Diaspora Citizen Fights Baseless Accusations from His Homeland To Defend Self

Diaspora Citizen Fights Baseless Accusations from His Homeland To Defend Self

Habiba Sam In a dramatic turn of events that underscores the challenges faced by many citizens living abroad, Joshua Etinosa Aikhionbare, a proud son of Edo State now residing in Canada, has vehemently denied grave allegations leveled against him by certain members of the Edo State Anti-Cultism and Anti-Kidnapping Committee.

 Aikhionbare asserts that these malicious claims are nothing more than a calculated attempt to settle personal scores and gain cheap notoriety at his expense.

From his Canadian base, Aikhionbare released a powerful statement, detailing the unsettling chain of events. 

He recounted receiving a distressing phone call from his sister just days prior, informing him that the Edo State government's Anti-Cultism Committee had falsely implicated him in a recent homicide in Benin City.

 The committee, he explained, had sensationally alleged that he was not only the financier but also the mastermind behind the heinous crime, purportedly providing a sum of one million naira (N1,000,000) for its execution. 

This accusation, he stressed, comes despite his undeniable physical absence from Nigeria at the time of the alleged incident. 

Aikhionbare unequivocally dismissed these allegations as utterly baseless, untrue, and entirely devoid of merit, expressing profound shock at their fabrication.

The depth of his distress was further compounded by the committee's heavy-handed tactics, including the unwarranted sealing of his uncle's home. 

This action, Aikhionbare explained, was based on the erroneous belief that he had resided there before his move abroad—a notion he firmly refuted, clarifying that he has never lived at that address and has only visited on a handful of occasions. 

The fallout from this situation, he noted, has caused immense anguish not only to himself but also to his entire family, who have been thrown into turmoil by the unwarranted scrutiny.

The circulation of his name across various social media platforms, falsely linking him to this brutal crime, represents a blatant and insidious effort to unjustly tarnish his hard-earned reputation and character.

 He revealed that his family members and he have been inundated with calls from concerned friends and associates who encountered the fabricated news online, highlighting the far-reaching impact of these defamatory actions.

Aikhionbare’s statement was clear and uncompromising: he declared categorically that he had no involvement, whether direct or indirect, in the said killing or any other act of violence.

 He underscored his commitment to justice by confirming that he has already engaged legal counsel, assuring everyone that those responsible for tarnishing his image in this matter will ultimately face their reckoning in a court of law, where they will be compelled to substantiate their spurious allegations.

To further bolster his defense, Aikhionbare provided compelling evidence confirming his departure from Nigeria long before the current administration took office, thereby establishing his temporal and geographical distance from the alleged crime.

 He also emphasized his pristine record, asserting that he has no prior criminal history. "I will do everything within the ambit of the Law to defend my reputation and my family name," he declared with resolute determination.

Aikhionbare concluded his impassioned statement with a powerful message against reckless defamation: "You do not just make unsubstantiated allegations against people who have worked hard to earn a reputation. 

The Law will take its course in this matter." His words serve as a stark reminder that in a society governed by legal principles, false accusations will not stand unchalleng myed, and individuals' rights to their good name will be fiercely protected.