I await court action over comments on Ige’s murder – Soyinka – Newstrends
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I await court action over comments on Ige’s murder – Soyinka

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Nobel laureate, Prof Wole Soyinka

Nobel laureate, Prof Wole Soyinka, on Thursday expressed enthusiasm to be involved in legal proceedings to unravel killers of a former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Chief Bola Ige.

Soyinka on Saturday in a statement said resumption of investigation into Ige’s murder was already hamstrung and disrobed of credibility with the emergence of a prime suspect in the case as the National Secretary of the ruling All Progressives Congress.

A former deputy governor of Osun State, Chief Iyiola Omisore, emerged the party’s national secretary at the 2022 national convention of the APC held from March 26 to 27, where 77 national officers emerged.

In 2002, he was arraigned for Ige’s murder but later acquitted alongside 10 others tried for the case.

Omisore, who replied Soyinka’s position in a statement, also instructed his lawyer to write the elder statesman demanding a retraction of the comments.

Ige, also an ex-governor of old Oyo State, was assassinated by suspected gunmen at his Bodija, Ibadan, Oyo State, home on December, 23, 2001.

The playwright spoke at a media briefing in Lagos titled, “Forget the past, forfeit the future: A nation seceding from humanity.”

He decried the rising insecurity in the country leading to killings, kidnappings and violence in several states.

The elder statesman noted, “When I make a statement that someone implicated in a certain crime and that the degree of that implication is such that the person should not even aspire for a certain kind of office in this society, I am talking about justice. It has nothing to do with records in court.

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“I want to assure this man who feels that his civic right has been trampled upon by the statement that even if he was guilty, it does not mean that he is not qualified to do anything for humanity.

“We are just saying that once you have been involved in certain forms of activity such that lead eventually to the extinction of a good man, you should not be seen in certain positions in society. “If Buhari and the APC leadership want to reward somebody like Omisore, please give him an embassy somewhere, maybe in Ukraine as an ambassador. But don’t make him the national secretary of a ruling party. That is where we are concerned. What happens to the PDP (Peoples Democratic Party) is no business of mine. We are talking about governance, we are talking about those who are in charge of the health and the wellbeing and the instrument of justice of this society.

“We are saying somebody who was capable of attacking a minister of justice, taking off his cap in the palace of a spiritual head of a large group of people, that person is not fit to be seen as the national secretary of a ruling party.  There is no bargain for that position.’’

The elder statesman said he read where Omisore’s supporters described him as a man of great erudition, adding that he had no doubt to talk about that because the politician knew what it meant in Yoruba culture to take the cap off the head of a man.

He stated, “When you decaped a man publicly and toss it to thugs to play around with, that means sooner or the other. Let me repeat this. That does not mean that you were responsible directly for the person’s death. But certain actions lead to the other and certain actions follow.

“ Even the English language helps us a bit along with it; when you decaped somebody, it might lead to decapitation. Wherever you look at the action of disgracing and humiliating a traditional chief and minister of justice who was a guest in a revered environment, that leads to something sooner or later. We have seen that the action alone and the consequence disqualify whoever initiates that action from aspiring to position.

“We are saying to the leadership of the APC and I am not talking about Buhari alone.  It’s a collective guilt.  What has happened to your sensibilities? Are you so short of material in your party that you have to unleash scorpion on our memory?’’

He said that he was not the one who provoked the situation but those who were so insensitive, so callous and insulted the people’s memory.

The playwright added, “Those who said they want to go to court because Wole Soyinka said this, I am waiting. I will be delighted and then we will really go into details. Perhaps, what we need is a judicial enquiry. The court has done its work. We accept the verdict of the court but there is a lot to unearth which are of enormous value for civic education and democracy. I ask APC leadership to have a rethink because this issue will not go away.’’

 In his reaction, human rights lawyer, Chief Femi Falana, SAN, who said the killers of Ige must be found, noted that Soyinka had reminded the President, Major General,  Muhammadu  Buhari (retd.), of his pledge to open an enquiry into the country’s spate of political murders.

