Nigerian Benefits Claimant Threatened Bloody Carnage During Taxman Passport Row

Deadly Threats: Osula

A frustrated Nigerian benefits claimant emailed the Houses of Parliament that he would carry out mass murder using a vehicle and a knife if he didn’t get his way, a court heard yesterday.

Father-of-four Daniel Osula, 30, was angry HMRC still retained his home nation’s passport for his tax credits claim, arguing this was destroying his life because he couldn’t travel to Belfast to continue his studies. 

He was found guilty of four counts of sending a threatening communication to various parliamentary email addresses on October 9, last year for the purpose of causing distress or anxiety.

His email to the Treasury Committee included the words: “I will get a knife and go through security in HMRC. Jump in a car and run over everyone until I am killed.

“Return my passport or I will spill blood on your streets. Be it threat or no threat, return my passport and I will walk away and never return to this hell.”

He also emailed the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee, writing: “Now I am tempted to steal a car and smash as many people as possible. You don’t treat visitors to the UK like a piece of s***.”

Osula, of Valence Avenue, Chadwell Heath also emailed the House of Lords: “I will be forced to enter the street with a knife if that us what it takes…..this is a sick country.”

Up The Steps: Osula

The House of Commons also heard from him, when he emailed: “I will go through British blood for my passport. Don’t underestimate my resolve.

“I will commit a grave and bloody crime to bring attention.”

City of London Magistrates Court District Judge Richard Blake announced: “Driven by concerns and frustration over his passport Mr. Osula sent these very troubling emails to the Houses of Parliament.”

Referring to slain police officer Keith Palmer, who was stabbed to death, he added: “If I read them, my blood would have turned cold, given the circumstances. 

“People have been run over by drivers and someone was murdered at the Houses of Parliament.”

The judge bailed Osula until April 2 for sentencing at Westminster Magistrates Court and asked for a probation report and a mental health assessment.

“I want to know a great deal more about you,” he told Osula. “There has got to be a background here and information into what’s going on in your life.

“It is very serious to threaten people working in a place where there has been very serious incident and loss of life due to knife crime and terrorist activity to people they knew and worked with.

“I have in mind custody in this case. In fact it is my starting point. Have no doubt about the serious position you are in.”

During the trial Osula dramatically raised the Bible aloft while in the witness box stating: “I swear to Almighty God I did not send these emails to Parliament.”

He pleaded guilty to a separate charge of causing £7,000 worth of criminal damage to four glass windows and two iPads at the Royal Courts of Justice on September 20, three weeks prior to his email campaign.

Prosecutor Miss Sophie Akister told the court Osula was upset about being refused an application at the public counter because there was a Restraining Order against him.

“He became immediately angry and started shouting and picked up a chair and smashed it down on the bullet-proof windows and two iPads, causing them to be destroyed.”

Osula went to another public office and continued his rampage. “He picked up another chair and began striking the windows that separate the public from staff and destroyed three of them, cracked a fourth and damaged the frames.”

The judge warned Osula: “Should there be any communication by you or threats or the carrying of a knife or if you email or text any threat have no doubt you will be arrested and remanded in custody.”