The Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR) has called for the immediate arrest of the Executive Chairman of Amuwo Odofin Local Government, Engr. Valentine Buraimoh and Hon. Dipo Olorunrinu for the roles they played before and during the May 29, 2021 local government council primaries conducted by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in lagos State.

In a petition addressed to high profile APC leaders including President Muhammadu Buhari, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, Governor Mai Mala Buni, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, and Alhaji Tunde Balogun, the CDHR accused the duo of possessing fire arms, disrupting the election primaries in different wards o the local government and causing general unrest and terrorising the peace of the local government with heavily armed thugs.

An armed thug

“The incumbent Council Chairman of Amuwo Odofin Local Government, Engineer Valentine Buraimoh personally led thugs to chase away voters and cart away ballot boxes to unknown destination while some people suffered various degrees of body injuries particularly in Ward K, see youtube link (https://youtu.be/9N30S51jBmc), where rounds of gunshots by thugs led by Engineer Valentine Buraimoh were fired at electorates and passerby and with bullets scattered on the ground. These thugs were also seen hanging around the Black Toyota Hilux pickup vehicle Engineer Valentine Buraimoh was riding in.

“Engineer Valentine Buraimoh is not from ward K, why then was he found at other wards on the day of election with thugs numbering up to 80 thereby violating the electoral guidelines of the All Progressives Congress (APC). Hon.Dipo Olorunrinu who claims to be from Ward C was also seen in some other wards during voting hours alongside hoodlums working with him thereby also violating the electoral guidelines since he is an aspirant and not an election observer,” CDHR noted.

In the petition, signed by the State Chairman, Committee For The Defence of Human Rights Comrade Kehinde Adeoye, the group called on the President and the security agencies to immediately arrest Engineer Valentine Buraimoh in order to mop up the arms from the community during the attack and prosecute the LGA chairman in a competent court of jurisdiction.

They also demanded to know the state of the investigation by the Nigerian Police in Lagos State on the arrest of Hon. Dipo Olorunrinu by the Commissioner of Police with respect to illegal possession of fire arms and ammunition in 2018.

Mr Adeoye said that the calls for the arrest of the two men are predicated on the fact that the arms they have placed in the hands of thugs and violent elements may likely be used to terrorise the lives of innocent Nigerians, especially residents of Amuwo Odofin Local Government Area, and therefore should be mopped up.

The body recalled that in recent times, violent crimes which involved the letting of blood have taken place, citing the killing of former President Goodluck Jonathan’s former aide and APC chieftain, Ahmad Gukak, killing of former Enugu High Court judge, Stanley Nnaji and former youth leader ward C, APC Amuwo Odofin, Mr. Soji Abraham.

“One wonders why those arms have not been mopped up, the culprits arrested and brought to book by a competent court of Law. This portrays danger as the pump actions and riffles in possession of the thugs remain within the community in Amuwo Odofin posing as a huge security risk to residents,” the letter read.

Read the letter in full:

OPEN LETTER TO PRESIDENT MUHAMMADU BUHARI; NATIONAL LEADER OF ALL PROGRESSIVES CONGRESS (APC) ASIWAJU BOLA AHMED TINUBU; ACTING NATIONAL CARETAKER COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN OF APC GOVERNOR MAI MALA BUNI; EXECUTIVE GOVERNOR OF LAGOS STATE MR BABAJIDE OLUSOLA SANWO OLU; LAGOS STATE APC CARETAKER COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN ALHAJI TUNDE BALOGUN.
INSECURITY IN NIGERIA: WHY HONOURABLE DIPO OLORUNRINU AND ENGINEER VALENTINE BURAIMOH ARE NOT FIT TO BE EXECUTIVE CHAIRMAN OF A LOCAL GOVERNMENT IN NIGERIA.

The attention of the above named personalities and the general public is hereby drawn to the negative consequences of the All Progressives Congress (APC) primaries of Saturday 29th May, 2021 across Lagos State especially in Amuwo Odofin Local Government Area.

