SOME POLITICAL HIGH PROFILE KILLINGS IN NIGERIA Matter of Public Information ( no chronological order). PART 1 Published May 5, 2012 at 1:55am Political killings in the present dispensation By Ahmed I. Shekarau The brutal murder in the early hours of Wednesday in Abuja, of Dr. Marshall Harry is the latest in the spate of political killings in the country since May 1999 when the present civilian dispensation was ushered in. This latest gruesome murder of the opposition All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) Chieftain brings to the fore the major threat to the successful conduct of a free and fair elections in the country. Although several other Nigerians have been murdered in such gruesome manner as Chief Harry’s, his own, happening at the run off to the general elections in the country and in succession to two other political killings in the last few weeks in Imo State, in the South East of the country, will no doubt give cause for concern as to the possibility of holding a hitch-free polls in Nigeria. This is particularly so because Dr. Marshall Harry who is the National Vice Chairman of the ANPP, is the anchorman and one of the chief strategists of the opposition party in the entire south of Nigeria. Renowned as a grassroots mobiliser, Dr. Harry is also a very close friend and associate of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) main challenger, General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd.), who is the presidential candidate of the ANPP. This makes it the more curious that Marshal Harry was murdered barely 24 hours after the ANPP inaugurated its presidential campaign committee with the assassinated Chief as its Coordinator in the South South and about three days away from its presidential campaign launch in Port Harcourt, the late Chief’s home base. All the more worrisome is the seeming helplessness of the Nigeria police force, which is still yet to unravel the killers of many prominent Nigerians, including the country’s chief law officer, Chief Bola Ige, Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, about 15 months after he was also murdered in his residence. It is against this backdrop that many have posited that these spate of killings in the face of a seemingly helpless police, are posers to what the April polls could deliver. A rundown of some of the notable personalities killed since 1999 is as follows:- - Sunday Ugwu, elder brother of Nwabueze Ugwu, a legislator representing Nkanu East LGA in Enugu killed in a case of mistaken identity on September 9, 1999. - Chukwudozie Nwachukwu and Okechukwu in Abia State. - Governor James Ibori escaped death in an exchange of gun fire between two factions of the PDP on February 4, 2001. - Momoh Lawal, a relation of Umar Akaaba, former Chairman, Okene LGA in Kogi State killed on March 5, 2001. - Four killed in Abakaliki when Chief Anyim Pius Anyim’s supporters clashed with Governor Sam Egwu’s supporters on August 24, 2001. - Odunayo Olagbaju, member, Osun State House of Assembly, killed in Ile-Ife on December 21, 2001. - Chief Bola Ige, Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, gruesomely murdered on December 23, 2001. - Three students reportedly killed at Effurun, Delta State, after a PDP rally turned violent on March 7, 2002. - Janet Oladape, a PDP leader in Odigbo LG clubbed to death by gunmen on August 13, 2002. - Alhaji Ahmed Pategi, Kwara State Chairman, PDP, murdered at Aiyetoro, in Kogi State, on the 15th of August, 2002. - Victor Nwankwo, younger brother of Arthur Nwankwo, founder, Eastern Mandate Union (EMU) assassinated on August 29, 2001. - Barnabas Igwe, Chairman, Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) and his wife, Abigail Igwe, murdered on the 1st of September, 2002. - Chimere Ikoku, former Vice Chancellor, UNN, killed in his residence in Enugu on the 20th of October last year. - Dele Arojo, PDP guber aspirant, killed by unknown assailants in Lagos on November 25, 2002. - Around December last year, Alhaji Isyaku Muhammad, United Nigeria Peoples Party (UNPP), National Vice Chairman, North West was assassinated. - One ANPP Chief killed in Ibadan, Oyo State capital in an intra-party clash, January 13, 2003. - Three killed in an ANPP, PDP clash around Buhari – Bularafa – Dokini area in Yobe State, January 18, 2003. - Second week of February, Chief Ogbonnaya Uche, ANPP senatorial candidate in Imo State, assassinated. - Mr. Theodore A. Agwatu, Principal Secretary to the Governor of Imo