Family of Mrs Salome Acheju Abuh, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Women Leader who was burnt alive in her home by suspected thugs during the November 16, 2019 Kogi governorship election, has appealed for adequate compensation and justice in the matter.
Husband of the deceased PDP Women Leader, Elder Simeon Abuh, who was flanked by his children during a press conference in Abuja on Friday, appealed to the federal government, international bodies and other organizations to treat the family’s “homelessness” as an emergency by facilitating their resettlement and reconstruction of their burnt houses.
He said his fully furnished houses comprising five bedrooms, four bedrooms and two bedroom apartments and other properties were razed in his Ochadamu country home during the attack carried out by the suspected thugs, adding that life has not been easy for the family ever since.
”The continuous living in the internally displaced persons (IDPs) situation of my people and others affected in the Ochadamu community and silence of the powers that be, since the past two years, remains worrisome. I therefore demand that Mr. President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, H. E. President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, Governor of Kogi State, H. E. Yahaya Bello and APC as a party… should, as a matter of urgency treat our homelessness as an emergency and rebuild our burnt down houses”, he said.
According to him, neither the government at any level nor any political party including the PDP for which cause, his wife paid the supreme price, had offered any form of support to the family since the incident.
He said he has written a petition to President Muhammed Buhari and copied wife of the president, Aisha Buhari; the Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo and his wife; the Inspector General of Police; minister of Women Affairs and Minister of Humanitarian and Disasters Management, amongst others, following the gruesome murder of his wife and loss of his properties but was yet to get any response till date.
He appealed to the president to direct a “sincere and comprehensive investigation with a view to ensuring that justice prevails, no matter who may be involved, including the sponsors of these dastardly acts.”
Elder Abuh called for the immortalization of his wife as a ‘Political Celebrity’ who paid a supreme price for sustenance of democracy in Nigeria, judging by the gruesome manner by which she was murdered by political party thugs in her own house.
He urged the police to ensure all those involved in the gruesome murder of his wife were brought to justice.
See full text below:
PRESS CONFERENCE
RE- “BURNT ALIVE” OF MY WIFE, HON. SALOME ACHEJU ABUH, THE ERSTWHILE PEOPLE DEMOCRATIC PARTY WOMAN LEADER AND DESTRUCTION OF MY PROPERTIES ON MONDAY 18TH NOVEMBER 2019 AT OCHADAMU, OFU LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA, KOGI STATE:
CALL FOR ADEQUATE COMPENSATION NOW THAT JUDGEMENT IS SAID TO HAVE BEEN PRONOUNCED
On the 27th March, 2020, I addressed a Press Conference after the three months initial mourning period of my late wife, Hon. Salome Acheju Abuh, the erstwhile People Democratic Party (PDP) Woman Leader, who was “burnt alive” in our matrimonial home, Ochadamu, Ofu Local Government Area, during the Kogi State Governorship Election which took place in November 2019.
2. Recall that she was “burnt alive” and four (4) fully furnished houses in our family compound were also burnt down, with the fifth (5th), made inhabitable, on Monday, 18th November, 2019 by the All Progressive Congress (APC) Thugs, chanting GYB 4+4 and shooting sporadically, after the declaration of the election results in favour of the APC.
3. At that Press Conference, Gentlemen of the Press, I did set the records straight and informed the world that, neither government at any level nor any Political Party: APC whose Thugs perpetrated this cruel acts, nor the PDP for whose cause she paid this supreme prize, has commiserated with us, either as a family or me, the husband, personally, for this dastardly acts against us for which we called on relevant Organisations and well-meaning individuals to come to our aid with passionate appeal for adequate compensation and justice, to justify her rights to life and association.
4. The Story has been in the public domain, therefore, there may be no need to over-state why and how it happened. Her offence being that, kai, this iron lady, a grass root politician, mobilizer and community leader of a repute, delivered the local government area, Ofu, to her Party, PDP, in a well-fortified APC Local Government.
5. Gentlemen of the Press, I wish to put on record again, that the actions by these thugs were premeditated on Saturday 16th November, when these boys got the winds of how the elections were going, and carried out on Monday 18th November 2019 when my wife was resting in our family house.
