The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Activists

  • Activists to Buhari: appoint CJN from outside Supreme Court

     A group, the United Action for Change (UAC), has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to consider appointing the next Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) from outside the Supreme Court.

    It said the judiciary needs someone with radical ideas to transform it.

    According to UAC, the Constitution does not specify that a CJN must be appointed from the Supreme Court.

    This was among resolutions reached by the group during a roundtable session in Lagos last weekend.

    The convener, Dr Muiz Banire (SAN), also condemned a situation where individuals, who had abandoned legal practice for years are appointed judges.

    “Someone may have been a lawyer for 10 years and then decide to go into catering, and such a person will then be appointed a judge. That is wrong. Only those in active practice should be appointed judges,” he said.

    Ikeja Branch Chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Yinka Farounbi decried a situation where only those who have ‘godfathers’ are appointed as judges, while more qualified persons are ignored.

    Speakers decried victimisation of lawyers who write genuine petitions against judges by other judges.

    “How will the National Judicial Council function if there are no whistle blowers? Even if a petition is withdrawn after the petitioner has been pressured to do so, the NJC should follow up to know if the allegations against the judge are true,” the group said.

    Banire said NJC ought to have an effective monitoring system by sending its observers and investigators to courts rather than always waiting for petitions before taking action against erring judges.

    A former Ikeja Branch Chairman of NBA, Mr Dave Ajetomobi, recalled that while he was in office, a list of lawyers being considered for appointment as judges were sent to the branch for vetting.

    On the list, he said, was a lawyer who had ongoing disciplinary issues and was under probe by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

    “Inspite of our recommendation that the lawyer’s appointment be suspended until the case is cleared, the person was appointed a judge. So, we had a scandalous situation where a serving judge was appearing before the disciplinary committee.

    “We have so many unfit people on the Bench. Some sit by 11am daily rather than 9am. There are Supreme Court justices who are consultants. They will tell you to deposit N250 million to win a case,” he alleged.

    Ajetomobi recommended that all suggestions by the NBA on nominees for judges should go to the NJC rather than through the Chief Judge, who may sweep the recommendation under the carpet if a favoured candidate is affected.

    He urged the judiciary to improve the welfare of court registrars. He told a story of a lawyer, who went all the way to Kano for a case only to be told that that the court would not sit. The registrars’ excuse for not informing the lawyers was that they had no money to buy call credit.

    On how to transform the judiciary, Ajetomobi said: “Most members of the NJC are appointed by the CJN. That needs to change. Who disciplines the Supreme Court judges? Time and again they do err because they are humans. Therefore, they should be answerable to a system that is independent of them.

    “The CJN must come from outside the Supreme Court. For there to be a change in the judiciary, there must be radical change at the top,” he said.

    It was also suggested that cases should be assigned to judges according to their areas of specialisation as lawyers. For instance, it was noted that a judge, who was a criminal attorney would find it tough to decide a case on admiralty or banking law and would take a lot of time researching and trying to understand the subject matter, thereby wasting time.

    A lawyer, Kunle Adegoke, called for change in the appointment of judges based on quota system, saying it leads to appointment of ignorant and incompetent judges.

    He also wants a change in the appointment process, as the current system exposes judges to undue influences by the  governors.

     

     

  • Activists demand clean-up of Niger Delta

    Activists demand clean-up of Niger Delta

    Niger Delta must be cleaned, say environmental activists in a historic environmental awareness programme held at Ogbia Local Government Area Bayelsa State.

    Notable environmentalists and champions of climate change education gathered at the site of the first oil well on Tuesday to canvass for the clean-up of the oil-polluted region.

    Oil was first struck in commercial quantity in Nigeria on June 26, 1956 at the Oloibiri Oil Well 1 at the rate of 5,000 barrels per day.

    The 12,008 feet Oloibiri oil well has since become a shadow of itself. The first well is no longer producing oil. Sadly, it has been abandoned by oil multinationals, the Federal Government and others, who milked it dry, the way an ungrateful child forsakes his mother.

    Its immediate environment has also been abandoned to decay after many years of oil-induced pollution. The Otuabadi and other host communities of the well, still wallow in abject poverty. In fact, there is nothing in the communities to show that they hosted the first oil well in the country.

    But there is a monument, a symbol of oil well built by the government at the site of the first wellhead. It was built by the Federal Ministry of Tourism and National Orientation in 2013, maybe as the government’s only way of remembering the contributions of the communities to national growth and development.

    No wonder the Nengi James Foundation in partnership with other civil society groups decided to hold its sensitisation programme at the Oloibiri oil well. The programme tagged, “Role of fossil fuels on climate change” was designed as part of global week of events to raise awareness on the need for communities to support government’s efforts to clean up the Niger Delta region.

