarim Hassan, the Head of Service Alhaji Rabi’u Zakariya, the commissioner for Justice Barrister Aliyu Umar and the SA Security matters major Garko with the blessing of the Kano state governor have sponsor an agent to my home town in Potiskum to locate the address of my house. The same agent was also in Kaduna and has already located my house and office for the plan invasion, destruction and to plant on incriminating substance or weapon against me.
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I am appealing to your good office in the interest of justice to thoroughly investigate my claim, provide me with adequate security, ensure the protection of my fundamental human right and stop the authorities in Kano from manipulating the law and brazen display of lawlessness. as the law permit, I hope your good office will also advice the Kano State Government to follow the rule of law by taking me to court if they have anything ourselves and let the rule of law prevail.
I am also urging your good office to stop any attempt by the law enforcement agents from doing anything unlawful and unconstitutional against my right as a free citizen of this country.
The Inspector General of Police,
Sir, Mike Okira,
Force Headquarters
Louis Edet House,
Abuja.
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