FEATURE ARTICLE

E O EkeSunday, April 28, 2013
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OF DEATH SQUAD AND THE WAY NIGERIAN POLICE INVESTIGATED CORRUPTION AND MURDER;
TIME FOR AN INDEPENDENT JUDICIAL INQUIRY

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he allegations and counter allegations that Obasanjo kept a murder squad which he inherited from Abacha, which he probably inherited from Babangida, which he probably inherited from Buhari which he reconstituted after he over threw Shehu Shagari or Shehu Shagari inherited from Obasanjo is another shocking revelation of the sordid things that have gone on in Nigeria. No one who lives or lived in Nigeria would have any doubt that past Nigerian governments may have kept a murder squad. Indeed, Nigerians have witnessed some gruesome barbaric and despicable murder of their fellow citizens which have remained unsolved, and which all the evidence would suggest, some powerful people were involved. This latest disclosure is a time bomb on the laps of the government of Goodluck Jonathan which he cannot ignore and retain any iota of respect and integrity. therefore, President Jonathan must know that there can be no transformation without repentance, reconciliation and justice. How can a man transform and forgive, when the thief who stole his money is enjoying it and himself living in penury?

It is impossible to imagine how history will be kind to Goodluck Jonathan, if he fails to act and continue to act in the best interest of criminals in Nigeria. The blood of Dele Giwa, Chief Harry, Chief Bola Ige, etc., continue to cry to high heavens for justice. In developed countries, good men will form an organisation which will dedicate itself to demanding for justice for these people until it is granted. However, it would seem that it is not the same in Nigeria, where the mentality seems to be to leave it to God, while the criminals and murderers walk the corridors of power

In the 1990s, a cousin of mine was unlawfully arrested by the police because he was in a store which the police knew produced and sold illegal CDs in Aba. From time to time, when the police wanted to increase their bribe, they would arrest the operators of the store and they will be bailed and then renegotiate the terms of their illegal business with the police and they will be left alone to continue their boot legging business. This was one of the faces of organised crimes in Nigeria. When I heard about the arrest, I contacted a lawyer to take up the matter only to find out that he had no stomach to take on the police in the fight for justice. He simply asked me for two thousand naira which he shared with the police and my cousin was released. My attempt to cry for justice fell on deaf ears, and I learnt a very important lesson about Nigerian criminal justice system. I had refused to give the police bribe to release my cousin and wanted justice. It would have cost me about 500 to 1000 Naira if I agreed to pay the police directly. By calling a lawyer, I paid more than double for the same thing. This is the reality of Nigeria before I left.

During the same period, a beloved uncle of mine who took an Okada to go to an appointment was found murdered few kilometres from his house. It was a time when my village Igbere was embroiled in a chieftaincy dispute because some people murdered the traditional ruler Eze Ukaegbu, and my Uncle, Kalu Agwo was on the side of the group calling for justice. He spoke out about the murder of our traditional ruler and what happened to the Eze, whose murderers he said should be brought to justice happened to him. Up till today, no one has been arrested, talk less of being charged for the murder of my Uncle. The suspects walk free in my village Igbere and are in very powerful positions.

I am aware that I am writing about my uncle who is a very small sardine in a river where many sharks have disappeared. In my life time, Nigeria has experienced loss of lives and shading of innocent bloods which no country which wants to make progress can continue to ignore and succeed. While in the university, during the time of Babangida, Dele Giwa was killed by a parcel bomb which he said must have come from the president before he opened it while sitting in his dining table. He was blown apart and up till today, no one has been brought to justice for his murder and the suspects remain in very powerful positions in Nigeria. The murderers of Bola Ige are still at large and waxing stronger and stronger with their political ambitions. The list is endless.

Now, the question is what Nigeria should do. With the granting of amnesty to Alamieyeseigha, MEND, Boko Haram and possibly those who are stealing oil and all the other corrupt politicians who should rightly be in prison serving long prison sentences for their crimes against Nigeria and humanity; and the failure of successive Nigerian governments to take the problem of corruption and murder seriously: the future of criminal justice in Nigeria does not give much hope for optimism. However, there is a lot we can do. An honest government can start by at least establishing the facts to ascertain the truth and then set in motion a system to achieve justice for the victims and families. This is one of the ways to heal the wounds which bad, insensitive corrupt and evil government has inflicted on Nigerians. If the government continues with its amnesty for crime policy and nothing for the victims of crimes, soon the law will mean nothing in Nigeria and we will have created a real anarchy and a country not fit for purpose, God forbid. People will soon realise that it is more profitable to belong to Boko Haram and get 65,000 Naira a month than to get a government job and earm 18,000 Naira minimum wage. I am yet to read of another country in history which is so determined and systematic in its attempt to destroy itself by the choices it makes as Nigeria is doing.

