A group of lawyers under the umbrella of Nigerian Young Lawyers Initiative for Peace and Justice have called on the Inspector General of Police to reopen the investigation
into the killing of former Vice – Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) South – South, Chief Alfred Dikibo which occurred in 2004.
Image: IGP Arase]
The lawyers in a strong worded petition dated 18th August, 2015, addressed to the Inspector General of Police, expressed worry why the Panel 8 inquiry set by the former President, Olusegun Obasanjo since 2004 was yet to come out with a public statement identifying the perpetrators of the killing.
The petition signed by the Coordinator of the group, Edward Omaga and Barr. Samson Esekhaigbe, its Secretary General, accused the police of complicity in the matter while wondering why there was not a presence of Policemen on the road where the assassination was carried out.
It also took cognisance of the fact that there was supposed to be heavy traffic of top government functionaries plying the route to the meeting which was aborted due to the death of Dikibo.
Speaking further the group stated that the probe panel had already established that the killing was politically motivated, saying that Dr. Cairo Ojougboh should be investigated for the murder, judging from the manner he hurriedly took over Dikibo’s position in the PDP.
The lawyers expressed their expectation that after eleven years, the Nigerian Police should have published the findings of their investigation in the media to clear doubts as to the culpability or not of Dr. Ojougboh in the case.
Thus it has also accused the police of incompetence as it is saddled with the primary responsibility of protecting the lives and properties of all citizens of the country.
Meanwhile the group has maintained that until the murder of Dikibo is solved and those responsible brought to book, it will be the conviction in many quarters that Nigeria is a lawless state where any crime can be committed without consequences.
They thereby issued the police an ultimatum of forty eight hours to publish the findings of the investigation or face legal actions.
“We maintain that the inordinate delay on the part of the Nigerian Police Force to make public their final investigation report as it concerns the assassination of Chief Dikibo is an attempt at shielding Dr. Dr. Ojougboh”. The letter read in part.
Ogah Simeon, Abuja