Lawyer Raises Alarm Over Alleged Threat To Life

A Lagos-based lawyer, Gbolahan Agoro, has raised an alarm over the alleged continued threat to the life of his colleague, a human rights activist, Quadri Oladapo Olawale, alongside his family, over a politically motivated brief.

Addressing a press briefing at the premises of the Nigerian Bar Association Centre in Ikeja, Agoro explained that trouble started for Quadri sometime in 2018, when he handled a landed property case ‘Pro Bono’, and unknown to him, some people perceived to be politicians, and members of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), apparently angry with him, have allegedly been after his life.

According to Agoro, the life of the entire family of his colleague has consistently been in danger, as his residence, located at 3, Alaba Close, off Balogun Bus-Stop, Iju Ishaga, Lagos was allegedly stormed by suspected thugs of the Oodua People’s Congress (OPC), and that of the APC, said to be loyal to the other party, on September 8, 2018, at about 7:15 pm.

Agoro, who argued that the suspected thugs were armed with dangerous weapons, called on concerned citizens and the human rights community to rally around to ensure that the life of his colleague and that of his family is safe from the suspected thugs.

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The lawyer said: “I am a senior member of the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR) and it is a known fact that as a legal practitioner, there are several cases in which we handle ‘Pro Bono’.

“My learned colleague, Barrister Quadri Oladapo Olawale, in contributing his quota to the defence of the oppressed, has led to his life being in persistent danger from suspected OPC members and APC thugs. I am coming out to address the press today on this issue without knowing what will happen to me tomorrow.

“The suit number ID/7048LMN/2018, which is the subject of controversy, was handled by my colleague as a legal practitioner professionally without collecting any funds from his client. He took it as a way to fight the cause of the oppressed, being a human rights lawyer.

“Little did he know that the other party who is a top member of the APC will unleash terror on the family of my friend (Barrister Quadri Oladapo Olawale). Since that day, his family has remained the target of criminals masquerading under the guise of political party and ethnic militia.

“I, thereafter, confirmed that those who attacked my friend and his family members were political thugs of APC and members of the dreaded Oodua People’s Congress. Their mission was to kill him and his family members as a way of frustrating the legal process in court.

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“On the day the incident happened, his pregnant wife, Quadri Esther Olabimpe (nee Ajibola), a mother of five was threatened and attempted rape at gunpoint before she revealed where her husband always kept his official documents in his office, located at 45, Orishe Street, Balogun Bus-Stop, off Awolowo Way, Ikeja, Lagos. They ransacked the whole place and carted away all relevant documents.

“The action of these APC thugs and OPC members have made the children: Quadri Emmanuel Damola, Quadri Dolapo Rebecca, Quadri Oluwadarasimi Daniel, Quadri Omodesola Deborah and Quadro Desire Rachel to be living in extreme fear.

“The trauma his wife and children went through is still fresh in their minds. The powerful people behind this crisis have been doing everything to ensure that the story did not see the light of the day.

“The gunshots were sporadic as his security guard, one Ifeanyi Chukwuemeka, sustained gun wounds, but his security dog could not make it alive.”

Agoro further stated that on November 17, 2018, when the family thought that the incident had gone under, the same suspected APC thugs and OPC members accosted Olawale’s wife at his residence, with a threat that if her husband fails to withdraw from the case, she would eventually be killed.

Agoro maintained that the case was reported at the police station and the police informed that the alleged crime is being investigated.

“The case was reported at the police station, and they assured us that they are on top of the situation. They further told us that the culprits would be arrested and face the law. But they have not matched their words with action.

“It is on sworn oath that my learned friend’s wife averred that he was not only shot but lost all his personal belongings including electronic appliances. His wife also lost all her life savings in the crisis,” Agoro affirmed.