Unresolved murder cases
Monday, May 14 , 2012
The recent killing of Olaitan Oyerinde, the Principal Private Secretary of Edo State Governor, Adams Oshiomhole, has reopened the vexed issue of unresolved murders in this country. Oyerinde was recently murdered in controversial circumstances in his Benin, Edo State, residence.
While lamenting the gruesome killing of Olaitan, Oshiomhole as the chief security officer of his state ordered the police in Edo State to find Olaitan’s killers within two weeks. The police have, consequently, announced a N10 million naira reward to anybody who might help to fish out the killers of Olaitan.
Oshomhole’s order was, however, taken a step further by President Goodluck Jonathan a few days later when he ordered the Acting Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar, not only to arrest the killers of Olaitan but to also reopen all cases of unresolved murders for thorough investigation.
We sympathise with Governor Oshiomhole and all the good people of Edo State. We believe that politics should not be taken to desperate levels where human life is scarified without qualms of conscience. The killing of Olaitan is barbaric and inhuman and portrays this country as a safe haven for murderers. This is most unfortunate. We therefore urge the police, as Oshiomhole has done, to swing into action and ensure that those behind the murder are arrested, exposed and brought to justice.
Coming too soon after the equally controversial accident involving the convoy of Oshiomhole in which three journalists lost their lives, Edo State is fast acquiring the notoriety of a very insecure state. If recent happenings in the state are anything to go by, then there is cause for worry as the countdown to the July 2012 governorship elections in the state begins. There is the need for politicians in the state to play according to the rules and avoid the recourse to violence and murder. If they shun such unwholesome acts, they will be helping to ensure that the forthcoming election in the state is devoid of rancour and bloodshed.
President Jonathan’s admonition to the Inspector General, however, strikes a different note. It reminds us of the charges by people at the top on the imperative of resolving high profile murder cases. Since political assassinations assumed the centre stage in Nigeria, beginning from the days of June 12 crisis, the police have always been told to resolve such murder cases that were shrouded in mystery. But no breakthrough was made in any of them. What happens instead is that a few feeble attempts will be made at arresting some people and, in the end, the matter will fizzle out. It has been so with most of the murder cases that the police have been asked to resolve. President Jonathan has not, therefore, said anything new. He has simply replayed the refrain which we are used to.
Regardless of our skepticism about this charge, we still believe that the police owe Nigerians a responsibility in this regard. They must, in all seriousness, work to resolve all the murder cases before them. A situation where some of the case files have been closed without any clue on the criminal acts is unbecoming of a people who want to join the civilized world. Since criminal offences are not time-barred, the new Inspector General, as part of his reform agenda, should take Mr. President’s admonition very seriously by ensuring that all the unresolved murder cases are revisited.
It is regrettable that murder has become a political weapon in Nigeria. Politicians kill their opponents at will to settle scores with them. But it is much more regrettable that our governments have never mustered the political will to deal decisively with such murder cases. That is why nothing usually comes out of the effort of the police.
But now that Jonathan has directed Abubakar to act on this issue, we would like to see a departure from the past. Let those who take delight in taking the lives of others be exposed and made to face the wrath of the law. If Abubakar does this, he will go down in history as one police chief that was able to deal with the issue of unresolved murders.
