Police to re-arraign suspects in Bola Ige’s case

There are strong indications that the police will re-arraign suspects who were earlier arrested and detained in connection with the murder of a former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Chief Bola Ige.

It was learnt on Tuesday that all the suspects that were arrested in 2002 who were later freed would be apprehended again for fresh arraignment and prosecution in respect of the case.

Findings indicate that a Special Investigation Panel set up by the IG will  look at all the evidence in the case including forensic analysis which will be used to prosecute the suspects afresh.

The police could not be reached for comment as calls to the police spokesman, Donald Awunah, indicated that his number was unavailable.

It was learnt that the initiative  to re-open Bola Ige’s murder case was from the acting Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris.

Sources said the IG wanted to demonstrate that the police could resolve all previously abandoned politically-motivated murder cases in the country.

A national newspaper, (not The PUNCH) had reported that President Muhammadu Buhari directed the IG to reopen investigation into the unresolved murder of Ige, and ex-Deputy National Chairman, South-South of the Peoples Democratic Party, Chief Aminasoari Dikibo, and fish out the perpetrators for prosecution.

Ige was killed in his  Bodija, Ibadan residence, on December 23, 2001, after he arrived Ibadan from Lagos.

A top Presidency source, who spoke to one of our correspondents on Tuesday on the condition of anonymity, said the reopening of the cases was an initiative of the present police management.

The source added that naturally the President would not oppose such a decision that was aimed at ensuring justice.

He said, “The truth is that President Buhari did not order the reopening of the murder cases.

“The decision was solely taken by the new police management led by the Acting IGP.

“The belief of the police management is that investigations into the cases were carried out shoddily, hence the need to revisit them.

“Naturally, the President will not go against such a decision but he was not the one that ordered the reopening of the cases.”