Last week, President Muhammadu Buhari directed the acting
Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, to reopen investigation into
the unresolved murder of former Attorney-General of the Federation and
Minister of Justice, Chief Bola Ige and ex-Deputy National Chairman,
South-South, of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Aminasoari
Dikibo, with a view to bringing their killers to justice.
We recall that the killing of the two prominent politicians caused national outrage with Nigerians calling on the then President Olusegun Obasanjo administration to apprehend and punish the perpetrators of the heinous crime. Nigerians also called on that government to revisit all unresolved murder cases in the country.
Since the presidential directive to reopen these murder cases, the Nigerian Police authorities have reportedly commenced moves to arrest some of the principal suspects in the case. To that end, crack detectives are said to have started recalling the case files to apprise themselves with the details of the incidents and search for leads.
Many of those who were arrested at the time of these two murders were released and even participated in the 2003 general polls. The Police have boasted that they will deploy forensic technology to investigate and conclude the cases.
We laud President Buhari for ordering the reopening of these murder cases with a view to resolving them once and for all. This is one of the good initiatives of the Buhari administration. The government deserves commendation for recognising the need to conclude these cases that have become an embarrassment to the country.
It is good that the government appreciates the fact that life is sacred and should not be taken away by anybody. The security of life of every Nigerian citizen should be uppermost among government’s responsibilities to the people. If any life is taken outside the dictates of the law, it is the duty of government to fish out those behind such crime.
In other lands like Britain and the United States, the apprehension of perpetrators of such crimes is mostly done with dispatch and resounding success. Very few criminals escape justice perpetually in these nations. Unfortunately, we cannot say the same thing for Nigeria. We have a long history of unresolved murders with those responsible for them getting away with the crime. The statement by the police that the Ige and Dikibo cases were never closed is beside the point. Let them get on with the investigation and prove that they can identify and bring the killers to justice.
Beyond these two high profile murders, there are many others that were never resolved by the police. Many occurred both before and after the Ige and Dikibo cases. The suspected killers of Ige were arrested and arraigned but nothing came out of it. Now that Buhari has ordered the reopening of these cases, let them be resolved in earnest.
Among the unresolved high profile murders in the country are those of Dele Giwa, Alfred Rewane, Marshall Harry, Funsho Williams, Uche Ogbonnaya and Barrister Barnabas Igwe and his wife. These should also be revisited and resolved. We say this because the re-opening of some murder cases and leaving out of other equally heinous ones that are also in the public consciousness will be a great disservice to the victims of these crimes. Not revisiting them will heighten the trauma of the relatives of the murdered persons.
This new probe should not go down like others before it. Let those behind these murders be apprehended and diligently prosecuted. We remember that the former president, Goodluck Jonathan, also gave a similar order for the unresolved cases to be reopened, yet nothing came out of it.
We, therefore, expect the investigation to be thorough and targeted at achieving the desired results. The victims of these heinous murders must get justice and the only way to do this is to ensure that their killers are arrested, prosecuted, convicted and punished.
Now that President Buhari has resolved to conclude these murder cases, he should ensure that they are, indeed, resolved and concluded to bring closure to the dastardly incidents.
Culled from Sun
We recall that the killing of the two prominent politicians caused national outrage with Nigerians calling on the then President Olusegun Obasanjo administration to apprehend and punish the perpetrators of the heinous crime. Nigerians also called on that government to revisit all unresolved murder cases in the country.
Since the presidential directive to reopen these murder cases, the Nigerian Police authorities have reportedly commenced moves to arrest some of the principal suspects in the case. To that end, crack detectives are said to have started recalling the case files to apprise themselves with the details of the incidents and search for leads.
Many of those who were arrested at the time of these two murders were released and even participated in the 2003 general polls. The Police have boasted that they will deploy forensic technology to investigate and conclude the cases.
We laud President Buhari for ordering the reopening of these murder cases with a view to resolving them once and for all. This is one of the good initiatives of the Buhari administration. The government deserves commendation for recognising the need to conclude these cases that have become an embarrassment to the country.
It is good that the government appreciates the fact that life is sacred and should not be taken away by anybody. The security of life of every Nigerian citizen should be uppermost among government’s responsibilities to the people. If any life is taken outside the dictates of the law, it is the duty of government to fish out those behind such crime.
In other lands like Britain and the United States, the apprehension of perpetrators of such crimes is mostly done with dispatch and resounding success. Very few criminals escape justice perpetually in these nations. Unfortunately, we cannot say the same thing for Nigeria. We have a long history of unresolved murders with those responsible for them getting away with the crime. The statement by the police that the Ige and Dikibo cases were never closed is beside the point. Let them get on with the investigation and prove that they can identify and bring the killers to justice.
Beyond these two high profile murders, there are many others that were never resolved by the police. Many occurred both before and after the Ige and Dikibo cases. The suspected killers of Ige were arrested and arraigned but nothing came out of it. Now that Buhari has ordered the reopening of these cases, let them be resolved in earnest.
Among the unresolved high profile murders in the country are those of Dele Giwa, Alfred Rewane, Marshall Harry, Funsho Williams, Uche Ogbonnaya and Barrister Barnabas Igwe and his wife. These should also be revisited and resolved. We say this because the re-opening of some murder cases and leaving out of other equally heinous ones that are also in the public consciousness will be a great disservice to the victims of these crimes. Not revisiting them will heighten the trauma of the relatives of the murdered persons.
This new probe should not go down like others before it. Let those behind these murders be apprehended and diligently prosecuted. We remember that the former president, Goodluck Jonathan, also gave a similar order for the unresolved cases to be reopened, yet nothing came out of it.
We, therefore, expect the investigation to be thorough and targeted at achieving the desired results. The victims of these heinous murders must get justice and the only way to do this is to ensure that their killers are arrested, prosecuted, convicted and punished.
Now that President Buhari has resolved to conclude these murder cases, he should ensure that they are, indeed, resolved and concluded to bring closure to the dastardly incidents.
Culled from Sun
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