Prior to the local government APC primaries, one of the APC chairmanship aspirants Honourable Dipo Olorunrinu Former Member Lagos State House of Assembly Amuwo Odofin Constituency 1, on the platform of People’s Democratic Party (PDP) 2015-2019, had and still has a case with the Nigerian Police, Lagos State where he was arrested for being in possession of illegal fire arms and ammunitions and the case is still on since 2018. See a link on the subject matter on 15th July 2018. (https://www.google.com/amp/s/punchng.com/lagos-lawmaker-arrested-for-unlawful-possession-of-guns/%3famp). In accordance with the APC, INEC and LASIEC guidelines, no aspirant of the party must have a pending criminal trial or pending criminal record in any court of law and if found to have, is not eligible to contest any election.(reference APC nomination form page 3 & 4, INEC, LASIEC guidelines). During the campaign towards the May 29 2021 APC primaries, there were several rounds of gunshots fired into the air at 512 Road Festac Town by members of Hon. Dipo Olorunrinu’s group while he was present at the location. See a link on the subject matter on May 21, 2021. (http://globaltimesinternational.com.ng/2021/05/21/ex-lawmaker-representing-amuwo-odofin-flags-off-campaign-amidst-gunshots/). At this level of insecurity and incessant killings in the country, we feel that the situation in Amuwo Odofin LGA and indeed across the country is very fragile now and can snowball into a huge security threat.

The incumbent Council Chairman of Amuwo Odofin Local Government, Engineer Valentine Buraimoh personlly led thugs to chase away voters and cart away ballot boxes to unknown destination while some people suffered various degrees of body injuries particularly in Ward K, see youtube link (https://youtu.be/9N30S51jBmc), where rounds of gunshots by thugs led by Engineer Valentine Buraimoh were fired at electorates and passerby and with bullets scattered on the ground. These thugs were also seen hanging around the Black Toyota Hilux pickup vehicle Engineer Valentine Buraimoh was riding in.

Engineer Valentine Buraimoh is not from ward K, why then was he found at other wards on the day of election with thugs numbering up to 80 thereby violating the electoral guidelines of the All Progressives Congress (APC). Hon.Dipo Olorunrinu who claims to be from Ward C was also seen in some other wards during voting hours alongside hoodlums working with him thereby also violating the electoral guidelines since he is an aspirant and not an election observer.

Our concern as members of civil society is to ensure that the lives of people are not endangered. There are pictorial and video evidences of the use of illegal possession of firearms at the primaries, see a link on the subject matter (https://youtu.be/9N30S51jBmc). On 31st May 2021, members of the civil society stormed the Lagos State House of Assembly to protest incessant killings of citizens, policemen and soldiers. A protest letter was delivered to the office of the speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly Hon. Mudashiru Ajayi Obasa to arrest the situation. In this regard, the recent brutal killings of Ex political adviser to former president Dr. Goodluck Jonathan Alhaji Ahmed Gulak (30th May, 2021), Ex Enugu high court judge Stanley Nnaji (31st May,2021), former youth leader ward C, APC Amuwo Odofin Mr. Soji Abraham (4th Feb, 2021) and many others.

One wonders why those arms have not been mopped up, the culprits arrested and brought to book by a competent court of Law. This portrays danger as the pump actions and riffles in possession of the thugs remain within the community in Amuwo Odofin posing as a huge security risk to residents. See Reference to the Executive Order signed by President Muhammadu Buhari that all illegal weapons be retrieved.

(https://thesourceng.com/buhari-signs-executive-order-banning-use-of-guns/).

There were also confirmed reports of violence and the use of arms at Surulere Local Government in Lagos State where two (2) lives were lost and also in Agege Local government where there was series of gunshots heard within the local government. There were several protests at the Lagos State Party Secretariat ACME at Ikeja on Sunday 30th May 2021 and on Monday 31st May, 2021.

We hereby call on President Muhammadu Buhari as the Chief Security Officer of the country, National Leader of the APC Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Governor of Lagos State Mr Babajide Sanwo Olu as the Chief Security Officer of the state; the National Security Adviser Major General Babagana Monguno (Rtd); Director General of the Department of State Security Service (DSS) Alhaji Yusuf Magaji Bichi; Inspector General of Police Alkali Baba Usman; Lagos State Commissioner of Police CP Hakeem Odumosu, Lagos State Director of State Security Service (SSS) to order a high-powered investigation into this security matter and life-threathening issue considering the spate of insecurity currently in Nigeria and to also mop up the firearms from the community used during the attack.

OUR DEMAND

1.)We call on President Muhammadu Buhari and all the security agencies to immediately arrest Engineer Valentine Buraimoh in order to mop up the arms from the community during the attack and prosecute him in a competent court of jurisdiction.

2.)We demand to know the state of the investigation by the Nigerian Police in Lagos State on the arrest of Hon.Dipo Olorunrinu by the Commissioner of Police with respect to illegal possession of fire arms and ammunition in 2018.

Signed:
Comrade Kehinde Adeoye
State Chairman,
Committee For The Defence of Human Rights

The group maintains that there was no election in the local government on the day as thugs loyal to the chairman were moving from ward to ward shooting and scaring innocent voters, and call on the APC leadership to as a matter of urgency call for the arrest of the chairman to begin the process of retrieving dangerous weapons in the hands of thugs and violent elements in the community.