TheCable

Wole Soyinka, Nobel laureate, has faulted the election of Iyiola Omisore as the national secretary of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

Soyinka described Omisore as “one of the prime suspects” in the murder of Bola Ige, a former attorney-general of the federation (AGF).

In a statement released on Saturday, the Nobel laureate said Omisore’s election has “hamstrung” the investigation into Ige’s death.

BACKGROUND

Bola Ige, an AGF in the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, was killed on December 23, 2001.

Omisore, who was then a deputy governor of Osun state, was accused of involvement in the murder of Ige.

Prior to the assassination, Ige and Omisore had been at loggerheads over the political crisis in Osun.

In December 2002, Omisore was impeached as the deputy governor of Osun over breach of oath of office and other offences.

After his impeachment, Omisore was arrested and detained over Ige’s murder but he repeatedly denied any involvement.

In 2016, President Muhammadu Buhari had ordered that the investigation into the murder be reopened but not much has been heard about it since.

‘OMISORE’S EMERGENCE RAISES QUESTION ON BUHARI’S PLEDGE FOR INVESTIGATION’

Soyinka said Buhari’s acceptance of Omisore as APC national secretary raises questions about the president’s pledge to reopen the probe.

“Presidential response was swift. Buhari ordered the Inspector-General of Police to re-open those files and resume investigations. The nation has patiently awaited even a hint of work in progress. Most, I am certain, expect no less than a revaluation of prior investigative efforts,” Soyinka said.

“None, to my knowledge, has attempted to rush the chief of police and his team into judgment. We all take solace in the knowledge that the wheels of justice grind slowly, but they arrive. Eventually.

“However, an unusual turn of events has raised questions. The ruling party, headed by the same President, has just elected as its national secretary one of the prime suspects of this most notorious of the nation’s unsolved murders.

“Not for a moment does one suggest that mere accusation, even trial, presumes guilt. More than a mere verdict is involved in any trial, however. The process of arriving at that ultimate destination – justice – is integral to the very concept of democracy and equality under the law. That process is one of the structures of civic education.

“Unresolved till today were quite a number of untidy, even suspect aspects of investigation, prosecution and trials, aspects which revealed improper cell co-habitation by suspects under custody.

“That this led necessarily to recantations of earlier depositions is not thereby proven, but the fact remains that such U-turns did take place. One was so brazen that it induced a heart attack that proved fatal to the victim’s wife, another Justice – Mrs. Atinuke Ige.

“That the prime suspect was privileged in a number of improper ways went beyond mere allegation. Political interventions, including pressure on the judiciary during bail hearings cannot be denied. A judge under such pressure kept a diary with accusations, page of which he consigned to friends for safe keeping.

“With the emergence of the said prime suspect as National Secretary of the Ruling Party, is the Inspector-General of Police equipped to confront political obstacles in a resumption of investigation? Is there any guarantee that the result will see the light of day? How suspect, ab initio, will be the conclusions, given the present political ordering?”

Soyinka added that the “investigative revisit is already hamstrung and disrobed of credibility,” given the endorsement of Omisore by Buhari.