June 15, (THEWILL) – The Counsel to the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) in Ogun State, Barrister I.D lzunya, on Thursday, raised the alarm that his life and that of his immediate family are in danger.
lzunya is currently representing the party in its petition against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Governor Dapo Abiodun and the All Progressives Congress (APC) in court over the omission of the party’s name in the ballot papers used in the last governorship election.
He has, therefore, sent a “Save my Soul” message to the Ogun State Commissioner of Police, Inspector General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba and the Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, saying being a counsel to a political party should not cost him and his family their lives as he is only doing a professional job, which he has been trained to do for a living.
While explaining to journalists in Abeokuta, the state capital, Izunya alleged that his wife was attacked and was almost killed on Tuesday, June 13, but miraculously survived through the Grace of God, saying the attack was politically motivated and that it might be as a result of his role as a counsel to the NNPP in Ogun State.
In a statement he issued to journalists on Thursday, Barrister Izunya said, “I wish to use this medium to inform the Ogun State Commissioner of Police, the Governor of Ogun State, the Inspector General of Police and other Security agencies that my life and that of my family is in danger and they should deploy all legal arsenals to protect me and my family.
“On the 13th day of June 2023 at about 3pm, my wife was attacked and about to be strangled by an unknown man.
“The unknown tall dark in complexion man knocked on my door severally and knowing I was not around, told my wife through the window when she did not open the door that I sent money to her. My wife, in reply, told him that I didn’t inform her that I was sending someone with money and immediately the man left when my wife refused to open the door for him, not knowing he was still around the gate.
“The man rushed in 10 minutes later when he noticed a neighbour that came to visit my wife just left. Immediately he gained access to my room he pushed my wife and she fell on the centre table and then to the floor in the presence of my two children, who were crying. The man held her neck and almost took the life out of her but was miraculously saved by God.
“When I arrived home from the office, I took her to Adigbe Police Station, Abeokuta, Ogun State, where she made an official complaint.
“The surprising thing is that, before the attack on my wife, different persons have been asking for my identity in the area and also, I personally noticed persons peeping around my gate.
“I am a lawyer of about 10 years at the Bar and in all my years of active practice, I and members of my family have never been confronted by anyone until this moment of my involvement in the election petition against INEC, Dapo Abiodun and the APC by NNPP.”
Narrating how he got involved in the NNPP case, he said, “When the former Chairman of the party, Mr. Sunday Olaposi Oginni, through his counsel, Peter Ogar, withdrew the petition from the tribunal and upon the instruction of the National Body of the party, I filed an appeal challenging the withdrawal and the fact that the tribunal didn’t permit us to represent and be the counsel for NNPP. Upon our engagement by the National Legal Adviser of the party, we filed a Notice of Change of Counsel.
“The attack is coming a few days after we filed our appellant’s brief at the Court of Appeal Ibadan. The fact I want those behind the attack to know is that I am doing my job and the attack is just to disturb my own peace as a lawyer but does not stop the party from pursuing the case.
“I, therefore, wish to use this medium to inform the Ogun State Commissioner of Police, the Governor of Ogun State, the Inspector General of Police and other Security agencies that my life and that of my family is in danger and they should deploy all legal arsenals to protect me and my family.”
AYO ESAN, has been actively reporting and analyzing political events for different newspapers for over 18 years. He has also successfully covered national and state elections in Nigeria since the inception of this democracy in 1999.
