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Ige: Oyo bungled suspects� trial � Ex-Attorney-General
� Leave the issue to God, says Commissioner
Semiu Okanlawon
Former Oyo State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Bayo Lawal, has described as bunkum, the claim by his successor, Mr. Lekan Latinwo, that the investigations by the police into the assassination of Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Chief Bola Ige, were �shoddy.�
In an exclusive interview with our correspondent in Ibadan on Wednesday, Lawal said Nigerians should hold Latinwo, not the police, responsible for the outcome of the case.
Swiftly, Latinwo said he was not interested in engaging anyone in a debate over the matter but would leave Lawal to God.
Lawal, who commenced the trial of the suspects during his tenure as the state�s commissioner for justice, said that the �dramatic turn� of events after the end of Lam Adesina�s administration was largely responsible for the eventual discharge and acquittal of the suspects.
He listed the decision by Latinwo to close the case and his failure to appoint another lead prosecutor after the death of Chief Debo Akande (SAN) as major indications that the state had lost interest in pursuing justice.
Lawal said, �Since Latinwo found out that investigations were shoddy, he ought to have called the attention of the police with a view to filing additional proof of evidence.�
Latinwo had, last Monday, apologised to the family of Ige and the public over the trial, blaming it on what he called �shoddy investigations.�
The Iges had, last Sunday, issued a statement condemning the discharge and acquittal of the persons accused of complicity in the assassination of the former minister.
But in the interview with our correspondent, Lawal stated, �I would like to tell you that there was a dramatic twist in the whole conduct of the case after my departure from office.
�While I have respect for my successor, the approach was slightly different from what we were doing when we were in office. For instance, it is public knowledge that soon after we left office, and the late Chief Debo Akande was left to handle the case, all of a sudden, the Attorney-General jumped into the arena of court and decided to close the case.
�I would have handled the matter differently if I were the Attorney-General. Once a matter has been farmed out to a private prosecutor, you have no business meddling with the case. But he did that.
�Secondly, even when the case was in the High Court and bail application was presented before the court, it was the DPP (Director of Public Prosecutions) who said they were not going to oppose the bail, meaning that the case of the prosecution and the defence had merged.
�Thirdly, to really show that the case was conducted slightly differently from what we expected, it was when the case was going on that the Attorney-General entered a nolle prosecui meaning that the state was no longer interested in prosecuting certain individuals that were recommended for prosecution. That shows that the state was not interested in prosecuting the individuals.�
The former Attorney-General stated that another instance that showed the state was not keen on justice was the failure to appoint another private prosecutor after the death of Akande.
He added, �If in the wisdom of the Attorney-General, he discovered what was on record was not sufficient, he could ask the police to go and take evidence from wherever he suspected that that might be. That has not been done. If you say this thing is not good enough, you must be able to provide an alternative.�
Lawal said the apology offered by Latinwo had no place in law, adding that it (apology) showed that the state admitted that it had failed to provide justice to the Ige family.
He reminded Nigerians that when the police failed to clarify some gray areas in their investigations, the state Ministry of Justice under him, insisted that the police must do a thorough job.
The former commissioner noted that it was after the police had made the clarifications that the ministry went to court with the proof of evidence available.
He said that the declarations by the High Court and the Appeal Court that prima facie cases had been established against the suspects were based on the proof of evidence filed.
He added, �Even when the case was taken to court and application for bail was asked for on behalf of the suspects, the lower court refused application for bail. They went to the Court of Appeal. The Court of Appeal in its opinion said there were prima facie cases against the suspects.
�Now, coming to whether investigation was shoddy or not, I will not subscribe to the fact that investigation was shoddy. What we had on record was sufficient for us to take the case to court.�
Reacting on telephone on Thursday, Latinwo said that he had left Lawal to God over his opinion
He said, �I don�t want to say anything. The point is that I will not enter into any public debate with anybody in respect of this matter. Whatever anybody might say does not merit response. I am not saying the case is closed, but public debate in this respect does not merit response.�
The PUNCH, Friday, October 29, 2004.
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