IDENTITY THEFT ORDEAL: My Set-up was politically plotted, planned in Nigeria to be Detained at London Airport -Peter OBI opens up

IDENTITY THEFT ORDEAL:

My Set-up was politically plotted, planned in Nigeria to be Detained at London Airport–Peter OBI opens up

… Enemies of Democracy were afraid of the massive ‘OBIdients’ movement across the nation, scuttled my presidential ambition

*‘The matter is still being investigated by the United Kingdom authorities, I am extremely careful in all my activities, waiting anxiously for the outcome’

*“Peter Obi did not attend TINUBU’S inauguration at Eagle Square, even though an invitation was sent to him. It would have been strange for him to attend a ceremony honouring a leader whose election triumph he is contesting in court”-Aide, Tai Obasi

*BY NWAKANMA AMAECHI/SPECIAL POLITICAL & CRIME Correspondent, Lagos & GEORGE ELIJAH OTUMU/AMERICA Senior Investigative Editor

IN A SHOCKING REVELATION, PETER OBI, the candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 presidential election has confirmed that his alleged earlier ‘detain’ for identity theft in London was initiated, politically planned in Nigeria to scuttle his rising political ambition for becoming Nigeria’s president going by the fears generated from the massive presence of ‘OBIdients’ across the country.

Obi, however, added that the matter was still being investigated by United Kingdom (U.K) authorities.

Making this revelation on Sunday while speaking as a guest on a Parallel Facts Media Twitter Space programme, he said: “I have been to the UK since then and they too are investigating because when I arrived, I asked them and they said they were looking into it,” Obi said.

“That’s all I can say for now. I am also extremely careful. I’m managing it and I am hoping nothing goes wrong. But it all started from here; that’s all I can tell you. It’s something that started from Nigeria.”

A source in Obi’s camp who is not authorised to speak to the press confided in one of our correspondents that the Nigeria’s state apparatus were afraid of the rising profile of the former Anambra State governor, “truth is, everyone in the All Progressives Congress, APC, were afraid of the massive OBIdients’ movement presence across the country and the rising political profile of Obi. As such, the Nigerian State under Muhammadu Buhari leadership hatched a scandalous plan to throw a wrench or stoppage at the OBIdients’ movement by causing a huge crisis outside the shores of the nation to slow him down and bring him into opprobrium in the eyes of the international community and a larger section of Nigerians as a man unfit for office. That was how the identity double was hatched”.

In April, Obi was reportedly delayed and questioned by some immigration officials in London over a case of identity theft.

 Obi was said to have been detained for hours after his British Airways plane landed at Heathrow Airport.

According to one of his former aides, Prof Chinyere Okunna, Obi narrated the ordeal to her in private and expressed pain about his ordeal, which was meant to hound and chase him out of Nigeria.

 Okunna said, “Today, 11/04/2023, I was shocked beyond words to hear from His Excellency Mr Peter what he went through when his British Airways plane landed at Heathrow Airport London in the early morning of Friday 07/04/2023.

 “He was talking to me at the Official Opening of the Specialist Hospital of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (IHM) Sisters, Nkpor. He had arrived at the event after flying in from London, his presence heralded by the usual ‘ear-splitting’ ovation that accompanies him everywhere nowadays. As the “Most Outstanding Pillar of the Foundation/Hospital”, the Reverend Sisters were full of expectations that he would attend; so were we (Members of the Governing Board of the IHM Sisters Healthcare System), although there was also anxiety about whether he would be able to make it, being outside Nigeria.

 “I suppose he told me all this confidentially. My very sincere apologies, Your Excellency, for ‘breaking’ this confidentiality, but History beckons and I CANNOT KEEP QUIET.

“He arrived at Heathrow Airport and joined the usual queue to pass through Immigration, and that was when his ordeal began.

 “He was stopped and questioned for a long time and subsequently handed a detention note and told to wait for further interrogation and investigation. This was terribly unusual for a man who had lived honourably in the UK for a long time.

 “In the face of this harassment, some well-meaning Nigerians, knowing who he is, raised their voices in protest, demanding to know why he was being treated that way.”

 Okunna revealed that in the face of seeming protest by some Nigerians, the immigration officials revealed that someone was impersonating Obi in the country.

 “The shocking revelation by the Immigration Officer was that his (Obi’s) identity ‘was duplicated’. This revelation has definitely set off alarm bells.

 “For people who are knowledgeable about such matters, this is a very dangerous development because the implication is that someone is impersonating Peter Obi.

“And that someone could implicate Obi in all manner of dubious and even criminal activities, and rope him into any number of offences; he could get Obi framed for one criminal act or another. The frightening scenario of what can happen is unimaginable.”

However, Femi Fani-Kayode, the former Director, New Media sub-committee of the APC presidential campaign council, had said Obi could not be trusted unless he explained what led to his detention by British immigration officers at Heathrow Airport.

He said Obi must clarify if he violated British laws, either knowingly or unknowingly.

Fani Kayode stated, “Until Peter Obi tells us what happened to him at Heathrow Airport and why he was accosted and detained by British immigration officials over Easter, he cannot be trusted or taken seriously.

 “Peter Obi’s claim that he never ‘knowingly’ broke the law speaks volumes and suggests that he broke it ‘unknowingly.’”

*Why PETER OBI did not attend TINUBU’S swearing-in ceremony: 

OBI has said he and his team are not planning to stage a protest against the inauguration of Bola Tinubu as the incoming president of Nigeria.

Obi’s aide, Tai Obasi, denied reports that there were plans to protest against Tinubu’s inauguration, according to The PUNCH. Obasi, however, added that his principal will not attend the inauguration even though an invitation was sent to him.

Obi’s remark comes amid rumours that the former Anambra governor and OBIdients (his supporters) will protest near Eagle Square over the government’s plan to go ahead with Tinubu’s inauguration despite petitions at the election petition tribunal.

Obasi was quoted by PUNCH saying, “I don’t know where that report is coming from. We don’t know anything about it or who are behind the proposed protest. But I can categorically tell you that my principal is not aware of anything.

“He is Obi and his followers are OBIdient. I agree that on some occasions, they may act on their own, no matter how you tell them to keep calm. These guys are angry. They are not happy about how everything was manipulated against Obi who has given them so much hope. They followed him and waited for him all the way.”

“My principal is a very humble and reasonable man who is always looking for peace and unity of the country at all costs,” Obi’s aide said when asked if his principal will attend Tinubu’s inauguration following reports that political parties and their presidential candidates were sent individual invitations.

“But it will be strange for him to attend a ceremony honouring a leader whose election triumph he is contesting in court.”

 He continued: “My principal cannot act that weird and unreasonable. I can’t confirm if he received an invitation to the swearing-in ceremony. But I am telling you that you can’t see him there.”

Tinubu of the APC was declared the winner of the 2023 presidential election by the Independent National Electoral Commission in March.

Due to this, Obi approached the court to seek the nullification of Tinubu’s victory, alleging that the election that produced him was marred with a lot of irregularities.

 When asked to provide the evidence he had to prove that the election was fraudulent, Obi said he would prove to Nigerians in court that the election was rigged.

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