Oyo Attorney-General apologises to Ige's family, faults police probe
From Iyabo Sotunde, Ibadan
BARELY 24 hours after the family of the slain Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Chief Bola Ige (SAN) described his murder trial as a shame, the Oyo State Attorney-General, Mr. Lekan Latinwo, has apologised to the family over police's shoddy handling of the investigations.
Latinwo, who spoke against the backdrop of complaints by the deceased minister's family on his comments on the matter, also apologised to the entire nation on the outcome of the trial. He however exonerated himself and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)-led government of any blame in the murder trial.
The commissioner, who was flanked by the state Director of Public Prosecution, Mrs. Olubunmi Oyesina, and state Director on Civil Litigation, Alhaji Moshood Ishola, stressed that if he has sufficient reasons or good ground to re-open the case, he would write the police to re-investigate the matter.
He added: "May I say that with the greatest respect to the family of Ige, I am not playing politics with this matter of serious magnitude, the death of the Afenifere leader is indeed a serious one..."
Continuing, Latinwo said: "With high sense of duty, nobility of acts and concern for the people of this great nation, I must admit that the shoddy investigation of Ige's case is regretted and this is why the family of the deceased minister and the entire nation deserves an apology."
He added that it should be realised that he was not the Attorney-General and the present administration was not in place when investigation was conducted, saying that "we inherited this case after one and half years of its inception, so I was not part of the preliminary and even the subsequent stages of proceedings when this administration assumed power."
He stressed that he never got involved in the matter and that it was only when the issue of adjournment of date came up that he had cause to be involved.
According to Latinwo, the outcome of the case was not due to negligence, dereliction of duty or a deliberate scheme on the part of the state government but was as a result of the shoddy manner the police conducted investigations into the matter."
His words: "The statement I made during the church service in Lagos at the late Debo Akande (SAN) funeral was clear and categorical that further investigation will be conducted because no worthy public officer who shoulders affairs of the state especially Justice Ministry or for any matter of public importance would keep quiet when a High Court Judge had identified certain areas that must be looked into.
While justifying his claims that the matter will be reopened for fresh investigation, Latinwo explained that it was the discovery made by the High Court Judge that prompted him to say that further investigation into those grey areas identified by the court will be looked into.
"I did not say that those already discharged and acquitted by the courts will be rearrested, I only said that those people released could be used as a link or clue in the fresh investigation. I am not the police to re-investigate the matter, it is the duty of the law enforcement agencies to determine who to arrest if there is any need for it.
Latinwo, who said that justice will be done in the matter, added that if any individual deliberately perverts justice his punishment by nature will not be limited to the earthly world but will last as far as eternity".
Ige's family in a statement called on Latinwo to stop playing politics with the emotions of its member in the statement signed by the late minister's younger brother, Sir Dele Ige and two children, Mr. Muyiwa Ige and Mrs. Funso Adegbola. The family wondered whether the promised "investigation" by Latinwo would include the released suspects.
"It is elementary law that a person cannot be charged twice for an offence for which he has been acquitted and discharged", the Ige's family added.
Expressing disappointment over the way Chief Bola Ige's death has been handled and eventually concluded, the family restated implicit confidence in God over the entire episode.
"We would be much obliged if the Attorney General of Oyo state kept his counsel and refrained from treating us and the general public as though we are fools or ignorant", the family added.`
