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Sunday, September 4, 2016

HOMICIDE IN A PRISM By Achi William-Wobodo

HOMICIDE IN A PRISM This piece is a simple but passionate call on the Nigerian Police and all other Law Enforcement Agencies in Nigeria to save Rivers State and all those that dwell therein. Again, in the early hours of Monday 29th August 2016, Barrister Ken Atsuwete, an accomplished Human Right Activist was abducted from his home and murdered in cold blood by some assailant, who laboured in vain to leave in their trail a picture of "kidnap gone bad". Whereas all indicators point to a case of premeditated and motive-driven assassination, however, less than ten (10) hours after the incident, known members of the Peoples Democratic Party in Rivers State (the Chief Investigation Department of the Rivers State Police Command) were quick, as usual, to release a "Preliminary Investigation Report" by way of a Press Statement in which they found that the assassination of Barr. Ken Atsuwete arose from a "bad kidnap" case. In the same usual and predictable manner, the Rivers State Command of the Nigerian Police followed, as if kidnapping in itself is legitimate or that the kidnappers had a legal right to kill as to rendered the murder of Barr. Atsuwete legitimate. I shall refrain from commenting here on the shame and shock that I have continued to suffer form the reprehensible approach of the Nigerian Police to the various cold blooded killings going in the state. The assassination of Barr. Ken Atsuwete in my view is: HOMICIDE IN A PRISM. Many would wonder why I chose a title such as this. I did so for two reasons. Firstly, as a prism would naturally do, I intend to review the assassination by the clarifications and distortions afforded through the various viewpoints. Secondly, to measure and focus, by refraction, on the motive for the assassination through the outcome and consequences of the assailants actions, even though they are not clearly expressed in the elements and characters of the offence of kidnapping which is being propagated in defence. The first clarification is to say that Barr. Atsuwete was not kidnapped, at least no ransoms were placed on him, no calls were made by "the kidnappers" in demand of any ransom or any calls at all; he was whisked away from his house by gunmen and few hours later he was found dead in the pool of his own blood. Some persons have tried to distort these facts, but as I had said earlier, some of the questions to ask are: should it have been a case of kidnapping turned bad, did that legitimize the murder of Barr. Atsuwete? what could have been the motive for the "primary kidnap", when he was neither fantastically rich nor was he a partisan politician? what was the motive for the "kidnap story" raised by the PDP, to obliterate and divert the trail or to to condition and preempt the public with an expected investigation outcome? were these members of the PDP "watching over" Barr. Atsuwete as to tell that those who took and killed him were "Kidnappers" and not "Assassins"? How were/are these PDP members able to tell who was/is a kidnapper and who was/is an assassin? have they knowledge of the identity or character of "kidnappers" and "Assassins" in Rivers State? Before his death, Barr. Atsuwete was the Attorney to Hon. Ojukaye Flag Amachree, who is "being prosecuted" for "murder" under some controversial circumstances. Mr. Amachree is a strong chieftain of the All Progressive Congress, whom the Government of Rivers State and PDP insist on prosecuting at all cost despite the fact that the Police in their Investigation Reports have said that there is no evidence linking Mr. Amachree to any of the murder cases complained about, for which he is being detained. As every renowned lawyer would, Barr. Ken Atsuwete was committed and daring in his drive to seek justice for his client. This did not go down well with the PDP. Many of the PDP chieftain had not hidden their commitment to jail Hon. Amachree at all cost nor had they concealed their irritation by the fact that Barr. Atsuwete represented Hon. Amachree. MIGHT THIS BE A MOTIVE FOR HIS ASSASSINATION? Few days before Mr. Atsuwete was gruesomely murdered, he was on Radio to address the controversy surrounding a disputed order of the Federal High Court for which his client had accused the Peoples Democratic Party of procuring and circulating a forged Order purporting that the Court had restrained Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from announcing the March 19 Rerun Election Result for Tai Local Government Council Area. As dogged and forthrightly as any lawyer could be in defence of his client and Justice, he promised to do justice to the subject, including doing a petition to the NJC. Members of PDP never nursed their irritations with equanimity, they shouted and promised a reaction. Two days afterward, Ken Atsuwete was murdered. MIGHT THIS AGAIN BE A MOTIVE FOR HIS ASSASSINATION? The murderers of Barr. Ken Atsuwete are not far-fetched. We cannot tell who they are without more, but we can feel their choke all around us. They may try to hoodwink us by creating clouds of deceit, but same clouds would be the prism through which we refract on their trail. Though not forever, the prism may shield them from the law for now, but it will definitely mirror and protect them from escape forever. This is one murder too many. The assassination of Barr. Atsuwete was the murder of conscience. The Nigerian Law Enforcement Agencies have failed the people. The Nigerian Police must go beyond paying condolence visits to victims of homicide, to solving homicides. And to the Nigerian State, the earlier the Federal Government realized that citizens' fear for the state (order) is by coercion of the law the better for her. The moment that fear is lost by the ineptitude of today's leadership the consequences will be unimaginable. ALL WE ARE SAYING: THE KILLERS OF BARR. KEN ATSUWETE MUST BE BROUGHT TO BOOK. By Achi William-Wobodo Lawyer and Social Engineer 04/09/2016