LAGOS — THE Oyo State Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice, Mr Lekan Latinwo yesterday said fresh investigations will be carried out into the murder case of late Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Chief Bola Ige, SAN, who was assassinated at his Ibadan, Oyo State resident by unknown persons on December 23, 2001, vowing that the killers (of Chief Ige) will be found.
He said that a man of the calibre of Chief Ige cannot be killed without the killers being apprehended, noting that his ministry will write the Police to conduct fresh investigations into the matter.
Mr Latinwo who spoke to journalists at the Holy Ghost Cathedral Church, Lagos where a church service was held for Late Chief Debo Akande, SAN, before he was laid to rest at the Ikoyi Cemetery, Lagos also cautioned against putting so much emphasis on Senator Iyiola Omisore's acquittal by the Ibadan High court, over his (Omisore) alleged involvement in the murder of Chief Ige, noting other angles should be explored as well. Said he: “We will get the killers of Chief Ige.
A man of the calibre of Chief Ige cannot die and we will not do anything about it,” adding that the presiding judge in the matter had in his judgement on the Omisore’s case, pointed out that the police did shoddy investigations, which was why the re-investigation has become necessary.
According to him “I will write the police to revisit the case and re-investigate the matter and get to the root of the matter”. He cautioned against placing much emphasis on Omisore, pointing out that there are other angles to the matter that should be explored so that the killers of Chief Ige could be brought to book.
Meanwhile, at the valedictory session organised by the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) for the late Chief Akande at the Nigerian Law School, Lagos, NBA’s outgoing president, Chief Wole Olanipekun, SAN, said the death of Chief Akande was not in any way linked to the Ige murder case, which he (Akande) prosecuted.
He said: “Let me quickly correct a very erroneous impression that appears to be gaining ground in some quarters to the effect that the death of this legal guru might not have been unconnected with the frustration he got from the judgement in the Bola Ige murder trial.
I lay claims to being very close and intimate with the late chairman of the Body of Benchers and I confess that he confided in me that he was very satisfied with the way and manner the prosecution’s case was conducted. “Although he disagreed with the judgement, he as seasoned lawyer and tested advocate never impugned the integrity of the presiding judge.
I want to reiterate the point once again that the late Chief Akande, SAN, handled several more complicated cases, both civil and criminal than the Bola Ige murder trial and in none of them did he ever feel any personal anguish, frustration or dejection”, Chief Olanipekun said.
