UNRESOLVED MURDER CASES: POLICE LACK FORENSIC EQUIPMENT TO UNRAVEL CULPRITS-DIG Omojola.
***Raises alarm over Depletion of Police personnel by over 5, 000 officers.
There are indications that the call by members of the House of Representatives on the Federal Government to reopen unresolved politically motivated murder cases in the country with a view to bringing sponsors and perpetrators of such heinous crimes to justice, may suffer a setback.
This is just as the Nigeria Police force disclosed that lack of modern gadgets and forensic equipment is hampering its successful investigation of such high profile murder cases.
Deputy Inspector General of Police, David Omojola who made the disclosure at a pulling out ceremony for him and 3 other senior officers, also raised alarm that the Nigerian Police force is seriously depleted by over 5, 000 officers due to retirement, death due to criminal and other attacks as well as litigation and manpower leakages.
“The Nigeria Police need more recruitment in order to address further policing problems in the country today. It might interest Nigerians to know that since the past five years, the Nigeria Police has not carried out any recruitment exercise. The workforce has been depleted by 5,073 owing to manpower leakages arising from retirement, litigations and death” he said.
He also urged the federal government to raise an intervention fund and construct barracks all over the country and also make sure that they repair the existing ones as most of them are at the verge of collapse.
Continuing on the unresolved murder cases, DIG Omojola said, “It is a fact today that Nigerians are lamenting what they refer to as unresolved high profile murder cases recorded in the past in this country. The investigation of such cases can only be facilitated with modern and well equipped forensic laboratory.
“The Nigeria Police need funds to set up a State-of -the -Art Forensic Laboratory which provide a driving force for crime investigation and prosecution of offenders.
“Nigeria Police also need to procure modern equipment and gadgets for the detection and safer detonation of bombs and other Explosive Improvise Devices. The police need funds to provide barracks and good accommodation for the force as some of them live in uncompleted buildings and abandoned vehicles.
“But I am confident that the coming in of President Muhamadu Buhari will bring much attention to the Police, if he must expect higher returns from the Police. Therefore all stakeholders must partner with the police to ensure a safer society,” he noted.
Some of the unresolved political assassinations cases in Nigeria include those of renowned journalist, Dele Giwa on October 19, 1986 in Lagos through a parcel bomb; Babatunde Elegbede on May 5, 1994 also in Lagos; Lekan Owolabi (March 1995 Lagos); Captain Tunde Ashafa (June 11, 1995, Lagos) and Alfred Rewane on October 6, 1995 also in Lagos.
Others are David Izegwere on December 1995 in Lagos, Mr. Kayode Awosanya, January 1996 in Lagos; Mrs. Tajudeen Abiola, February 9, 1996 Lagos, Alhaji Sama Kano April 8, 1996 Lagos; Admiral Olu Omotehinwa, May 22, 1996 Lagos; Mrs. Irene Obodo, June 1996 Lagos; Alhaja Kudirat Abiola, June 4, 1996 Lagos; Chief Adejola Balogun, June 15, 1996, Lagos and Mrs. Esther A. Tejuoso, September 19,1996, Lagos.
It would further be recalled that few days ago, Muyiwa Ige, son of the late Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Bola Ige revealed that the family would reopen the case of their father’s painful murder.
Muyiwa expressed confidence that his family will get justice this time around and that the killers of his late father would be brought to book and made to face the full wrath of the law. The case had been pending for several years now.
Muyiwa expressed confidence that his family will get justice this time around and that the killers of his late father would be brought to book and made to face the full wrath of the law. The case had been pending for several years now.
Also, several years after his father was assassinated, Mr. Sonny Harry, one of the sons of the late frontline politician, Dr. Marshall Harry, a chieftain of the defunct All Nigeria People’s Party, ANPP, recalled how his father left the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, and was murdered on March 5, 2003, in his Abuja residence.
Speaking at the pulling out ceremony, IGP Solomon Arase congratulated the officers and urged them to contribute their vast experiences to the growth of the Force.
END.
