The resolve of the Muhammadu Buhari administration to deal with political assassinations and kidnappings in the country can hardly be questioned.
Right through the campaigns that brought him to office, he had consistently maintained that all political assassinations and other such serious offences committed for political gain would not go unpunished. It is, therefore, not surprising that he restated this resolve at a recent meeting with state chairmen of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Nigeria’s history since independence is replete with unsolved political murders. Successive governments have appeared helpless in the face of growing numbers of politically-motivated killings. If they were not outright complicit, then they clearly lacked the political will to solve the murders and bring their perpetrators to justice.
Fortunately, the prosecution of any crime, especially crimes against the state, is not statute-bound. So, no matter how long ago some of these murders were committed, the cases can be re-opened. But, how far back do we expect the present administration to go in these investigations? Reading President Buhari’s body language so far, he may be ready to go as far back as evidence can be available. He is not one to be daunted by personal, filial or political considerations. His life-long career has been one of personal discipline and impeachable integrity. This is partly what has been lacking in the investigation of these cases, and we believe that he will deliver on his resolve.
Our laws, whether the Criminal Code Act (2004) or the Penal Code Act (2004), frown at such criminal acts. Many of them were not diligently investigated because of lack of political will to do so. From what Buhari has said, it does seem that there will no more be a hiding place for criminal elements on the nation’s political landscape. The police may have tried to solve some of these politically-motivated murders in the past, but because of the high-profile nature of some of them, political interests and interference may have gotten in the way. Now is the time to crack these murder cases that have troubled us for so long.
The list of these political murders is not exhaustive. But, it includes Chief Bola Ige, Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation in the administration of former president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo. Others are Chief Alfred Rewane, Funso Williams, Harry Marshall, Ogbonnaya Uche and his wife. The failure to bring the killers of these people to justice may have strengthened the hands of other political killers in the just-concluded 2015 general elections.
Yet, the place of peaceful and credible elections in the sustenance of our democratic project cannot be over-emphasised. All of these murders must be solved for the good of our country and people. Many families have been deprived of their breadwinners and loved ones for no other crime than having a different political opinion. Such crimes against the state must be unraveled and punished.
To achieve this objective, President Buhari will need the cooperation of the relevant bodies and agencies. The National Assembly must stand firmly with him in this resolve to solve and deal with political murders. Where the laws are found to be inadequate and vague, they must be strengthened and clarified. The 8th National Assembly must be mindful of the apprehension in the polity that the crisis attending the emergence of its principal officers and its inability to resolve it may indicate its unwillingness to make a clean break with the past and put the nation first in its deliberations.
The judiciary must stand up to be counted too. It must take some responsibility for the present state of affairs. When both the Bench and Bar seemingly connive to shield suspects, and stall judicial processes that could lead to a quick resolution of high profile crimes, they are inadvertently empowering criminal elements in the society. The time has come to do away with our old and unhelpful ways, and embrace the positive change mantra of the present administration.
Our security personnel, especially the police, should also play their part in Buhari’s plan to deal with political offenders. Our security personnel have consistently come back with laurels and distinctions from engagements abroad, so the problem cannot be a lack of ability. Now that Nigeria appears to have found the leadership to do things differently, the police should not be a clog in the wheel of progress.
Whatever is required to motivate the police should be provided for them so that they can resolve political assassinations and kidnappings in the country, and consign them to the past.
Going forward, the police must be strengthened and re-oriented towards preemptive and proactive crime detection. An alert police force should be able to sniff out some of these crimes before they are committed. To succeed in this assignment, the president will need the support of his cabinet and a conscientious Attorney-General.
What will be required after the identification of suspects will be their diligent prosecution to bring a closure to the cases. In this assignment, there should be no sacred cows and no grounds left uncovered.
16:26
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