State, killed in February 2003. - February 18, 2003, a security man in the residence of Paul Unongo, ANPP governorship candidate in Benue State was murdered by unknown gunmen. - February 23, 2003, Speaker, Borno State House of Assembly, Hon. Inuwa Kubo escaped assassination attempt. - March 5, 2003, Dr. Marshal Harry was brutally murdered. - Mrs. Emily Omope (aka Thatcher) an AD member died on Monday, March 3, 2003 at the UCH Ibadan after an acid attack in December last year by unknown persons. March 2003 SOME POLITICAL HIGH PROFILE KILLINGS IN NIGERIA ; in no chronological order. DELE GIWA The murder of the founding editor of Newswatch, Dele Giwa, on October 19, 1986 can be said to have triggered a boom of high profile murders which are yet to be unraveled by the police. The colourful and celebrated journalist died via a parcel bomb. ALFRED REWANE Elder statesman and NADECO financier, Pa Alfred Rewane, was murdered at his Ikeja, Lagos home in 1994. The case has been on since with the trial of suspects who pleaded not guilty to the heinous crime. An avowed critic of military dictatorship, Rewane was also a big businessman. KUDIRAT ABIOLA Wife of acclaimed winner of Nigeria presidential election held on June 12, 1993, Mrs. Kudirat Abiola was also felled by assassin’s bullets very close to the Lagos-Ibadan Express toll gate in 1994. Late General Sani Abacha’s boy, Hamzat Al-Mustapha and others are still being tried for the politically motivated murder. BOLA IGE Former Governor of Oyo State and later, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Chief Bola Ige, was also murdered under mysterious circumstances. That was on December 23, 2001. He was killed at his residence at Ibadan, Oyo State. His family have since given up on the case resigning themselves to fate. OBI WALI The seed of murder was sowed in the Niger Delta region of Nigerian when Ikwere, River State born politician of progressive inclination, Dr. Obi Wali, was brutally murdered in his Port Harcourt residence. Although the police questioned his wife back then in the early 90s, the case died just like that. MARSHAL HARRY Incidents of politically motivated killings continued in the South-South with the murder of All Nigeria Peoples Party chieftain, Chief Marshal Harry, on March 5, 2003. Like Ige and Rewane, he was killed at home. Nobody is serving any jail term for the crime. AMINOSARI DIKIBO The obnoxious wind of death has never stopped blowing in the South as another big politician. Chief Aminasoari Dikibo, was also killed on February 6, 2004. The killers of the PDP National Vice Chairman (South South) were never apprehended, though the police allegedly adopted a face-saving tactics of parading some armed robbers as the suspects. OGBONNAYA UCHE It was the turn of South East on February 8, 2003. That was sad day unknown gunmen killed Chief Ogbonnaya Uche, ANPP senatorial candidate for Orlu zone at his Owerri,. Imo State home. His killers are yet to be brought to book. ANDREW AGOM A member of PDP Board of Trustees and former boss of Nigeria Airways, Chief Andrew Agom, was also killed on March 4, 2004. Agom was on the entourage of the former Benue State governor, Senator George Akume, when the ugly incident happened. ALABI OKOJU Death returned to the South West on May 15, 2005 with the murder of leading financier of Oronmiyan Group, a socio-political organization, Alabi Okoju, at Gbongan by suspected assassins. IGWE BARNABAS The Onitsha branch chairman of Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), Chief Igwe Barnabas, was felled by suspected assassins’ bullets on September 10, 2002. He was killed alongside his wife, Mrs. Abigail Amaka Barnabas. ODUNAYO OLAGBAJU Hon. Odunayo Olagbaju was killed on December 21, 2001. Before he was brutally murder by suspected assassins, Olagbaju represented Ile-Ife constituency in the Osun State House of Assembly. FUNSHO WILLIAMS Death crept into the Centre of Excellence on July 2006. The victim was Lagos PDP governorship aspirant, Engineer Funsho Williams. He was killed at his Dolphin Estate, Ikoyi, Lagos home. The police are yet to identify his killers, about four years after. AYO DARAMOLA Former World Bank consultant and PDP governorship aspirant in Ekiti State, Dr. Ayo Daramola, was also murdered in 2006. The police are still investigating the murder. GODWIN AGBROKO The death of chairman, This Day Editorial Board, Mr. Godwin Agboroko, was another challenge to the police. His killers, till date, have not been unmasked. ABAYOMI