    Indeed, it was a gathering of activists and host communities. The Director of the Environmental Rights Action (ERA) Mr. Nnimmo Bassey and other state representatives of ERA like Alagoa Morris were present at the occasion.

    All of them had one message.  They demanded the immediate clean up of polluted areas in the Niger Delta by the Federal Government and multinational oil companies and advocated an end to crude oil spills and gas flaring in the region.

    The demands of the host communities of the first oil well, were reeled out by Chief Napoleon Ofuruma, a former chairman of Ogbia Local Government Area. He lamented that oil exploration and exploitation had brought tales of environmental devastation and suffering to the people.

    Ofuruma said because of the drilling of oil with its consequences of pollution, it has not been easy for the people to return to their basic occupations of farming and fishing. He cried out that nothing had been done to clean the communities’ polluted land and creeks.

    In his remarks, Bassey dwelled on the need for the nation to embrace alternative sources of energy by de-emphasizing on fossil fuels which he described as major drivers of climate change.

    Also speaking, the facilitator of the programme and Founder, Nengi James Foundation, Alabo Nengi James blamed the pollution of communities, coastal erosion and ocean surge including climate change on oil exploitation.

    James, who is also the Chairman of the Civil Liberties organisation (CLO) in Bayelsa State, urged the Federal Government to grant at least 10% of the revenues to host and oil-producing communities to facilitate the development of such areas.

    Many solidarity messages from the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC), the Ijaw Women Connect (IWC) and leaders of civil society groups were read at the occasion. They called on government to ensure the speedy clean-up of all communities in the Niger Delta devastated by pollution.

    In a related development, the Environmental Management Association of Nigeria (EMAN) has commended  President Muhammadu Buhari for mustering the political will to embark on Ogoni Clean-up exercise.

    Its National President, Dr Emmanuel Ating, gave the commendation at a news conference in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom state capital, while highlighting some environmental management issues facing Nigeria .

    He said his association was delighted to hear from the Minister of Environment, Mrs. Amina Mohammed that the Federal Government would flag off Ogoni Clean-up exercise on June 2.

    He noted that the clean up exercise had been long overdue going by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)  reports released in 2011.

    His words: “The leadership and entire members of EMAN are grateful to President Muhammadu Buhari for mustering the political will to embark on the Ogoni Clean up as recommended by UNEP.

    “The action of the president is highly commendable but as a professional body, EMAN wishes to advise that the clean-up of Ogoniland should not be politicised.

    “The Federal Ministry of Environment should be transparent in all stages of the clean-up.”

    He called for the engagement of skilled and experienced environmental managers in the clean-up exercise.

    He reminded the Federal Government not to allow the Ogoni clean up to suffer the same fate as the control of Nypa Palms  (Nipa Fruitican) spread in the mangrove swamps.

    Ating noted that proliferation of Nypa Palm aggravated coastal erosion and flooding but the Federal Ministry of Environment had abandoned the Nypa Palm control after inauguration in 2001.

    The association also called on the federal government to convene a national forum to discuss the 2015 Paris Agreement on climate change.

    He said the forum was necessary to enable environment stakeholders know implementation response measures initiated by the Federal Government.

    He noted that there was need for awareness creation on the Paris Agreement 2015 before implementation by government following Article 12 of the Agreement.

    He quoted the agreement thus: “Parties should cooperate in taking measures, as appropriate, to enhance climate change education, training, public awareness, public participation and public access to information.”

    EMAN president urged the Federal Government to refrain from establishing Climate Change Commission rather all the agencies of the Ministry of environment should be strengthened to function effectively.

    The professional body also urged Federal Government to lace military operations with environmental management strategies in rebuilding the ruins in North Eastern Nigeria.

    Ating said: “The success achieved so far by the military is enough for the the provision of infrastructure to commence.”

    He opined that absence of environmental management initiatives in the North Eastern Nigeria was responsible for long stay of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in camps. .

    “The application of military option only is counterproductive, because it produces internally displaced persons (IDPs). The military and Environmental Management strategies should be applied,” EMAN president advised.

  • Activists decry corruption in property rights enforcement

    A coalition of civil society groups, One Voice, has urged the government to make land acquisition and transfer easier so as to reduce corruption in property administration.

    It said enforcement of property rights laws is weak and subject to abuse by officials.

    “Acquiring and maintaining rights to real property are major challenges,” the coalition said at briefing in Lagos by its Media Committee Chair, Pastor Adedeji Adeleye.