I have observed the the tenacity with which the British and many Europeans fight for justice. They do not often carry placards or go on rampages. They get organised and determine never to give up until they get justice. They simply remain focused on their demand and continue to ask successive governments for justice and increasing their political influence by convincing the people to vote for political parties that include justice for them in their manifestoes. This usually works but often takes time, but it works. The family of Stephen Lawrence used it to achieve justice by making Tony Blair to commit to giving the family justice during his campaign for premiership in 1987. When Tony Blair became prime Minister, he instituted the Macpherson inquiry which established that the Metropolitan police was institutionally racist and eventually resulted in the conviction of the suspects more than 15 years after the crime. They committed the crimes when they were about 17 years old and went to jail for it in their 30s when they were spotting white bears. This is the face of a real justice system where the evidence and evidence alone establishes a suspects guilt or innocensce. At the moment many high profile British people have been arrested for crimes they committed in the 1960s. Britain does indeed give true meaning to the long arm of the law. May be, the Nigerian law has no hand, and it does they must be in deed very very shor, or should i say paralysed. .

After more than 20 years, the victims of Hillsborough football disaster have been given justice and serious corrupt and unlawful practices in the way the police handled the matter has been exposed. I am sure that with time, those behind it will also be brought to justice. Many supporters of Liverpool football club who died in the disaster were blamed for the disaster when the real cause was the way the police handled the crowd on that day. After the disaster, the police lied about its role and falsified evidence. They also lied about the cause of the death of the victims. If British police which solves many crimes and actually respect the law can be this corrupt, one can only imagine how corrupt the Nigerian police which is a law unto itself is, in the face of the many unsolved crimes in the country.

It would seem that Nigerians lack this British tenacity in the demand for justice and are more inclined to forgiving, forgetting and granting amnesty to criminals. To Nigerians, it would appear that injustice is something that should be forgotten and forgiven and perpetrators allowed to benefit from their crimes. To developed countries, this is a great mistake and evidence of underdevelopment. It might be that the mixing of religion with politics which leaves some Nigerians thinking that stupidity and ignorance will get them to heaven, enables criminals escape the consequences of their crimes leaving the government no real deterrent against crimes. The case of DSP Alamieyeseigha is another example, and many people have chosen to draw unrelated parallel with religious narratives that have no similarity to his case. In their magical religious minds which interpret the content of inspired ancient books as the word of God, they take leave of reason and only do things because they think it is what God would like or said in his holy book. In their sophistry to explain away the attitude that makes crimes and evil to flourish in Nigeria, they ignore emperical evidence and wax lyrical about the virtues of forgiveness for criminals who keep their loot while those who suffer from their crimes die in penury. To the religious Nigerian minds, this is virtuous and what his God expects. The God of Nigerians must indeed be on the side of the criminals. After all, he loves sinners I suppose; and sinners are doing very well in Nigeria.

If you doubt me go the national assembly and see, Obasanjo once said that it is fool of criminals.

It is clear that the Nigerian government is not doing enough for criminal justice in the country. The government can start by setting up a public independent judicial inquiry into the way and manner the police investigates crimes like murder, armed robbery and corruption in Nigeria. This will be a valuable opportunity for Nigerians to learn how and why they have been denied justice and enable the government to implement reforms in the way Nigeria is policed and police carry out their duties. This is the least an honest government can do. Will President Jonathan find the courage to begin the transformation he claims he wants for Nigeria, or will the interest and future of criminals continue to weigh more on his conscience and considerations than justice for the victims and future of our dear country? Time will tell.

E O Eke is qualified in medicine. At various times he has been a General medical practitioner, Medical missionary, Medical Director and senior medical officer of health in Nigeria. He specializes in child, Adolescent and adult psychiatry and lives in England with his family. His interest is in health, religion philosophy and politics. He cares for body and mind.

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