A trending WhatsApp post claimed that retired Gen. Tajudeen Olanrewaju was dead while circulating condolences on the death of a certain ‘Tajudeen Olanrewaju Adeniyi,’ adding, “Kindly note the burial date will be announced later.”
Responding, Olanrewaju, in a statement from the Media Office of De Renaissance Patriots Foundation on Saturday, said, “I am neither involved in an accident nor dead but alive. The trending WhatsApp message is a politically motivated media publication, a propagandist attempt to embarrass an individual.”
Also responding, De Renaissance Patriots said, “This is a prank to be taken seriously and a plot taken too far. It’s because of his fight for the rights of Lagos indigenes to govern their state. The whole idea is an attempt to repeat the Funsho Williams killer-game, and we will resist it this time.”
A comment circulating condolences on the supposed death of former Nigerian Minister of Communications and General Officer Commanding (GOC) 3 Division, Nigerian Army, Major General Tajudeen Olanrewaju (Rtd), has been uncovered.
The message, which has come to the attention of the Media Office of De Renaissance Patriots, read: “08076359288: Our condolences on the death of TAJUDEEN OLANREWAJU ADENIJI with the number 7082892754 who died in a fatal accident. Kindly note that the burial date will be announced later.”
When contacted, General Olanrewaju, who is also a former member of the Provisional Ruling Council (PRC), said, “Fake news from the scammers. I’m not Adeniji. The mobile phone number is not mine. I did not die in an accident in any shape or form. This is the usual message from hackers/scammers or a politically motivated media publication aimed at embarrassing an individual,” he said.
General Olanrewaju, however, made a touching statement of concern, saying, “This could be a forewarning of an evil plan to kill me. Many things are wrong with the statement. I hope it is not a camouflage to carry out a dastardly act as a future testament. Allah has a way of protecting His servants. I’m living and surviving by His grace.”
Upon fact-checking, an honored trustee of the Group, Baba Mohammed Akin Martins, confirmed that General Tajudeen Olanrewaju was neither dead nor involved in any accident.
The devout Muslim elder further said, “Back to sender!” and prayed, “Any man or woman conceived in the womb or born of a woman, who wishes the General any evil, no matter how strong or powerful he or anyone working for him or her is, will be met with the same treatment that God meted to Firiaona, who believed there was no God and was more powerful than anyone, and Abraha, the elephant-riding warrior who was destroyed by Allah for being so arrogant that he plotted to destroy the Ka’abah.
“As for the plotters, let them be told that this is a replication of what they did to people in the past who died because they didn’t take note. This time, you want to do it to an Army General, who, by all standards, is an expert in reading mindsets. It will be hard for you. But we are watching our back, so you too should watch your back,” he said.
The wise man and other elders, who spoke separately from De Renaissance Patriots Foundation, described the WhatsApp message as an attempt by “the unknown group of killers always after indigenes of Lagos State,” testing ground for a devilish operation they are plotting to carry out against General Tajudeen Olanrewaju and other leaders of De Renaissance Patriots.
Generally, the leadership of De Renaissance Patriots Foundation described the WhatsApp message as a “prank to be taken seriously and a plot taken too far.”
It expressed hope that nothing would happen to the General or any of the leaders of the Group.
In the meantime, the socio-cultural organization has said the matter will be reported officially to the appropriate authorities.
