Report: Cases Of Assassinations And Unresolved Murders Between 1999 and 2014

As politicians gear up for the 2019 general election, the issue of assassinations and unresolved murders witnessed since the advent of democracy in 1999 has become an issue for discussion.

It would be recalled that most of the killings which is generally believed to be politically motivated occurred largely during a similar period like this where politicians are gearing up for the peoples vote.

A popular twitter user who goes by the name @JesuisNaija, on Monday, refreshed the memory of internet users with a thread on unresolved murders between 1999 and 2014, some of which includes the escapes of prisoners from some prisons across the country.

His thread of tweets which started with the unresolved murder of former Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Chief Bola Ige, started with the success recorded by the Nigerian Police from 2015 till date.

Highlighting the success of the Nigerian Police Force in arresting the notorious kidnap kingpin popularly called Evans, the twitter user noted that his arrest in 2017 by the Police “Intelligence Response Team is an effort Nigerians barely commended the police for.”

“Since 2015, @PoliceNG have consistently busted deadly criminal gangs and high profile kidnapping, and I won’t be shy to admit this successes started from the time of Jonathan’s government when kidnappers of Okonjo Iweala’s mother were arrested in 2013.

“Very recent successes followed with @PoliceNG rescuing three female students kidnapped from Babington Seminary School, Ikorodu, Lagos in March 2016, and the subsequent arrest of the culprits. How many of us knew about Henry Chibueze, aka Vampire who was gunned down in March 2017?

“When left unhindered, our law enforcement has shown capacity to confront daunting criminals. It was a combined effort of @HQNigerianArmy and DSS that killed Don Warney within 7 days, after he massacred 20 Nigerians returning from church on New year day.

“When it became obvious that some of the criminals that killed catholic priests and worshipers in Benue are christians, and not Fulani herdsmen as shared in churches, men of God that incited religious hatred on their pulpit are since banting about soccer,” he tweeted.

While many kidnap kingpins have been busted by men of the Nigerian Police and alleged suspects of murder cases arrested and arraigned before court of competent jurisdiction under the three years of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), that cannot be said to have occurred under the PDP led government.

For example, “the late Bola Ige, a former Attorney General of the Federation was shot dead in his bedroom in Bodija, Ibadan in December 23, 2001.

“Similarly, Chief Aminasaoari Dikibo, PDP Deputy National Chairman was ambushed near Asaba in daylight and was murdered in October 22, 2004.

“What about the gruesome cold blood murder of Dr. Harry Marshal on March 05, 2003, at the climax for the 2003 presidential elections?,” the twitter user asked.

He further gave a rundown of some notable assassinations between 1999 – 2014:

“Janet Oladape, PDP leader in Odigbo LGA clubbed to death by gunmen on August 13, 2002.

“Alhaji Ahmed Pategi, Kwara State Chairman, PDP, murdered at Aiyetoro, in Kogi State, on the 15th of August, 2002.

“Barnabas Igwe, Chairman, Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) and his wife, Abigail Igwe, murdered on the 1st of September, 2002.

“Victor Nwankwo, younger brother of Arthur Nwankwo, founder, Eastern Mandate Union (EMU) assassinated on August 29, 2001.

“Momoh Lawal, relation of Akaaba, former Chairman, Okene LGA in Kogi killed on March 5, 2001.

“Odunayo Olagbaju, member, Osun House of Assembly, killed in Ile-Ife on December 21, 2001.

“Chimere Ikoku, former Vice Chancellor, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Enugu State, was killed in his residence in on 20th of October 2002.

“Dele Arojo, PDP guber aspirant, was killed by unknown assailants in Lagos on November 25, 2002.

“In February, 2003, Chief Ogbonnaya Uche, All Nigerian Peoples Party (ANPP) senatorial candidate in Imo State was assassinated.

“Theodore Agwatu, Principal Secretary to the Governor of Imo State, was killed in February 2003.

“Mrs. Emily Omope, an Alliance for Democracy (AD) woman leader died in March, 2003 at University College Hospital, Ibadan after an acid attack in December, 2002 by unknown persons.

“In February 2003, Ogbonnaya Uche, ANPP senatorial candidate for Orlu was killed in his home residence by unknown gunmen. Killers are yet to be found till date.

“Andrew Agom, A member of PDP Board of Trustees and former boss of Nigeria Airways, was also killed on March 4, 2004. Agom was on the entourage of the former Benue State governor, Senator George Akume, when he was killed.

“Death moved to the South West on May 15, 2005 with the murder of leading financier of Oronmiyan Group, a socio-political organization, Alabi Okoju, at Gbongan, Osun State by assassins.

“In July 2006, Lagos PDP gubernatorial aspirant, Funsho Williams was killed at his Dolphin Estate home in Ikoyi.

