20-10-2023
“I never imagined that doing my job with integrity would forced me to leave everything I had behind. Let me share what brought me to this point”, Aremu Oladimeji Aliyu from Nigeria tells Media Bypass News his story.
According to him, “In early August 2023, I was working at my organization when my supervisor called me into his office. He had noticed suspicious patterns in our operations – money disappearing and our supply chains facing constant disruptions.
My supervisor selected me and a small team to investigate these issues, trusting us to uncover the truth. As we dug deeper over the next month, what we found was disturbing.
“Our investigation revealed a network of high-ranking officials within our organization working with security forces and political figures. They were not just stealing money, they were using these funds to create instability across several states in our region.
“On September 6, 2023, we submitted our findings in a detailed report. That’s when everything changed. Within days, my supervisor, who had initiated the investigation, was found dead under mysterious circumstances.
“Other colleagues who had worked on the investigation were murdered. Two team members disappeared, kidnapped and haven’t been seen since.
Then the phone calls started. Anonymous voices threatening my life. I went to the police to report these threats, but instead of help, the threats intensified. Still, I filed another police report, hoping someone would take action.
Early morning on September 11, 2023, they came to my house. They knew exactly what they were looking for. My cousin, who was staying with me, tried to stop them and was injured in the process.
“They took my computer, my phone, and specifically targeted documents – my copy of the investigation report, my land documents, my grandfather’s will, my father’s company papers. Everything that could prove who I was and what we had uncovered.
“I reported this break-in to the police immediately that morning, and filed another report on September 28 when nothing was done.
“By October, the situation had become even more dangerous. My mother went to make another police report on October 15, and that’s when a police officer pulled her aside secretly.
“The officer told my mom to warn me that I needed to run. Some of the highest- ranking security officials were involved in what we had uncovered.
“On October 20, 2023, a newspaper published a story about the deaths connected to our investigation. This public exposure only made my situation more precarious.
“The people we had exposed were now even more determined to silence everyone involved. I realized I had no choice.
“The same system that was supposed to protect me was compromised by the very people I had helped expose. With my colleagues dead or missing, my family threatened, and clear evidence that even the police couldn’t or wouldn’t help me, I knew I had to flee”, Aliyu concluded.