OGUNDEJI Another ThisDay journalist, Mr. Abayomi Ogundeji, was murdered on August 17, 2008. Though the police are alleging armed robbery, those who know better are insisting that his death may have been politically motivated. BAYO OHU Another pen pusher and Assistant News Editor of TheGuardian Newspapers, Bayo Ohu, was also killed, leaving law enforcement agencies guessing ‘who dun it’. BAGAUDA KALTO Mr. Baganda Kalto of the News magazine was abducted from his room in Durbar Hotel and murdered during the Abacha dictatorship and so far, there are no dues yet as to who did it. CHARLES NSIEGBE Again, on November 21, 2009, another politician, this time a political associate of Rivers State Governor, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, Chief Charles Nsiegbe, was wasted in the street of Port Harcourt. The Nigeria Police are still running from pillar to post to find a clue to the brutal murder that shocked the good people of Rivers State and the nation at large. DIPO DINA The circle was upped again on Monday, January 25, 2010, as suspected assassins shot and killed Otunba Dipo Dina. The late politician was the AC governorship candidate in 2007, popularly called DD-Direct, the accountant met his death around Covenant University, Ota, Ogun State. The question, as the police are investigating the death is, who is the next victim? culled from city people Some cases of unresolved political assassinations in Nigeria, 1986-2005. NAMES DATE LOCATION MODE OUTCOME Dele Giwa October 19, 1986 Lagos Parcel bomb Unresolved Babatunde Elegbede May 5, 1994 Lagos Shot Unresolved Lekan Owolabi March 1995 Lagos Shot Unresolved Captain Tunde Ashafa June 11, 1995 Lagos Shot Unresolved Mr. Alfred Rewane October 6, 1995 Lagos Shot Unresolved David Izegwere December 1995 Lagos Shot Unresolved Kayode Awosanya January 1996 Lagos Shot Unresolved Tajudeen Abiola (Mrs.) February 9, 1996 Lagos Shot Unresolved Alhaji Sama Kano April 8, 1996 Lagos Shot Unresolved Admiral Olu Omotehinwa May 22, 1996 Lagos Shot Unresolved Irene Obodo (Mrs.) June 1996 Lagos Shot Unresolved Alhaja Kudirat Abiola June 4, 1996 Lagos Shot Unresolved Chief Adejola Balogun June 15, 1996 Lagos Shot Unresolved Esther A. Tejuoso (Mrs.) September 19,1996 Lagos Shot Unresolved Alhaja Suliat Adedeji November 14, 1996 Ibadan Shot Unresolved Toyin Onagoruwa December 1996 Lagos Shot Unresolved Engr. Adesoji A. Dina September 1998 Lagos Shot Unresolved Kola Tokunbo January 31, 1999 Lagos Shot Unresolved Patrick Okoye January 31, 1999 Lagos Shot Unresolved Sunday Ugwu September 9, 1999 Enugu Shot Unresolved Igwe Francis Nwankwo February 15, 2000 Anambra Shot Unresolved Nicholas Okhuakhua June 2000 Lagos Shot Unresolved Mohammed Shuaibu September 2000 Lagos Shot Unresolved Obatou Mumbo October 17, 2000 Onitsha Shot Unresolved Idowu Braimoh November 5, 2000 Ondo Shot Unresolved Joseph Osayande December 4, 2000 Benin Shot Unresolved Chief Layi Balogun December 10, 2000 Lagos Shot Unresolved Monday Ndor August 19, 2001 Port Harcourt Shot Unresolved Onyebuchi Ede August 23, 2001 Ebonyi Shot Unresolved Chibueze Idah August 23, 2001 Ebonyi Shot Unresolved Ogbonna Odimbaiwe August 23, 2001 Ebonyi Shot Unresolved Ifeanyi Nnaji August 23, 2001 Ebonyi Shot Unresolved Odunayo Olagbaju December 20, 2001 Ife Shot Unresolved Chief Bola Ige December 23, 2001 Ibadan Shot Unresolved Mr. S.A. Awoniyi January 7, 2002 Abuja Stabbed Unresolved Eyo Eyo April 2002 Calabar Shot Unresolved Ifeanyi Igbokwe April 18, 2002 Lagos Shot Unresolved Musa Dayo May 9, 2002 Bauchi Shot Unresolved Christopher Ogbonna May 26, 2002 Nsukka Shot Unresolved Maria-Theresa Nsa June 11,2002 Cross River Shot Unresolved Igbafe and Offiong 019 Chief & Mrs. Barnabas Igwe September 1, 2002 Onitsha Shot Unresolved Mr. Ogbonnaya Uche February 8, 2003 Owerri Shot Unresolved E. Emenike February 13, 2003 Imo Shot Unresolved Theodore Agwatu February 22, 2003 Owerri Shot Unresolved Emily Omope March 3, 2003 Ibadan Shot Unresolved Marshal Harry March 5, 2003 Abuja Shot Unresolved Bala Mai-Haice March 17, 2003 Yamal tu Deba Shot Unresolved Ajibola Olanipekun June 21, 2003 Ibadan Shot Unresolved Aminosoari Dikibo February 6, 2004 Delta Shot Unresolved Lateef Olaniyan July 16, 2005 Ibadan Shot Unresolved Peter Eboigbe August 11, 2005 Benin Shot Unresolved Source: Adapted from Igbinovia, P.E (2003); The Criminal In All Of Us: Whose Ox Have We Not Taken,
Posted on: Sat, 16 Aug 2014 16:02:45 +0000
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