The Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre has called for an urgent investigation into what it described as an assassination threat against former presidential candidate Peter Obi.
In a statement Wednesday, RULAAC said it “strongly condemns the alarming threat issued on X” by a user identified as “Engineer Tom Steve” (@Stevetom788).
The group said the post appeared to “endorse and foreshadow violent attacks” against Obi.
The post reportedly referred to Obi’s recent visit to Edo State, stating: “Thank his stars he survived this one… I learnt he's going to my Rivers State… Na my men go handle that one and dem no dey miss target… Speak no peace to a bastard and wish him no long life, for he's destined to die one.”
RULAAC said the message followed a reported shooting incident in Benin City in which Obi and members of the Obidient Movement were allegedly attacked by armed thugs. Some media reports described the incident as a “survived assassination attempt.”
The group warned that “threats to life are not protected political speech” and that “incitement to violence is a criminal offence under Nigerian law.”
It added that “online assassination rhetoric can embolden real-world attackers.”
RULAAC urged the Nigeria Police Force and the Department of State Services to investigate “the authenticity and ownership of the X account,” possible links to the Edo incident and “the credibility of the threat relating to Rivers State.”
“Democracy is not war,” the group said, warning that failure to act “will signal tolerance for political terror.”
