Oyerinde: Oshiomhole, Falana renew call for killers’ arrest
MAY 7, 2013
Edo State Governor Comrade Adams Oshiomhole
Lagos lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana, SAN, has called on the police to unmaskand bring to justice persons responsible for the murder of late Principal Private Secretary to Edo State Governor Adams Oshiomhole, Olaitan Oyerinde.
Speaking during the first year anniversary lecture organised by civil society groups in memory of the deceased in Benin, on Monday, Falana berated the Nigeria Police Force over the handling of investigation into Oyerinde’s murder.
Speaking on the topic, ‘Citizens Right, Youth Engagement and National Security,’ Falana asked the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar, to tender an apology to the Edo State Government for bungling the case.
He said, “IG should apologise to the Edo State Government for the way and manner they handled the investigation. Adoke should also go and study the report of the SSS and the police, with a view to harmonising them. Edo State should be more proactive in the search for his killers by having a coroner inquest, so that they will not depend solely on the police investigation, as it is done in Lagos State.”
Falana also advised the Osun State Government to re-open investigation into the murder of former Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation, Chief Bola Ige, in collaboration with Lagos State, by “using coroner inquest.”
Oshiomhole, in his remark, called for intensification of the fight against oppression and intimidation by those in positions of authority.
Recounting his days as President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, where the late Oyerinde joined him as Assistant General Secretary, Oshiomhole said the former exhibited uncommon character.
He said, “We have a duty to keep Oyerinde’s memory alive. To submit to emotion (crying) is to submit to the enemy, and I will not complain here, as I feel more oppressed as governor; it hurts to see criminals in low and high places walking freely and I can do nothing.
“One year after, the fighting spirit is on, and people ask me why I get so worked up when it comes to Oyerinde’s matter, but I ask, how else should we react in such a situation where the forces of evil seek to impose themselves? How else does one call what is bad, other than bad? For me, when victims of oppression react to reject oppression, the oppressors cannot survive.
“There were attempts to scandalise Oyerinde in death and it was clear to me that the picture they were trying to paint was not what I knew of him.”
No comments:
Post a Comment