Governor Yahaya Bello’s Chief of Staff, Edward Onoja has been accused of ordering a hit on journalist based in Lagos.
The journalist in question, Wale Odunsi, petitioned the police saying that he was living in fear after Onoja’s threat and he asked that the police swing into action.
Mr Odunsi is the Deputy Editor of Daily Post, a popular online news agency and according to him, he received a phone call from Mr Onoja at exactly 10:39 a.m. on April 8 and the caller complained about a story the newspaper published about him and insisted it was false.
According to Odunsi’s petition, he claimed to have told the official to take up the matter with management, a step Onoja allegedly refused to take.
“I politely told him to write to our management to formally complain. But he dismissed my advice,” Mr Odunsi said in his petition.
“He claimed the story was a hatchet job but I quickly replied him that some other media houses – including The Punch and Guardian Newspapers – reported similar story.
“Mr Onoja continued to speak in harsh tones and told me point blank that he would order (a) hit on me. I asked if he was threatening me and he said ‘Yes, mark my words. I will kill you’.
“He went on to say ‘Anywhere I see you, I will tear you apart’. These are weighty statements which any reasonable person must not take lightly. ”
Odunsi went on to implore the police to investigate the threat so as he was worried that Onoja might make good of the threat.
He did add that unfortunately, the phone conversation was not recorded and therefore he has no evidence of the words said on the call, but he also asked that the police obtain the transcript of the call from MTN to prove his case.
Onoja has so far not responded to this allegation.