Ige: Oyo Govt Vows to Find Killers
The Oyo State government yesterday vowed to fish out the killers of former Minister of Justice, Chief Bola Ige.
The State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Lekan Latinwo, gave the assurance while speaking with newsmen at the premises of Holy Cross Cathedral, Catholic Mission, Lagos, where a funeral service was held in honour of the late Chief Debo Akande, SAN, who was the lead prosecution counsel in the Ige murder trial.
He said his office has concluded arrangements to formerly write the police to revisit the case, as there were very vital areas, which they (police) did not cover in their investigation into the murder case.
Latinwo stated that there were key areas which the trial judge, Justice Akin Sanda, in his judgment observed were not considered by the police in their investigation, adding that the police will be asked to reinvestigate the matter.
"The judge made some observations that the investigation was done in a shoddy manner and that there were certain angles which the police did not consider in their investigation.
"I am going to direct the police to revisit the murder case especially as regards these key areas observed by the judge.
"A person of such status could not have been killed without anything being done about it. We have not seen the end of the matter. We will get the killers at the end of the day," he assured.
The Attorney-General stated that the judgment had been delivered and that there was no arguable ground of appeal to uptown it.
He urged Nigerians to be patient, no matter what might be their observation, opinion or position in the trial, and allow those concerned to explore other areas that needed to be investigated in order to get to the root of the matter.
According to him, there were so much concentration on Senator Iyiola Omisore, when there were other angles that could give a lead in the matter.
He said if all the concentrations are on Omisore alone, we will not get to the root of the matter.
On the Oyo State government's decision to enter nolle prosequi for the four other persons accused of conspiracy alongside Omisore, Latinwo said since the principal suspect was discharged and acquitted by the Ibadan High Court, it follows that the four others had no case to answer.
He said the seven other accused persons were not being kept because they are facing trial, but for possible clues.
Following allegations and counter-allegations that greeted the trial of suspects in the Ige murder trial, the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), through its President, Chief Wole Olanipekun, SAN, wrote the Oyo State Attorney-General requesting to take over the prosecution or be part of it.
But the NBA claimed that the Oyo Attorney-General, till date never acknowledged the receipt of the said letter.
Speaking with THISDAY yesterday, Olanipekun said till date, the Oyo State Attorney-General refused to reply the letter, but instead denied getting the letter, when he actually got it.
Olanipekun said the association and indeed the entire Nigerian lawyers are not satisfied with the manner the trial is going on, regretting that the action of the Attorney-General was insulting to him, as his senior at the bar.
But reacting to this, the Oyo AG, who admitted that he got the letter from the NBA, said he did not reply because the Oyo State Chairman of the Association, Mr Wale Aina, who was always present at the proceedings, informed him (AG) that he had discussed with Olanipekun that the association was always represented at the trial.
Latinwo who denied ever insulting the NBA Chairman, said he was using this medium to tender an unreserved apology to Olanipekun if he felt insulted.
He also denied frustrating Akande during the trial, saying he always respected the deceased and had no reason to frustrate him during the murder trial.
Extolling the virtues of Akande at a valedictory session yesterday at the Nigerian Law School, Olanipekun noted that his (Akande's) legal practice cut across several areas of the law and that his advocacy was undoubtedly forensic.
"He lived for the law, breathed it, cherished and coveted its tenets and lofty ideals and untirelessly fought for the respect of the administration of justice. He was a man who could not be readily intimidated by any gang-up or conspiracy, particularly in respect of any matter he decided to handle."
He noted that Akande voluntarily took up the prosecution of the Ige murder trial, because he was not just an ordinary or pedestrian lawyer.
"Few lawyers in this country could have taken up the prosecution of the accused persons in the notorious Bola Ige murder trial, considering the very intricate, complex, peculiar and unusual circumstances surrounding the heinous and dastardly murder of the late Attorney-General of the Federation and the eventual prosecution of the suspects.
"But since Akande was not just ordinary or pedestrian lawyer, he voluntarily elected to take up the prosecution and by our own dispassionate judgment, he conducted the trial and prosecution most ably and in the best traditions of the legal profession.
He dismissed speculation that Akande's death may not have been unconnected with the frustration he got from the judgment in the Ige murder trial. He added that the deceased, who was the Chairman of the Body of Benchers confided in him that he (Akande) was very satisfied with the way and manner the prosecution's case was conducted.
Olanipekun said although Akande disagreed with the judgment, but that as a seasoned and tested advocate, he never impugned the integrity of the presiding judge.
"I want to reiterate the point once again that the late Chief Akande handled several more complicated cases, both civil and criminal than the Ige murder trial and in none of them did he ever feel any personal anguish, frustration or dejection," he added.
On his own part, the Attorney-General of the Federation, Chief Akinlolu Olujinmi, SAN, noted that Akande was a man who valued honesty and integrity more than anything and lived a worthy life, a life of success, of achievements, of courage and blessings to humanity.
He urged members of the Bar to draw from the deceased's inspiration and contribute their quota to the development of their noble profession and indeed their fatherland.
The church service was attended by eminent Nigerians, among them, the Governor of Lagos State, Bola Tinubu, former Head of Interim Government, Chief Ernest Shonekan, Chief Olu Falae, Alhaji Arisekola Alao and Mojisoluwa Akinfenwa.
Ige was murdered on December 23, 2001, at his Bodija residence, Ibadan, Oyo State.
Senator Omisore, who was the prime suspect in the murder case was on June 25 discharged and acquitted by Justice Sanda.
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