Popular Kogi Politician, Natasha Akpoti has raised alarm over an alleged attempt by the governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello.
Akpoti, in a statement on Monday, raised alarm over an invitation sent to her by the Kogi state branch of the Department of State Security, DSS. She alleged that the invitation was part of a plot to take her life.
POLITICS NIGERIA has the full statement, read below;
“Between 8 and 9 am today, I got two random calls from unknown (identity disclosed) numbers. The first (in pidgin English) warned me not to heed any invitation by any security agency in Kogi state as I would be attacked and killed before arriving Lokoja; while the second (calm & elderly) cautioned my safety as my interview on Channels Television last night with regards to the Appeal Court’s ruling on the Kogi St Guber elections infuriated Yahaya Bello.”
“I was perplexed, naturally worried but thought to shove it off. At 9:46 am today, I noticed a missed WhatsApp call from Mr Tosin Ajayi Kogi state’s DG of DSS. My phone was on silent but even when I saw his missed call, I decided to speak with my lawyers on the developments: the two strange calls and the missed call from the DSS boss.”
“At exactly 12:08 pm (still today), I received a text from one Micheal Elumah who signed off as the Deputy Director Operations of DSS Kogi state (see text attached) inviting me to the DSS station in Lokoja tomorrow.
Text contents are connected to my Facebook post which laid blame on the Kogi state government for the deplorable security situation in the state as a direct fallout of the weapons distributed during the 2019 elections.”
“Dear DG DSS Kogi State, I am yet to return your call but will do so after posting this message. However, this is what I shall say; Without mincing words, I stand by my posts relating the ill-fated Isanlu robbery, the incessant robbery and kidnaps incidents as a direct fallout of the arms and ammunition’s distributed to the youths of Kogi state to violently “win” power at all cost in the bloodiest election in Nigeria’s history.”
“If you search your office, you shall find several petitions I wrote from my senatorial campaigns to governorship.
Your office failed to address one. The burning of the SDP office in Lokoja. The assault on me at the INEC’s “Peace “ conference in Lokoja where over 200 of your men stood watching while thugs hit and pushed me to the floor.”
“I’m yet to hear of any arrest even when pictures and names were submitted to these petitions. Okene general hospital and Federal Medical Center Lokoja have records of over 50 of my supporters who were shot and stabbed under the watch of Yahaya Bello.”
“Alas, your office rushes to invite to arrest me over a truth I wrote about the senseless killings of the poor DPO and seven of her men by the sons of guns carrying grenades.”
“In conclusion dear Sir. Tosin Ajayi, I do acknowledge receipt of the text message from 09024058022 but cannot affirm the authenticity as I do not know that number to be DSS Kogi’s officially registered line for communication.
Buttressing the fact that I had been forewarned of Yahaya Bello’s plans to set ambush along Koton Karfe and Lokoja to kill himself not me; I cannot put it past the fact that you are innocently playing into Yahaya Bello’s evil manipulations to eliminate a courageous and patriotic woman.”
“Please note that I await a formal written invitation properly addressed on your letterhead. If this is asking too much, you are free to arrest me in my house in Abuja. However, my lawyers shall notify the federal DSS of these hideous ploys.”
