A legal petition has been filed by Hon. Pius Okpere, popularly known as Pharez Okpere, against Jarret Tenebe, the Acting Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo State. The petition, addressed to the Commissioner of Police, Edo State, accuses Tenebe of issuing threats, engaging in cyberbullying, harassment, and acts likely to breach the peace.
The petition, dated December 11, 2024, was prepared by Bronze Solicitors & Attorneys on behalf of Okpere. According to the document, Okpere received a series of alarming comments on his social media account on December 10, 2024. These comments allegedly originated from Tenebe in response to Okpere’s earlier public post addressing a matter of public interest in the state.
In one of the comments made by Tenebe, he stated, “Some people will have to excuse us from Edo now and if they refused, they will be forced out, we may start with you.” Another comment purportedly read, “That your friend Pharez will soon see something, you know I don’t joke if I say it, I mean it…if I asked you to leave and you refused, you will be killed.”
The petition outlines that these remarks leaves Okpere in a state of fear, unable to drive home due to his safety concerns. He regards the threats as a violation of his fundamental rights, citing them as acts of intimidation and an abuse of Tenebe’s position of authority within the APC.
Bronze Solicitors & Attorneys urged the police to take immediate action to ensure the safety of their client and to investigate the alleged misconduct by Tenebe. The law firm emphasized the need to uphold the rule of law and prevent further escalation of tension in the state.
As of the time of this report, neither Tenebe nor the APC leadership in Edo State has issued a public response to the allegations.