Former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Timi Frank, on Wednesday, raised the alarm over threats to his life allegedly from a former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva.
Frank, who disclosed this in a statement in Abuja, said he has officially reported the matter to the Police via a petition to the Acting Inspector General of Police, Olukayode Egbetotkun, for investigation and necessary action.
He urged the Inspector General of Police, Nigerians and the international community to hold Sylva responsible should any harm befall him soon.
Frank’s petition to the IGP, dated 27th June 2023 and titled: “Incessant threats to the life of Comrade Timi Frank” was signed by his counsel, Edward Omaga, who is the principal partner of GRAYLAW Practice LP, Abuja.
The petition reads in part: “Re: Petition against Chief Timipre Sylva for committing acts bordering on identity theft, impersonation, forgery of academic certificates and giving false evidence contrary to Section 486 of the Criminal Code Act, CAP C38 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004 read together with Section 366, 364 and 158 (2) of the Penal Code Act, CAP 532 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria (Abuja) 1990.
“The above matter and our petition dated 22nd May 2023 which was received at your former office Force Criminal Intelligence and Investigation Department (FCIID), Nigeria Police Force, Area 10, Garki, FCT – Abuja on 26th May 2023 refers:
“We write to report that while investigation activities are ongoing, Chief Timipre Sylva has resorted to threatening the life of our client, Comrade Timi Frank, for daring to blow the whistle regarding the anomalies contained in his academic certificates.
“Our client informed us through a distress call this morning that the former Minister of Petroleum Resources who is also the All Progressives Congress (APC) flagbearer in the Bayelsa State Governorship Election coming up on 14th November 2023, has made active plans to hunt him down wherever he is within or outside Nigeria.
“It is obvious that Chief Timipre Sylva has revealed these sinister plans to several of his close aides and associates, some of who have called our client under the condition of anonymity to take caution.
“According to the reliable information gathered by our client, Chief Timipre Sylva is already funding a death squad to monitor our client in his residences in Accra and Dubai with the sole aim of eliminating him.
“Sir, it is important that you handle this alarm about the threat to the life of our client with utmost seriousness because Chief Timipre Sylva is a man known to be associated with cultists and other deadly squads ready to carry out any order at his behest.
“Recall that Chief Timipre Sylva was fingered to have orchestrated the failed attempt to lynch and kidnap Senator Adams Oshiomhole when as a sitting Governor of Edo State he visited Yenagoa, Bayelsa State to conduct the APC primaries ahead of the 5th December 2015 Governorship Election.
“Chief Timipre Sylva did not only hire thugs to take over Samson Siasia Stadium in Yenagoa, the venue of the primaries, but he also made sure that the exercise was scuttled.
“Senator Adams Oshiomhole May have been lucky to escape by the whiskers years ago but we cannot tell the extent to which Chief Timipre Sylva would go this time around to ensure that our client is silenced.
“In the light of the above, therefore, we call on the Inspector General of Police to take note that should anything untoward happens to our client, Chief Timipre Sylva should be held liable.”
The lawyer insisted that never in Nigeria’s democratic history has it become an offence for a patriotic citizen such as Timi Frank to expose the corrupt and fraudulent activities of serving or retired public officers.
“We pray that you take urgent actions capable of protecting the life of our client in line with your statutory duties under Section 4 of the Police Act, 2020.
“We are confident that as a man of competence and integrity, you will do everything possible to assure local and international observers that criminality will no longer thrive in Nigeria,” the lawyer said.
