… describes the deceased as a good and forthright man
BY SAM OTUONYE
Chief Barr. Success Akagburuonye on Friday, described Alhaji Musa Audu as a good man that will be sorely missed by his family, friends, associates, colleagues, community and the nation, for his immense contributions.
Alhaji Audu, who served the nation in different capacities as a civil servant bowed to the cold hand of death and was buried on Thursday, September 4, in accordance with Islamic rites. He was the zonal manager on lands at Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) and was later seconded to FCDA.
Chief Akagburuonye visited the family to condole with them on the painful loss of their great father, husband and breadwinner. He expressed his heartfelt condolences, noting that he shared in their pain and unfortunate loss.
He recalled how Alhaji Audu, himself and three others passed through the nightmarish eye of security operatives, particularly, the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC), over his land at Jabi, duly allocated to his firm by the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA).
As a patriotic citizen, he established a skill vocational centre for unemployed graduates, to boost job creation, national growth and development. A well-equipped centre with various units of skill sets.
But in 2003, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, as Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT) came to forcefully take over the land, alleging underhand deal. And he was arrested, and later Alhaji Audu and three others, handcuffed and brazenly assaulted by the EFCC and were thrown into their cell for over two years.
Akagburuonye said they went to court demanding justice which came in their favour 12 years after legal fireworks.
The offence of Alhaji Audu was that as a staff of the FCDA, he did his statutory function of processing the land allocation documents for Chief Akagburuonye. And the others were connected by having anything whatsoever to do with Akagburuonye, as the EFCC conducted their investigations.
One of the victims, Danladi Okhidievbie said that the case was politically motivated as no body accused Chief Akagburuonye of stealing his land.
“That it was said to be a criminal case is what the Judge queried as he stated that there was no petition by anybody that Chief took his land, Okhidievbie narrated.”
Akagburuonye used the opportunity of the condolence visit to advise the family of Alhaji Audu to put in writing, through their lawyer any of Alhaji’s property and documents that were seized by the EFCC for return, noting that his confiscated vehicles and other items were returned to him even though highly depreciated and almost useless.
“What I’m saying is that we won the case. We have been acquitted (even though EFCC went on an appeal) and our property should be returned to us. That is what the court ordered. So, if there is anything valuable they seized from you do a letter so that they can release them. I have already carried my vehicles, even though they are useless but it’s symbolic of victory,” Akagburuonye stated.
Alhaji Audu’s widow and Son, Kabir, thanked Barrister Akagburuonye for his show of love and compassion, and sharing in their grief.