“Former World Bank consultant and PDP guber aspirant in Ekiti State, Dr. Ayo Daramola, was also murdered in 2006.

“Kehinde Fasubaa, a look a-like twin brother of Taye Fasuba, then Ado-Ekiti LG Chairman was killed on January 03, 2009. Taye Fasuba himself escaped death in 2004.

“The assassination of Dipo Dina, was a huge personal loss to me. On Monday, January 25, 2010 assassins shot and killed him around Covenant University, Ota. The late Dina was defunct Action Congress (AC) gubernatorial candidate in 2007. Former Ogun State Governor, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, indicated recently that the present State Governor, Ibikunle Amosun, should be investigated for his death.

“Unlike now that we are all free to tweet nonsense at President Muhammadu Buhari, in the years under review, your freedom to life as a journalists, after excising your freedom of speech was not guaranteed.

“Godwin Agbroko, Chairman, ThisDay Editorial Board was assassinated on December 22, 2006.

“Another ThisDay journalist, Abayomi Ogundeji, was murdered on August 17, 2008. Those who know better are insisting that his death may have been political. People who are aware at about this period in our political history knew it was dangerous working at ThisDay Newspapers then.

“Another journalist, Bayo Ohu of Guardian Newspapers was shot dead on a Sunday, September 20, 2009 by a gang of 5 men and a woman in his home in Egbeda, Lagos. Bayo Ohu was working on the certificate forgery story of former Customs Controller General, Abdullahi Dikko before his murder.

Below is a summary of notable unresolved killings of journalists and politicians in Nigeria as highlighted by the twitter user:

1. Igwe Nwankwo was shot dead on February 15, 2000 in Anambra State.
2. Nicholas Okhuakhua was shot dead in June 2000, in Lagos.
3. Mohammed Shuaibu was shot dead in September 2000, in Lagos.
4. Obatou Mumbo was shot dead on October 17, 2000 in Onitsha.
5. Idowu Braimoh was shot dead on November 5, 2000 in Ondo State.
6. Joseph Osayande was shot dead on December 4, 2000 in Benin State.
7. Chief Layi Balogun was shot dead on December 10, 2000.
8. Monday Ndor was shot dead on August 19, 2001, at Port Harcourt.
9. Onyebuchi Ede was shot dead on August 23, 2001 in Ebonyi.
10. Chibueze Idah was shot on August 23, 2001, in Ebonyi. The case is yet unresolved.
11. Ogbonna Odimbaiwe was shot on August 23, 2001, in Ebonyi Shot. Case also unresolved
12. Ifeanyi Nnaji was shot on August 23, 2001 in Ebonyi. Case also unresolved.
13. Odunayo Olagbaju was shot on December 20, 2001 in Ife, Osun State. Case also unresolved.
14. Chief Bola Ige was shot dead on December 23, 2001, at his Ibadan residence in Oyo State. Case also unresolved.
15. Eyo Eyo was shot on April 2002, in Calabar.
16. Ifeanyi Igbokwe was shot on April 18, 2002 in Lagos. Case unresolved.
17. Musa Dayo was shot on May 9, 2002 in Bauchi State. Case also unresolved.
18. Christopher Ogbonna was shot on May 26, 2002.

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19. Maria-Theresa Nsa was shot on June 11, 2002 in Cross River State. Case unresolved.

20. Chief and Mrs. Barnabas Igwe were shot on September 1, 2002 in Onitsha, Anambra State.

21. Ogbonnaya Uche was shot on February 8, 2003 in Owerri, Imo State capital.

22. Theodore Agwatu was shot on February 22, 2003 in Owerri.
23. Marshal Harry was shot on March 5, 2003 in Abuja.
24. Bala Mai-Haice was shot on March 17, 2003.
25. Ajibola Olanipekun was shot on June 21, 2003 in Ibadan.
26. Dikibo was shot on February 6, 2004, in Delta State.
27. Lateef Olaniyan was shot on July 16, 2005 at his Ibadan residence.
28. Peter Eboigbe was shot on August 11, 2005, in Benin, the Edo State capital.

“The list is endless! This isn’t to say the internal security has improved today, but at least, so far, we have little or no political scores settled by assassins.,” he tweeted.

On the number of people that escaped from prisons, @JesisNaija said that “9,603 prisoners escaped from custody under PDP!”

According to him, “during PDP’s reign of terror, criminals weren’t only having a free day; even prisoners were escaping from prisons. It defies logic to berate a government that is barely three years old when an estimated 9,603 prisoners escaped between 1999 – 2014.

“In 2005, 120 inmates of the Auchi Prisons in Edo threw open the prison gates and disappeared.

“Agodi prison break was September 11 2007; Bauchi prison break was in September 7, 2010; while Yobe prison break was on Sunday, 4 June 2012,” the tweets ended.