Okwe Obi, Abuja
Coalition of Civil Society Groups have raised the alarm over threat to the life of Anslem Gbemudu, Chief Executive Officer of Global Real Estate Investors and Financial Services by Boko Haram for allegedly masterminding the arrest and killing of their top rank leader, Mohammed Yusuf in 2009.
This was contained in a statement signed by the
Convener of Initiative For
Social Progress International, David Yusuf; Co-Convener of
Nigeria National Coalition for Democracy and Good Governance, Abah Michael; and
Co-Convener, Mass Movement
For a New Nigeria Dansirja Ibraheem Hamza, yesterday.
They explained that: “For yesteryears, the life of the President and Chief Executive Officer of Global Real Estate Investors and Financial Services, Chief Anslem Gbemudu has been an entanglement of risks and high level threats targeted at exterminating his existence and decimating his business engagements by the dreaded Boko Haram sect of Nigeria owing to their tenacious belief that he masterminded the arrest and eventual killing of their top rank leader and spiritual director, Mohammed Yusuf who died 2009.
“With Mohammed’s death in 2009 following an unsuccessful attempt to evade police custody, members of his sect drew illogical conclusions that Chief Anslem Gbemudu could not be extricated of blameworthiness to the ill fate of their acclaimed spiritual leader.
“Having given the above historical trace to shed light into the unjustifiable circumstances that have made imminent, the sought death of this illustrious son of Nigeria’s origin by the Boko Haram, it is sacrosanct to inform the government and people of Nigeria as well as the international community in unequivocal terms, the position of the Civil Society Groups that, this inordinate plot that has lingered unhindered for many years is unreasonable, unfounded, unjustifiable, vexatious, malignant and a malicious affront to the inalienable rights of Chief Premium Anslem Gbemudu and the development of the nation and is deserving of condemnation by all.
“We state categorically that Chief Gbemudu is a veteran and pathfinder whose commitment and traces of positive impact to redefining the chequered history of Nigeria’s political, ethnic and religious struggles ought to be given a nod and celebrated. His intellectual savvy and administrative ingenuity is ostensibly engraved on the consciences of those he rescued from religious hypnotism.
“Chief Anslem Gbemudu is one of the few Nigerians whose national and international concern for the cause of the minority ethnicities of Nigeria has remained undeterred and dogged.
“His relished for fairness, equity, unity, peace, progress and social justice has endured a three decade test of veracity examined by threats and attempted assassination.
“In the interest of the Nigerian State and its peoples, we state without circumlocutions that we hold him dear to our hearts and in the highest esteem. An affront to him, is an affront to the civil liberties of the innocent citizens of Nigeria.
“In conclusion, we draw strength from the juristic permutations of Justice Chukwudifu Oputa of revered and blessed memory who posited that, ‘if we must accept the intrinsic worth of any man, then justice remains the minimum debt we owe to him; for if we deny him justice, we have inexorably declared him worthless.’
“High Chief Premium Anslem Gbemudu, in his statesmanly disposition has contributed and is contributing fairly to the development of the Nation and should be applauded rather than insulted and sought to be persecuted.
“Our profound fear is the inability of the Government of Nigeria to protect and avert harm from coming his way as the Government continues to fail to contain Boko Haram that has indeed metamorphosed into the only feely armed citizens of Nigeria the cattle rearers that are disseminating and spreading into all areas of Nigeria with the core purpose of islamizing the entire Country into an islamic caliphate by force.”