Alleged Threat To Life: THE CONCLAVE Publisher Points Finger At CCB Federal Commissioner

Publisher of THE CONCLAVE (online newspaper), Mr Sufuyan Ojeifo, has pointed the finger at a federal commissioner with the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB), Mr Ehiozuwa Johnson Agbonayinma, for the alleged threat to his life over a report on change of leadership guard at the Bureau.

Mr Ojeifo, in a petition he lodged at the Area Court 1, Kubwa, Abuja through the Registrar, dated December 29, 2023, sought the directive of the court to have the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID) FCT Police Command, Garki, Abuja, investigate the direct criminal complaint of threat to life against Agbonayinma.

In a referral for investigation endorsed by the court registrar marked DC/CR/564/2023 and dated December 29, 2023, between Sufuyan Isa Ojeifo (complainant) and Hon Ehiozuwa Johnson and Ors (defendants), addressed to the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Criminal Investigation Department, FCT Police Command, Garki, Abuja, the court directed the police to carry out a proper investigation pursuant to Section 89(50 of the ACJA 2015.

The Police Force CID acknowledged receipt of the court referral on January 12, 2024.

The referral reads: “The above subject matter refers.

“You are to report your findings within two weeks from today either on FIR (First Information report) or otherwise.

“Find a copy of the complaint for your total action.

“Thanks for your usual cooperation.”

Reproduced hereunder, in extenso, is the complaint (petition) by publisher of THE CONCLAVE:

DIRECT CRIMINAL COMPLAINT OF THREAT TO LIFE AGAINST HON EHOZUWA JOHNSON AGBONAYINMA AND HIS COHORT

I write to formally advert the attention of your Worship to a real and existential threat to my life, which had the imprimatur of a Federal Commissioner with the Code of Conduct of Bureau, Hon. Ehiozuwa Johnson Agbonayinma.

● The specifics of the threat

At exactly 7.12 am on Thursday, December 7, 2023, I received a phone call from a strange number: 08038877XXX-a male, whose voice was somewhat guttural, who angrily said he was going to yank my head off my shoulders for writing a negative story against a Benin man.

The caller, whose identity I did not know, and still do not know, threatened that he would find me out and soak me in my own blood.

He ranted endlessly, shouting on top of his voice and reeling out all manner of claims against me.  He called me a blackmailer and purveyor of tainted news.

Immediately he hung up, I tried to recall the recent stories I had published in my online newspaper-THE CONCLAVE- and I remembered that the only person who called me about two weeks earlier to complain about a report we published in THE CONCLAVE on the race for the leadership of the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) was Hon Ehiozuwa Johnson Agbonayinma.

Hon Ehiozuwa Johnson Agbonayinma had called to complain about a story, entitled “I am the senior”-crisis brews in CCB as Kankia rejects purported appointment of acting chair”, which was culled by THE CONCLAVE from TheCable online newspaper and the source of report  was appropriately credited.

Hon Agbonayinma ignored the fact that the story was culled from TheCable and took time to harass and throw tantrums at me.

I made him realise that THE CONCLAVE only culled the story from TheCable because THE CONCLAVE’s Board of Editors agreed that the story was instructive and quite significant to the process of enlightenment of Nigerians on public policy and the law that established the CCB.

I told him that THE CONCLAVE was still conducting  its investigation into the issue and would run a comprehensive report once it was ready.

Hon. Agbonayinma insisted in our telephone conversation that he was the most senior, that Murtala Kankia (the acting chairman to whom the former Chairman, Professor Mohammed Isah handed over) resigned at a point to go contest election, and having lost his bid for the APC ticket in the Katsina State, he was reappointed to the CCB.

When I concluded investigations into the leadership succession palaver, the comprehensive report was published in THE CONCLAVE on December 1, 2023.

Apparently irked by the report, Hon. Agbonayinma, I suspected, sent his proxy to issue the December 7, 2023 threat to my life via the telephone number stated supra.

I was initially not interested in making a formal report until some friends insisted that I should not take the threat lightly, that it was better to err on the side of caution or circumspection by doing the needful: a formal petition/ report to the Police.

I hereby submit for your intervention and interrogation this petition, hoping that the authorities would avert whatever plot might be in the offing against me at the behest of Hon. Ehiozuwa Johnson Agbonayinma (who could be reached via 08059297XXX for invitation and questioning).

I look forward to your expeditious consideration of this petition.

Please accept the assurances of my highest consideration.

Sufuyan Isa Ojeifo

Publisher/Editor-in-Chief

THE CONCLAVE (online newspaper)

08034727013  

Recall that Agbonayinma had also sent a petition against THE CONCLAVE publisher to the Inspector General of Police alleging “injurious falsehood and defamation of character.’

The Inspector General of Police Monitoring Unit had on the basis of his petition sent an invitation signed by ACP Ibrahim M. Musa (for head, IGP Monitoring Unit) dated December 28, 2023 to Ojeifo to interview CSP Usman Garba on Tuesday, 16the January, 2024 at 10 am to shed more light on the allegation.

Consequent upon honouring the Police invitation and during the interview, Ojeifo was furnished with a copy of the petition by Agbonayinma (authored by his counsel) wherein he alleged that by publishing a story entitled: “Presidency directs Kankia to act as chair of Code of Conduct Bureau,” contents of a classified document were divulged.

He also alleged that the report defamed his character.  Ojeifo had volunteered his statement in response, rebutting all the claims contained in Agbonayinma’s petition.

A tripartite meeting involving both parties and a representative of the Inspector General of Police has been fixed for Monday, January 29, 2024 for interrogation of parties.  

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