An artist and rights activist, Mr Adedamola Shogo, aka Adaramati, has sent a Save Our Souls (SOS) to concerned authorities regarding threats to his life by some unknown individuals who he said are bent on snuffing life out of him over his recent art exhibition, portraying odds off religion activities in Nigeria.

Speaking through his lawyer, Mr Niyi Adekanla, Shogo said he has received many calls and threats to his life, owing to the art work which was widely criticised. The artwork had sparked objections due to perceived insensitivity regarding the use of sacred texts in the artwork, which was aimed to promote unity between Christians and Muslims by incorporating pages from the Bible and the Quran.

It could be recalled that in spite of the artist’s noble goal of advocating for inclusivity and harmony, the contentious discussions during the art festival led to heated arguments.

Investigations revealed that Shogo’s, the artist behind the controversial painting work featuring at the festival, had intended to donate money realised from its sale to support displaced people in Plateau State.

This philanthropic initiative underscores Shogo’s commitment to using art as a means of addressing social issues and aiding marginalized communities.

However, the charitable efforts of the artist was hindered by the inclusion of sacred texts from two major religions which proved to be a significant stumbling block. The juxtaposition of these texts, while symbolically powerful in conveying the artist’s message of unity, inadvertently stirred controversy.

Following the festival, it appears that the image of the controversial artwork has been removed from Shogo’s website, suggesting his response to the public outcry and negative reactions surrounding the art presentation.

Efforts to reach out to Shogo to hear from him, proved abortive as his lawyer said the artist is not in the right state of mind for any interviews, as he has been receiving incessant threatening and scary calls especially from unknown numbers since the conclusion of the art festival.

“Due to these threats, Shogo and I filed a police report on Thursday, May 23rd, 2024, after worried for his safety. Unfortunately, the police are still working to get the culprits as they hide their caller ID when they call. The culprits have gone as far as even tracking Shogo to his house, as they stated where he lives to him on one of these calls, so he’s under the radar for now,” the lawyer said.

The lawyer emphasized that Shogo’s reluctance to interact with the public should be respected, given the risks to his life. He reiterated that Shogo’s intentions were pure, aimed at promoting peace and harmony between Christians and Muslims. He said unfortunately, his message has been misconstrued by a faction of extremists who have unfairly twisted the artwork’s meaning. (Text, excluding headline: Daily Independent)

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