Actions so far:
6. I wrote a petitioned to H. E. President Muhammed Buhari, GFCR, copied Her. Excellency, Dr. Aisha Buhari, wife of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (a woman), the Senate President, the Rt. Hon. Speaker of the House of Representatives, Inspector General of the Police, Hon. Minister of Women Affairs, (a Woman), Hon. Minister of Humanitarian & Disaster Management Affairs, (a Woman), among others, appealing for immediate re-habilitations and justice to prevail over this gruesome murder of my wife, including loss of properties with an INVITATION to NOTE that:
a. this attack on my wife and destruction of our properties were premeditated on Saturday 16th November, and carried out on Monday 18th, November 2019, by these known Thugs;
b. that Thugs, chanting GYB4+4, burnt my wife alive, including 4 fully furnished houses with the 5th one on our compound, made inhabitable, with some other PDP Stakeholders in Ochadamu, have their houses looted/burnt down and I made the following simple PRAYERS, that H. E. Mr. President should:
i. graciously direct a sincere and comprehensive investigations with a view to ensuring that justice prevails, no matter who may be involved, including the sponsors of this dastardly acts;
ii. direct for adequate security and support/sponsor a befitting burial of my wife, fixed for 6th and 7th December 2019 with an attached schedule;
iii. treat our homelessness as an emergency; by resettling and reconstruction of our burnt down houses; and
iv. adequately compensate us for the life lost, even though life is irreplaceable.
7. During the Press Conference under review, I made passionate appeals to the United Nations, European Union Delegations to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Economic Community of West African States, Human Rights Organisations (Local and International), PDP Governors and PDP as a Party, (for whose cause, she paid this supreme prize), Corporate/Humanitarian Organisations and spirited individuals to come to our aid, to enable us own dream home again, and to kindly impress, on Mr. President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, H. E. President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, Governor of Kogi State, H. E. Yahaya Bello and APC as a Party, whose Thugs did this to us, to:
i. treat our homelessness as an emergency and rebuild our burnt down houses: 5bedrooms, 4bedrooms, 2No. 2bedrooms (all fully furnished, with 5th, 1bedroom, vandalized, in Ochadamu, Ofu Local Government Area, Kogi State;
ii. adequately compensate us (4 children – all graduates: One PhD. Student, One M.Sc student, One B.Tech. Maths/Computer and One B. Tech. Quantity Surveyor and me, the husband), for the gruesome murder of my wife, Hon. Salome Acheju Abuh, by the APC Thugs on 18th November, 2019, to justify her rights to “Life and Association”;
iii. rebuild the houses of the other families looted/burnt down at Ochadamu by these unmasked Thugs/Messengers;
iv. ensure that the perpetrators including their sponsors, are brought to book to serve as deterrent to avert future occurrence, not just in the Kogi State, but in Nigeria at large;
v. immortalize her name as a Political Celebrity who paid a supreme prize for sustenance of Democracy in Nigeria, judging by the gruesome manner by which she was murdered (“Burnt Alive”) by Political Party Thugs in her own house) and the burning down of 4 buildings in the family house;
vi. impress on the Wife of the President of Federal Republic of Nigeria, H. E. Dr. Aisha Buhari in company of Governors Wives and notable Female Politicians to show concern for the “Burnt Alive” of a “fellow Woman Politician” for her bravery, doggedness and purposefulness, in a country where Women are said to have a voice and calling for several affirmatives in respect of Nigeria Women.
I wish to say that up till now, gentlemen, nothing has been heard from anywhere.
8. Gentlemen of the Press, you are also aware of the court judgment delivered at the High Court of Justice, Idah, Kogi State on the 23rd March 2021, where ONLY ONE PERSON, Ocholi Edicha was arraigned and found guilty of all five count charges with regard to the burnt alive of my late wife, and burning down of 4 houses (not huts/tents); including looted/burnt down of some other PDP stakeholders houses in the community, for which he is to serve twelve and a half years jail term.