    The group said recording keeping by government agencies on land transactions is poor, and the process very slow, while legitimate fees are as high as 15 per cent of land value.

    “It is standard practice to hold land in corporations in order to avoid high fees, cumbersome bureaucratic procedures and corruption when the land is sold.

    “Attempts must be made by the federal and state government to correct these anomalies and make land acquisition easier,” it said.

    One Voice said while Nigeria’s legal and regulatory system is generally consistent with international standards, “enforcement of rules and legislation is often inadequate and inconsistent.”

    The group said the government must enhance protection of intellectual property in the face of dwindling oil prices, adding that a country can still develop without oil, as Singapore demonstrated.

    “As part of efforts at redeeming the economy, the Buhari administration must institute zero tolerance for corruption in all aspects of the public sector. Attempts must also be made to mainstream the private sector into the anti-corruption policy framework,” One Voice said.

    On transportation, One Voice urged the government to complete the inland waterways to reduce pressure on the roads; and to revive the rail system.

    It called for reforms in the tax system to end corruption in assessments and imposition of arbitrary levies that encourage tax evasion; as well as changes in Customs administration to make the process of clearing goods less cumbersome and prone to corruption.

  • Activists to Fed Govt: punish perpetrators of violence

    Activists to Fed Govt: punish perpetrators of violence

    Thirty-two civil society groups yesterday urged the Federal Government to bring to justice the perpetrators of violence in last Saturday’s legislative rerun in Rivers State.

    Seven persons, including a National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) member, Samuel Okonta, were killed. Several others were injured.

    In a statement yesterday in Abuja by its Co-conveners, Dr. Chima Amadi and Ezenwa, the groups said the only way to curb recurrent electoral violence was to bring perpetrators to justice.

    They condemned the killings, calling for the arrest of those found guilty or associated with the violence.

    The groups advised politicians to shun violence.

    They urged Nigerians to support the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to reform the electoral process and provide a fair platform for the electorate to choose their leaders freely.

    The statement reads: “The security breaches culminating in the destruction of life and property, despite the large number of security personnel deployed in Rivers State, is a cause for worry. Six thousand conventional policemen, eight additional or visiting mobile police squadrons to support the 46 units of mobile police in the state, soldiers, Department of State Services (DSS) operatives, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) personnel and other paramilitary agencies could not provide security for the National and State Assembly elections in just one state.

    “More worrisome is the fact that each of the above-mentioned agencies was associated with particular political parties and report from observers in the field can confirm that in several instances these security agencies worked for the parties they were associated with.

    “We condemn the violence unleashed on the state by the political actors and their agents and call for the arrest and prosecution of any individual found to have remotely or actively aided and abetted the violence.

    “We also call on the Federal Government to ensure effective investigation of the violence in Rivers with a view to identifying the perpetrators and bringing them to account.

    “Security is the responsibility of the Federal Government. The only way to curb recurrent electoral violence is to bring perpetrators to account.

    “We are aware that INEC made arrangements for credible elections and its officers ready to deploy to  polling units in a charged environment, a situation which the commission still braced itself to discharge its responsibility…”

  • Activists seek respect for suspects

    Activists seek respect for suspects

    A rights group, Justice for All (J4A), has condemned  ‘the brutal treatment’ of suspects and detainees at various police stations.

    It urged the police to respect the rights of every suspect in their custody.

    The advice was given at a forum by the police and J4A’s Legal Advice and Monitoring Team held at the Bar Centre of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Ikeja.

    A4J’s Alimosho Coordinator, Derinsola Kappo, a lawyer, said the group’s interaction with police officers showed that the police need to be sensitised on the need to respect detainees’ rights.

    “The J4A is to assist those detained at the police stations. Suspects sometimes come out of the police station and accused the police of brutalising and extorting them. We should make police realise that a suspect is innocent until proven guilty by a court, hence they should be treated with dignity while in police custody,” she said.

    Kappo added: “Sometimes, police have accused us (J4A) of being overbearing, but we want to assure them that we will work hand-in-hand with them to make their job easy.”

    Deputy Superintendent of Police, Bariga Police Station, Ismail Amusa, said policemen were trained to respect suspects’ rights but lamented that some of them were yet to abide by the training.

    “Right from recruit, we were taught the rights of suspects. There is no law that says a suspect should be tortured. The Nigeria Police Force of today is more conscious of the rights of suspects. We don’t torture suspects.

    Guest speaker at the event, Mr Olanrewaju Akinbo, who was the guest speaker at the event, also urged the police to operate within the confines of the  law and ensure that the rights of suspects are upheld.

    “Whether the accused is going to be jailed or not, there is presumption of innocent,” he said.

