Former Special Adviser on Cocoa Management and Control to ex-Cross River State governor Ben Ayade, Dr. Oscar Ofuka, has cried out over fresh threats to his life.
He has linked the threats to the controversial cocoa reforms he championed during Ayade’s administration.
Ofuka, who claimed he survived assassination attempts, alleged that two suspicious vehicles – an ash-coloured Toyota Corolla with registration number ABJ/283/EM and a black, unmarked car – were spotted loitering around his residence in Satellite Town, Calabar, days ago.
He claimed that the occupants monitored his movements and even interrogated bystanders about him.
“Few days ago, they tried to lure information from my little daughter, asking if she knew ‘Engineer Oscar’ and demanding my phone number,” Ofuka told journalists.
“Not long after, they confronted my son and the gatekeeper, insisting they wanted to strike a deal with the ‘cocoa man’ in the compound. It was clear they were out for me.”
The former aide, who spearheaded reforms to resolve decades-old disputes over royalties on more than 4,500 hectares of cocoa plantations, said vested interests were behind the renewed threats.
DAILY POST reports that the reforms pitched Ofuka against landlords, merchants, and politicians who accused him of short-changing them, even as the state claimed it was pursuing fairness and settlement.
Ofuka alleged that a top security official in the current administration was behind the plot.
He said one of the suspects arrested by security operatives confessed to being sent to monitor him.
“The man begged for his life when the police caught him,” Ofuka claimed.
He added that he had since been advised by authorities to leave the state temporarily.
“I cannot just give my life for cocoa. Those who benefited from my reforms are the very people now trying to eliminate me. But I have my records, court orders, and settlement agreements to prove I acted in the interest of peace and development,” he said.
Reacting to Ofuka’s claims, the State Security Adviser, Major General Obono Ubi (retd), dismissed the allegations and cautioned against raising unnecessary alarm.
He assured that government security agencies are working to sustain peace and denied involvement in any assassination plot.
