A Lagos-based legal practitioner and activist, Quadri Oladapo Olawale, has raised alarm that his life and that of his family are being threatened because of a case he agreed to handle pro bono, appealing to the police to protect his family.
Speaking for the Olawale family at the premises of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Centre in Ikeja, on Tuesday, their counsel, Gbolahan Agoro, stated that the genesis of Quadri’s problems was a landed property case that he handled pro bono in 2018, adding that unknown to him, some politicians were interested in the matter and were angry that he took on the case.
He alleged that the aggrieved people are after the life of Quadry and his entire family as his residence at 3, Alaba Close, off Balogun Bus-Stop, Iju Ishaga, Lagos was allegedly stormed by suspected thugs and members if a popular vigilante group.
According to him, since the first attack on September 8, 2018, he had not had peace and had been living in fear with his family.
Agoro, who argued that the suspected thugs were armed with dangerous weapons, called on concerned citizens and the human rights community to rally around the family to ensure that the life of his colleague and that of his family is safe.
“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 which we handle ‘Pro Bono’.
“My learned colleague, Barrister Quadri Oladapo Olawale, in contributing his quota to the defence of the oppressed, is now facing persistent danger from unknown quarters.
“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 fund 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 will continually unleash terror on the family of my friend. Since that day, his family has remained the target of criminals masquerading under the guise of political party and ethnic militia.
“I, thereafter, confirm that those who attacked my friend and his family members were political thugs; their mission was to kill him and his family members as a way of frustrating the legal process in court.
“On the day the incident happened, his pregnant wife, Quadri Esther Olabimpe (nee Ajibola), a mother of five was threatened and faced 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.
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“The action of these thugs and 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,” he said.
Agoro further stated that on November 17, 2018, when the family thought that the incident had gone under, Olawale’s wife was again accosted at their residence, with a threat that if her husband fails to withdraw from the case, she would eventually be killed.
“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.
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