Controversy As Nigerian Lawmakers Seek Diabolical Protection After Death Of Four Colleagues

“We don’t want to die now,” said a politician, who blamed colleagues’ untimely deaths on “spiritual attacks from enemies” in an exclusive interview with Platforms Africa, revealed the “secret” of how terrified members “fortified” themselves.

In the last 56 days, four famous Federal lawmakers in Nigeria have died in “mysterious circumstances,” according to some of their colleagues, a condition that is increasingly enveloping the House of Representatives, where they belong while alive, with significant apprehension.

According to Platforms Africa, among the “mysterious” deaths recorded between February 8 and April 6, 2021, was Hon. Maitala Haruna, who represented Jos North/Bassa Federal Constituency in Plateau state and died in a road accident with his son, driver, and security aide.

Since the start of the current Assembly, 11 legislators have died of what has been characterized as “sudden death” or “brief illness.”

The House of Representatives, also known as the Green Assembly, lost four members in the recent gale that blew through its four walls.

Hon. Suleiman Aliyu, who died on Tuesday, April 6, at the age of 52, was the most recent fatality.

Aliyu, who represented Kaduna State’s Lere Federal Constituency, died after a brief illness at the Barau Dikko Teaching Hospital.

“We don’t want to die,”

According to Platforms Africa’s results, several lawmakers have become panicked as a result of the deaths of some of their colleagues in a short period of time.

Some of them were saddened by the deaths of four of their coworkers in the span of 56 days.

A lawmaker representing a Federal Constituency in Southwest Nigeria told Platforms Africa that several factors, including spiritual attacks from political rivals, may be responsible for his colleagues’ “sudden death” or “death after a brief illness.”

“We’ve been told that some of them died as a result of a lax attitude toward health and routine checkups, as well as an accident, but I still maintain that their political foes are to blame. It is likely that it would be attacked by enemies.

“I should know this as a politician, and none of us should dismiss any of these possibilities. I, like many of my close colleagues, regularly fortify myself while refusing to forego my annual checkup because I don’t want to die now. After his anonymity was assured, he said, “I believe none of us want to die now.”

“We have pastors, Alfas, and even traditional worshippers known as the Babalawo and Onisegun in Yorubaland, who regularly intercede spiritually on our behalf through prayers or sacrifices,” he said when asked what he and those he met used to fortify themselves or themselves. We do all of these things when it comes to the protection and security of our lives because no one wants to die as a result of supernatural assaults from enemies.”

A lawmaker added that, in addition to fate and nature, some of these deaths could have health-related implications.

According to him, some of the deaths may be the result of the excessive strain that these politicians were subjected to when representing their constituents.

Cenotaph for those who have died

Suleiman Aliyu

Aliyu was born on April 26, 1968, and before entering politics, he worked as an engineer with a master’s degree in civil engineering.

He has had a turbulent period in the Chamber, having been removed from it by the Kaduna State Election Tribunal in 2019, only to be reinstated by the Supreme Court.

In the current assembly, Aliyu is the eleventh member of the lower chamber to die.

According to Islamic rites, he was buried on Tuesday evening in Lere, Kaduna state.

Hon. Maitala Haruna

His death came just days after that of another member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Maitala Haruna, who represented Plateau’s Jos North/Bassa Federal Constituency. Haruna died in a car crash on his way to Jos from Abuja last Friday.

The lawmaker, who died along with his son, driver, and security aide, was on his way to Jos to attend one of his sons’ wedding ceremony when the tragic incident occurred.

Hon. Yuguda Kila

On March 4, 2021, Hon. Yuguda Kila, a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), died. At the age of 65, he was reported to have died at the National Hospital in Abuja.

Kila was a member of the lower house of the Nigerian parliament, representing the Gwaram Federal Constituency in Jigawa State.

Hon. Ossy Prestige

Hon. Ossy Preatige, a member of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) who represented Abia North/Abia South Federal Constituency in Abia State, died in the House earlier this year.

After a long illness, Ossy passed away on February 8, 2021. Ossy, 56, was elected to the House for the first time in 2015 and was re-elected in 2019.

He holds a bachelor’s degree in Government and Public Administration from Abia State University, Uturu, and is a native of the Agboji community of Abriba in Ohafia. He has graduated from Lloyds University with a master’s degree in shipping and logistics.

He was a veteran Customs broker, maritime services provider, shipping consultant, and importer of various goods before entering politics.

He was also well-known for his charitable activities. He was a father of three daughters.