By Gabriel Ewepu – Abuja

Civil Society groups under the auspices of Coalition of Civil Society Groups, CCSG, Sunday, called on the Federal Government to protect the life of President and Chief Executive Officer, Global Real Estate Investors and Financial Services, Anslem Gbemudu, over alleged moves by members of the Boko Haram sect to eliminate him on the accusation of being the brain behind the killing of their founder and leader, Mohammed Yusuf, in 2009.

The call was made in a statement signed by Convener, Initiative For Social Progress International, ISPI, David Yusuf, Co-Convener, Nigeria National Coalition for Democracy and Good Governance, NNCDGG, Abah Michael, Co-Convener, Mass Movement for a New Nigeria, MMNN, Dansirja Ibraheem Hamza.

According to the group Ogbemudu to check the negative and rapidly growing influence the late sect leader, Mohammed Yusuf, was exerting with his own teachings to convert sincere Muslims into terrorists, “Gbemudu in 2008 and 2009 embarked on a mission to neutralize the ideas of Islamic extremism and warfare that was been inculcated at that time.

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He recorded monumental success in disarming the grip of inordinate religious teachings on young and innocent Muslims who later refuted Mohammed Yusuf and his representations.”

The statement reads in part, “For yesteryears, the life of the President and Chief Executive Officer of Global Real Estate Investors and Financial Services, Chief  Anslem Gbemudu has been an entanglement of risks and high-level threats targeted at exterminating his existence and decimating his business engagements by the dreaded Boko Haram sect of Nigeria owing to their tenacious belief that he masterminded the arrest and eventual killing of their top rank leader and spiritual director, Mohammed Yusuf who died 2009.

“A USA Army Veteran and Nigerian citizen of one of the most respected royal families from South Eastern Nigeria, particularly Delta State, Chief  Anslem Gbemudu having domiciled and gathered sufficient knowledge on the management of top profile security confrontations in the United States saw reason to, in the wake of the security concerns in Nigeria, come back home and deploy his intellectual and professional acumen to dissuading the minds of younger Nigerians particularly in the higher institutions of learning in Northern Nigeria who were hypnotized with distorted Qur’anic teachings by Mohammed Yusuf, his cohorts and hirelings.

“We state categorically that Chief Gbemudu is a veteran and pathfinder whose commitment and traces of positive impact to redefining the chequered history of Nigeria’s political, ethnic, and religious struggles ought to be given a nod and celebrated. His intellectual savvy and administrative ingenuity is ostensibly engraved on the consciences of those he rescued from religious hypnotism.

“Chief Anslem Gbemudu is one of the few Nigerians whose national and international concern for the cause of the minority ethnicities of Nigeria has remained undeterred and dogged. His relished for fairness, equity, unity, peace, progress, and social justice has endured a three-decade test of veracity examined by threats and attempted assassination.

“In the interest of the Nigerian State and its peoples, we state without circumlocutions that we hold him dear to our hearts and in the highest esteem. An affront to him is an affront to the civil liberties of the innocent citizens of Nigeria.

“The Nigeria Civil Society Groups wishes to, in her role as a watchdog of the society inform teeming Nigerians and the international community that, Chief Anslem Gbemudu truly and firmly represents the ideal model of a true Nigerian armed with the deep historical knowledge, the requisite experience, and the introspective capability to advance the cause of the welfare and aspirations of the people.

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“He deserves as we have long accorded him, utmost commendation and national protection. We, therefore, pledge our unalloyed loyalty to him and the commendable leadership strides he has taken in the interest of all.

“In conclusion, we draw strength from the juristic permutations of Justice Chukwudifu Oputa of revered and blessed memory who posited that, “if we must accept the intrinsic worth of any man, then justice remains the minimum debt we owe to him; for if we deny him justice, we have inexorably declared him worthless”. High Chief Premium Anslem Gbemudu, in his statesmanly disposition has contributed and is contributing fairly to the development of the Nation and should be applauded rather than insulted and sought to be persecuted.”

The Coalition of Civil Society Groups is a Nigerian based, nonprofit driven pressure groups that have for nearly a decade championed the cause of justice, social integration and national unity through stakeholder engagement with government agencies, the private sector, the media, traditional and faith-based institutions as well as the academia on issues of national interest, particularly as they affect the Nigerian citizenry.

Vanguard