‘Shut up or risk being killed’

A retired Texas cop, a businessman and a businesswoman cum security consultant are enmeshed in a web, which has kept the police, the Directorate of State Services (DSS) and others busy. The businesswoman says she has been told to shut up or risk being killed, reports PRECIOUS IGBONWELUNDU

In the beginning, Augusta Peter, a businesswoman and security consultant, and the duo of Adamu Sadiq Mohammed and Maisule Kurugu, a retired Texas cop, never envisaged a day like today. Mohammed and Kurugu shipped bullet proof vests and helmets for Ms Peter and there was no problem. Trouble, however, took root in 2013 when she contracted the duo to help her buy a bullet-proof car and some patrol vehicles for her protocol business, all was well. Now, things are so bad that almost all the security agencies in the country have had to investigate their business transaction.

The worst of it, Ms Peter says her life is being threatened by Mohammed and Kurugu who allegedly duped her of $242,000 in the guise of importing some vehicles for her. Both men have denied the allegations.

Ms Peter says she has been in hiding since she reported the duo that she paid the money to in 2013 for the purchase/ importation of a Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) as well as patrol vehicles for her protocol business.

A group, Organising for Nigeria, has petitioned the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on Ms Peter’s behalf accusing the Department of State Services (DSS) of releasing the suspects without due diligence.

The group said petitions were also sent to the wife of the President Mrs. Aisha Buhari, Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) Boss Mustapha, Senator Oluremi Tinubu and Minster for Women Affairs Mrs. Pauline Tallen to prevail on state actors to investigate her claims of threat to life and intimidation.

The group’s Publicity Secretary, Vincent Offiong, said Ms Peter was forced to shut down her offices in Lagos and go into hiding.

He alleged that the threats were usually made to her through phone calls, text messages and contrived robbery which became intense to the extent that she had to send her employees away, thus adversely affecting those around her economically and socially.

In her telephone chat with The Nation, Ms Peter said trouble began after she realised that the men she had entered a business deal with were out to defraud her.

She said she wanted to buy a Lexus LX570 for her personal use which they agreed to for a fee of $92,000. After paying the amount to Kurugu, through Mohammed, the party had another agreement for the purchase of some patrol vehicles she needed to set up a protocol business.

“We agreed for $250,000 but at that time what I had was $150,000. I wanted to keep the money until it was complete before I send to them but Maisule called me shortly after I left Texas and said they were to ship some vehicles for a state government.

“He pleaded with me to send the $150,000 since I was not using it yet and that they could buy the vehicles and ship them the same time with my personal car. I did not have any cause to suspect or doubt them because of the person who introduced them to me and also because we have done a business before this time.

“They shipped bullet proof vests and helmets for me and there was no problem at all. But surprisingly, after paying the naira equivalent of $242,000 to Mohammed’s corporate account- Ibad Integrated Services, Zenith Bank, 1012183325- on December 21, 2013; for onward transmission to Maisule, they started playing me.

“They went as far as involving one man by name Osagie who lives in Texas as the person that bought the vehicle. But along the line, the man opened up and told me there was no vehicle that they have been playing me. They even gave me a car key for a vehicle I have not seen today. I told Mohammed I wanted special number plate and he charged me another N147,000 only to bring a fake number plate.

“The Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) did nothing about this incident. The more I asked for my car, the more they threatened to kill me. I went back to the person who introduced Maisule to me who actually had told me there was nothing to fear when I first raised brow and still no help, rather there were intimidations for me to shut up or risk being killed.

“They had sent people after me (at least) twice and once I ran into Dolphin Police Station in Lagos State where I was escorted to my house that night. I reported the incident to the Nigeria Police Force (INTERPOL, Lagos), we mounted pressure, but nothing came out of it.  I never saw Maisule again. He never picked my calls either. When I called Adamu, he threatened me. They were not talking about me getting my car.  And they never delivered the car or paid me back my $242, 000. I wrote to them and they threatened me.”

The group condemned the DSS for releasing Kurugu without Ms Peter’s consent, adding that the woman was already exhausted.

“Ms Peter has been unable to concentrate to discharge her motherly and family roles appropriately because she is always on the run. These men have on occasions threatened Augusta by name-dropping President Muhammadu Buhari saying that they were being protected by the government as such nothing can happen to them even boasting of attending the same mosque,” said the group.

But Mohammed denied they were threatening the woman’s life, noting that the case was already in court.

He said it was untrue that they defrauded Ms. Peter, adding that documents have been provided to show that all items she ordered were duly delivered.

He alleged that Ms. Peter was being greedy and exploiting her police contacts to harass them despite getting a chunk of the profit from a contract they executed for her.

“It is not true that I am threatening her. If you want to get the full details, come to court on December 5. This case is already in court and witnesses are being called,” he said.

Neither the DSS nor the police responded to the issue when contacted.

Kurugu, who was detained by the police over the matter, dragged the police and others to court.  An FCT High Court last year awarded the sum of N3 million in damages against the Nigeria Police over his prolonged detention. He was arrested at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport, Abuja on January 11, 2017 and his passport and luggage were seized.

The Nigeria-born former United States police officer, Justice M. A. Nasir held, was detained for six days, without recourse to a court of law, thus violating sections 33, 34, 35, 36, 38, 41, 42 and 46 of the 1999 Constitution.

The judge ruled that only the wrong done to the applicant, which included arresting him in the presence of his family and friends and preventing him from travelling from the airport could be remedied by the award of damages.

In the judgment delivered on May 24, last year, Justice Nasir refused to award exemplary damages after upholding the submission of the police that there was reasonable ground for the police to make the arrest in line with sections 214 and 215 of the 1999 Constitution and Section 4 of the Police Act CAP P.19 LFN, 2004. Kurugu and his business partner, Adamu Mohammed, demanded the sum of N500m against ex-IGP MD Abubakar, serving IGP Ibrahim Idris, Ms Peter, Ibrahim Bello Sada, a DSS official; C.S.P. Onuoha Emeka, a Chief Superintendent of Police and DPO of Airport Police Station; Inspector Vincent Agyo, and the Nigeria Police.

In the fundamental rights enforcement application by his lawyer, Francis Mgbo, the ex-Texas cop and the chairman of Global Security and Equipment Ltd, also sought an order compelling the police to issue a public apology in three national newspapers over the arrest and detention. But, the judge saw no need to grant such request.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), The Nation learnt, has also had cause to investigate the deal.

The last has certainly not been heard of the matter.