 Falana noted, “If you are sued, we will defend you free of charge because you are taking on a public issue. We therefore want all of us to rise up and challenge the government to stop dancing on the graves of our people. “Until the killers of Chief Bola Ige are found, the search must continue. There is no apology about it. If you mention that you have been tried, discharged and acquitted but the state has a duty to look for the actual killers, you may help that from the information available to me, can you look at this area. It’s the duty of all of us. Prof Soyinka has helped to perform a civic duty.’’

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NAFDAC busts fake Eva water factory, arrests suspect

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NAFDAC busts fake Eva water factory, arrests suspect

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has exposed a counterfeit bottled water operation in Port Harcourt, specifically targeting the renowned brand Eva water.

Following a tipoff, NAFDAC officials conducted a raid on a derelict shop situated on Pipeline Road, Eneka.

The establishment disguised as a pool house and served as the hub for producing the fraudulent water.

During the operation, authorities discovered that used Eva plastic bottles were being refilled with contaminated water sourced from a paint bucket.

The water was then filtered through unhygienic rubber funnels covered with cloth.

Counterfeit Eva labels were affixed to the bottles, which were subsequently sealed with fake Eva corks.

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One suspect, identified as Chibunna James, was apprehended while in the process of loading the adulterated water for distribution. However, the mastermind behind the operation remains at large.

The confiscated products were promptly evacuated to the NAFDAC office for further investigation and analysis.

Cyril Monye, NAFDAC’s Public Relations Officer for Rivers State, disclosed that the scheme of the perpetrators involved repackaging contaminated water in used Eva bottles, employing makeshift filters made from unsanitary materials, and applying fake labels and corks to deceive consumers.

While efforts are underway to locate and apprehend the ringleader of the syndicate, NAFDAC urges the public to provide any relevant information that could aid in their apprehension.

Furthermore, Monye revealed that thirty packs of the counterfeit products were confiscated and transported to the NAFDAC office in Port Harcourt for thorough investigation. To prevent the circulation of the counterfeit water, the uncorked bottles were emptied and disposed of.

NAFDAC busts fake Eva water factory, arrests suspect

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Slain soldiers : Wanted Delta traditional ruler surrenders self

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King of Ewu Kingdom Clement Ikolo

Slain soldiers : Wanted Delta traditional ruler surrenders self

The King of Ewu Kingdom in the Ughelli South Local Government Area of Delta State, Clement Ikolo, who is one of the eight persons declared wanted by the Defence Headquarters in connection with the killing of 17 military personnel in Okuama community has turned himself in to the Delta State Police Command.

The monarch was said to have arrived the state police command headquarters at exactly 6:41pm on Thursday to report himself to Police Commissioner, Olufemi Abaniwonda.

Before he turned himself in to the police, the monarch spoke to journalists, insisting on his innocence in the matter.

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The Delta State Police Command confirmed that they have him in custody. The police spokesman in the state, Bright Edafe, confirmed the development.

Earlier on Thursday, the Defence Headquarters declared eight persons, including Ikolo wanted over their roles in the recent killing of 17 military personnel.

Those declared wanted are Prof. Ekpekpo Arthur, Andaowei Dennis Bakriri, Akevwru Daniel Omotegbo (Aka Amagben), Akata Malawa David, Sinclear Oliki; a traditional ruler, Clement Ikolo Oghenerukeywe; Reuben Baru, and Igoli Ebi.

Slain soldiers : Wanted Delta traditional ruler surrenders self

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It’s illegal to declare suspects wanted, Falana tackles DHQ

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It’s illegal to declare suspects wanted, Falana tackles DHQ

Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, has faulted the declaration of eight persons wanted by the Defence Headquarters over the killing of 17 soldiers in Okuama community of Delta State.

He said it was illegal to do so without obtaining a court order.

He stated this in a statement released on Thursday and warned the military against bungling the case of the slain soldiers.

Falana said, “The authorities of the armed forces should be made to realise that the military cannot arrest, detain, investigate and charge civilian suspects with any offence whatsoever.”

“We have also read the eight people alleged to be involved in the cruel murder of the soldiers have been declared wanted by the Defence Headquarters. It is trite law that the police and security agencies lack the power to declare any suspect wanted without a court order,” he stated.

He cited the rulings of judges in a number of cases including Benedit Peters v Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to buttress his point.

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