Impunity of Dele Giwa’s murder case created right to take lives – Sagay

BY DAPO AKINREFON
CONSTITUTIONAL lawyer, Professor Itse Sagay (SAN) has said that institutional failure of the state to bring murderers to justice has given rise to impunity.
He also said that the precedence and impunity of Dele Giwa’s murder case, created the right to take lives in the country.
He said this on the occasion of the presentation of the book ‘Honour for sale’, authored by Major Debo Bashorun (rtd) in Lagos.
Sagay, a legal expert, lamented that no suspect has been arrested in connection to the assassination of the former Editor-in-Chief of Newswatch, Mr Dele Giwa.
He said “this is the first time in the history of our, at that time, where anyone will be killed with an explosive device. So that really shows you the significance of what happened. To add insult to injury, no suspect has been caught for the murder.
The saga of late Chief Fawehinmi’s epic struggle, should be allowed to bring prosecution against the suspects.”
Speaking further, he said “the institutional failure of the state to bring the murderers to justice, gave rise to an unprecedented level of impunity during the Abacha regime and surprisingly since the civilians took over in 1999.
The list of victims of impunity is endless but I can mention a few. The most prominent was that of the former Attorney General of the federation, Chief Bola Ige; we also had the case of Harry Marshal, Chief Dikibo, engineer Funsho Williams, Ayo Daramola. We also had the gruesome murder of Barnabas and Abigail Igwe. These are just a few of the cases that have since been affected.”
He, however, said that the “precedence and impunity that Dele Giwa’s case created the right to take lives. So, the result of all this: because of the failure to punish these people, two things have happened. Life has become very cheap, that is the state of things. Secondly, it becomes very easy to take lives without fear of any consequence.”
While commending the author for his courage to write the book, he said “the effort may lead to the unraveling of the mystery behind this killing, though we all suspect those behind it right now. It certainly brings no relieve to the state, which allowed this devastating institutional failure.”
Explaining the motive behind the book, Major Bashorun (rtd) said “I am aware that in sharing with the world that which I witnessed in the corridors of power at what time authority was wielded brazenly and wholly without conscience in my beloved country, I take a considerable risk.
Yet, I cannot but consider myself lucky that, unlike Dele Giwa, I am alive today to share in the immense joy of being part of a process that seeks a better, safer society for coming generation of Nigerians. To stand in the gap and work in defence of the defendless fills me with fulfillment as a soldier. I can never feel prouder as a human being today”.
ROLL CALL
Notable Nigerians present at the launch includes Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka; human rights lawyer, Mr Femi Falana (SAN); Osun state governor represented by Mr Kunle Oyatomi; Mrs Ganiyat Fawehinmi, Mrs Alao-Aka Bashorun among others.
Vanguard