Gbenga Daniel: Kashamu Sent Assassins After Me

A former governor of Ogun State, Gbenga Daniel, on Friday petitioned the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, alleging attempt on his life by a Nigerian senator, Buruji Kashamu...

According to the petitioner, some domestic and security aides were physically assaulted, but no one died in the incident, which occurred on Thursday around 9:13 p.m.

The politician blamed Mr. Kashamu for the alleged incident, which he said occurred at his residence in the Abuja neighborhood of Maitama.

But Mr. Kashamu has denied the allegations, castigating Mr. Daniel as an “irresponsible” politician desperate for political relevance.

The police could not immediately comment on the claims Friday evening.

Abuja police spokesperson, Anjuguri Manzah, told PREMIUM TIMES he had not been briefed about the incident, promising to ‘revert upon internal inquiries.’

The former governor said his alleged assailants knew he was in Abuja for the inauguration of a new caretaker committee for troubled Ogun Peoples Democratic Party, PDP on Wednesday, but “they didn’t know he had left on Thursday morning for Ibadan where the party’s national executive welcomed new defectors.”‎

Mr. Daniel linked the alleged incident to Mr. Kashamu, who has been his political rival for years. In the petition, he also listed perceived transgressions carried out against him by Mr Kashamu.

Mr. Kashamu’s spokesperson, Austin Oniyorkor, denied the allegations on behalf of his principal, Friday evening.

“It’s shocking and laughable,” Mr. Oniyorkor told PREMIUM TIMES on the telephone.

“That OGD would just wake up and level all these allegations without any shred of evidence shows his hallucinatory state of mind.”

Mr. Oniyorkor said the former governor failed to “heed acceptable procedures, even if his claims were true.”

“Even if there was an attempt on his life, what any responsible person would do is to report to the authorities to investigate the incident.

“But OGD has become the accuser, the investigator and the judge in his own case,” he said.

The spokesperson said Mr. Daniel is “fuming because he’s no longer viable in contemporary Nigerian politics.”

He added that Mr. Kashamu has no history of violence.

“He is looking for someone to drag along with him in his fall into political oblivion.

“It’s a matter of public record that Senator Kashamu does not have any history of violence, whatsoever. It was during OGD era that the whole of Ogun State was under siege of violence and politically-motivated killings,” he said.

Mr. Daniel is the latest politician from Ogun State to level assassination claims against Mr. Kashamu, who has evaded extradition to the United States on drugs charges for years.

A similar claim against him by Oladipo Adebutu, a serving federal lawmaker, is still pending at the Federal High Court.

Ogun State senator, Buruji Kashamu [Photo Credit: CBS News]

Read the full petition by Mr. Daniel below

The Inspector General of Police,

Police Headquarters,

Louis Edet House,

Abuja.

Attention of IBRAHIM IDRIS

Dear sir,

Re: Assassination Attempt on my Person; Main Suspect, Senator Buruji Kashamu

THE INCIDENT:

Date: Thursday 24th Aug 2017

Time; 9.13pm, Eye witness account

Location: My residence in Maitama, Abuja.

5 hefty men, 2 of them in Military fatigue, 3 others in Black clothes approached the gate honking that the gate be opened.

The gateman peeped through the pedestrian gate asking for their identity and mission, they refused to wind down. Gateman then opened the Pedestrian gate to further inquire innocently.

They asked for his boss “OGD” (that was the acronym from my full name, Otunba Gbenga Daniel) and he told them I was not at home.

The five men instantly alighted from the car and pushed the gateman forcefully into the compound and started beating him saying he was lying and that they had information that I was at home.

They thereafter asked him how many Policemen were in the house and he told them five (5) men. They further asked him to show them where the Policemen were. He led them into the Boys Quarters and they found one of the Policemen lying down and they asked for his service gun. He told them it is not with him, they then pushed him into the toilet and locked him there. They returned to the Gatekeeper and told him to start showing them around the house where the other Policemen were, while insisting that they have accurate information that “OGD” is in Abuja, and at home. They spotted one of the workers at home and they nearly killed him believing he could be one of the Policemen.

Meanwhile, the Police that was locked in the toilet luckily had his gun kept in that toilet. He took his gun, went through the ceiling and landed in another main toilet that was not locked and started firing his gun. That was when they took to their heels and escaped. They were said to be carrying pistols or shotguns while one of them who carried a bigger gun stood watch at the gate as the operation lasted. Nothing was removed from the house.

They reportedly came in a black Camry and the 6th person was said to be the Driver who stayed put in the car on standby.

THE MAIN SUSPECT:

It is public knowledge that there is no love lost between Senator Kashamu and I.

In the last 8 years that we disagreed politically he has not stopped maligning my character in every way possible. On one occasion, he confessed publicly and wrote in National newspapers (copy attached) saying that he spent over three billion naira (N3b) to destabilize and destroy my administration, using his own words.

On another occasion he gathered some fake documents and sought for people who can lie on oath that I killed students and sucked their blood; with all manner of fictions on sundry issues and got these published in various online news medium that I stole campaign funds!!!

All these I took in my strides as part of the price for participating in government and politics, including the spurious EFCC charges promoted by the current government in Ogun State.

On several other occasions, he has boasted in the company of his friends that he will not rest until he sees my end.

This renewed offensive was as a result of the recent Supreme court ruling placing his own faction at a disadvantage and ending the reign of his control over the State Executive committee of the Peoples Democratic Party in Ogun state, which were all secured through various controversial court orders without any democratic process whatsoever.

It is Kashamu’s belief that I was the brain behind his loss of power and relevance in Ogun State PDP (the main source of milking innocent political aspirants), and he felt I must be brought down by all means.

This much he stated in an online publication on 24/08/17 (copy attached).

It is true that I have been in Abuja two days ago to solidarize with the new State Caretaker committee for the Peoples Democratic Party in Ogun State sworn in on Wednesday 23/08/17, a day before the incident.

It is also true that I slept in my house in Abuja on Wednesday 23/08/17, But Senator Kashamu’s informant did not know I left Abuja on Thursday 24/08/17 afternoon (the day of the incident), with Senator Ahmed Makarfi and others to Ibadan on a peace mission to the Oyo State PDP from where I travelled to Ekiti. It was en route to Ekiti last night that this sad incidence was reported to me. The matter have since been reported to the Police authorities.

MY PRAYER;

The reason of this petition is

* to alert the Police authorities about the evil intention of Senator Buruji Kashamu towards my person and request for additional Security protection.

* to inform the Nigeria Police and security agencies on the need and to appreciate that Buruji Kashamu should be put under security watch list and strict surveillance.

*to inform the state, my family and friends that I have not done any deal with any person that remains unfulfilled in my life, and also that I have not been able to condescend to some of the dastardly acts and ways of Buruji Kashamu as a matter of principle and in case anything untowards happen to me, the prime suspect is Buruji Kashamu.

This is my first and only petition against anyone in my entire life and I don’t intend to go into any gutter swipes or despicable war of words with anyone. I can only hope that one is not provoked to review this position.