The points I want to make here are:
i. Is it possible for ONE person to commit such magnitude of destruction of life and properties in our compound and other key PDP stakeholders houses in the community within such a few hours?
ii. Kogi State Police Command paraded six boys, including Ocholi Edicha who were said to have confessed to the crime. Surprisingly, Five were charged for armed robbery and only Ocholi Edicha became the murderer and arsonist. Police is OUR Friend, Police is THEIR Friend.
iii. Why were the others named not arrested and prosecuted? Police is our Friend… The Court is not Father Christmas. The Court acted according to the information from our Friends, “the Nigerian Police”, perhaps.
iv. there is God.
9. However, some level of truth had been established. Punishment is said to have been pronounced, whether is being served or not, only God knows. NOW, therefore, how shall our predicaments and Prayers – Our homelessness and compensation be addressed? This is the reason why this 2nd Press Conference to enable me, once again, passionately appeal to the United Nations, European Union Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, United Kingdom Agency for International Development, Economic Community of West African States, Human Rights Organisations (Local and International), Governors, State Governments, Political Parties, PDP as a Party, (for whose cause, she paid this supreme prize), Corporate/Humanitarian Organisations and spirited individuals to come to our aid, to enable us own dream home again.
10. The continuous living in the internally displaced persons (IDP) situation of my people and others affected in Ochadamu community and silence of the powers that be, since the past two years, remain worrisome. I therefore demand that Mr. President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, H. E. President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, Governor of Kogi State, H. E. Yahaya Bello and APC as a Party, whose Thugs/boys did this to us, should, as a matter of urgency:
i. treat our homelessness as an emergency and rebuild our burnt down houses: 5bedrooms, 4bedrooms, 2No. 2bedrooms (all fully furnished, with 5th, 1bedroom, vandalized, in Ochadamu, Ofu Local Government Area, Kogi State, because this iron lady delivered her Local Government to her Party in a well-fortified APC Local Government;
ii. adequately compensate us (4 children – all graduates: One PhD Student, One M.Sc student, One B.Tech. Maths/Computer, One B. Tech. Quantity Surveyor and me, the Widower), for the gruesome murder of my wife, Hon. Salome Acheju Abuh, by the APC Thugs (not unknown gunmen), on 18th November, 2019, to justify her rights to “Life and Association”;
iii. rebuild the houses of the other families burnt down at Ochadamu by these unmasked Thugs, with adequate compensations also; and
iv. immortalize her name as a Political Celebrity who paid a supreme prize for sustenance of Democracy in Nigeria, judging by the gruesome manner by which she was murdered (“Burnt Alive”) by Political Party Thugs in her own house) and the burning down of 4 buildings in the family house.
11. Wife of the President of Federal Republic of Nigeria, Her Excellency, Dr. Aisha Buhari, Governors Wives and notable Female Politicians, should note that in 2019, it was Hon. Salome Acheju Abuh who was “Burnt Alive” for her political bravery, doggedness and result oriented which supreme prize she paid for democracy, may be as a ‘nobody’, in a country where Women are said to have a voice and calling for several affirmatives in respect of Nigeria Women, but tomorrow, it could be another woman who is ‘somebody’ and purposefulness, but then time shall tell, as here comes 2023 or other elections before then.
· The question now is not who killed Salome?
ü (a killer has been identified)
· The question now is not why?
ü (the reasons has been stated, in public domain)
· The question now is not who are the sponsors of this wicked acts?
ü (use your tongue to count your teeth)
· The continuous questions remains that, will there be justice for Salome?
ü (only time shall tell)
· Another question could be, what is the stand of Nigerian Female Politicians?
ü (Ask Nigerian Women)
12. It is important to add that my younger sister whom we brought up and whose breast cancer ailment we have been managing, died of shock after three months of my wife cruel murder. She cried always, “oh sister, aah, why sister, what did she do to them. A brother-in-law died of such a shock, six months after. My wife’s mother felt shocked, we were only able to manage her for one year after her daughter’s cruel murder. She died in December 2020 – one year after. See the chain effects:
13. In conclusion, we wish to thank all those who see these acts against us as unjust, and passionately appeal to all spirited bodies/individuals to help address our homelessness as an emergency, support our demand for adequate compensation to justify her rights to “Life and Association.
14. Thank you all, as you continue to stand by us in the struggle for justice, in this regard.
Eld. Simeon Babani Seidu Abuh, JP, FCSR, FABS, FCFE, AMT
The Widower
For: The Family