  • Activists demand envoy’s recall

    A group, Africa Arise for Change (AAFC), has asked the Federal Government to prevail on the Iranian government to recall its ambassador to Nigeria, Saeed Koozechi.

    Koozechi condemned the continued incarceration of Shi’ite leader Ibrahim El-Zakzaky, describing it as unconstitutional.

    He said El-Zakzaky, who suffered gunshot wounds during the  Army’s clash with the Shi’ite sect last December, should not be kept in detention for long.  He, therefore, asked President Muhammadu Buhari to facilitate his release.

    He said: “The official position of the Islamic Republic of Iran is that El-Zakzaky, who suffered gunshot wounds during the Nigerian Army’s clash with the Shi’ite sect in December 2015, should not be kept in detention for a long time.

    “The Shi’ite is a small minority group in Nigeria; they engage in peaceful religious activities, they are not harmful to anyone. We have never heard of unrest and extremism from the Shi’ite followers in Nigeria.”

    Koozechi described the Zaria incident as unfortunate and regrettable, saying his country expects the investigation into the clash to be fair and transparent.

    But AAFC demanded the ambassador’s immediate recall.

    Its Executive Director, Comrade Comfort Solape who led other members to Lagos State Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, asked him to use his good offices to prevail on President Buhari to facilitate the recall of the Iranian Ambassador as he had obviously shown that there was an alleged link between the Shi’ite sect and the Iranian government.

    According to Solape, unless the Ambassador was recalled following his comment viewed as a threat to the nation’s corporate existence, the war against terrorism may not achieve the desired results.

    The group alleged that there was a link between the Iranian Ambassador and one Islamic Movement of Nigeria which activities it said was suspect.

    Besides, Solape and his group accused the Ambassador of making utterances viewed as a threat to the country for arresting and detaining those behind the alleged attempt on the life of the Chief of Army staff, Gen. Tukur Burutai.

    She urged government to investigate the link behind foreign interference and the recent security incidents in several parts of the country.

    AAFC condemned Mile 12 market riot, saying: “That such ethnic oriented strife could surface in Lagos speaks volume of how an era of intolerance rapidly crept upon us without us realising it.

    “The foregoing paint a scary scenerio but nothing is more frightening than the knowledge that as a country, we must fight these cases of violence in addition to the threat of sectarianism that came to the fore when members of the Shi’ite sect attempted to assassinate the Chief of Army Staff, General Tukur Burutai.”

  • Activists seek speedy trials

    A rights group, the Access to Justice, yesterday said the fight against corruption may not succeed if trial delays are not solved.

    Its Executive Director, Joseph Otteh, said policies that regulate court procedures, which affect under-trial cases, must be based on research .

    “Some High Court Rules provide, for instance, financial penalties against a litigant who belatedly files required processes after the prescribed time. But what happens where the case suffers delays because the judge is perennially absent from trial?

    “What rules of court discourage judges from being late or absent from court? What research is relied on for thinking that once the delay caused by legal counsel or litigants are taken care of, cases would move on speedily in court?” he asked.

    Otteh said it is wrong to think that excessive interlocutory applications alone delay corruption cases.

    According to Otteh, factors that cause delays cannot be solved in isolation.

    “First, we should have informed judgments of what the causes are, and second, we should respond to the causes, not some! If we do not, the remaining leakages will keep draining the outcomes of reforms and resources,” he added.

  • A different breed of activists

    A different breed of activists

    They stroke, sketch and paint just like other artists. But there is something unique about these professionals at Maitama/Minister’s Hill in Abuja. Their canvass is recyclable, and they use renewable energy. They also ply their trade at a scenic ecological garden where, in the night, they gather round bottles illuminated by little candlesticks glowing inside them. When leisure visitors or pupils on excursion stop by, the artists take time to explain what they do and why they do it the way they do it. Their message is essentially  that Nigerians should join the global campaign to turn to renewable energy and save the environment by recycling materials.

    The garden is itself a natural work of art. It is wooded and lies in a valley with a flowing stream nearby.

    The rich folks in the neighbourhoods do not like them, and from time to time, police come to harass the activist-artists on the invitation of the powerful neighbours.

    The creator and curator of the garden, Ifesinachi Nwanyanwu explained to Abuja Review that what they try to do is to create an awareness that when people take from the environment, they should be mindful of how they give back to the environment and that government needs to create courses in schools that educate the younger generation on recycling and renewable energy.

    The artist said that he always had the idea about an Environmental garden and was most fortunate to have seen the location in 2009 and it immediately clicked with the vision that he had always had.

    Abuja for instance is a city with lots of green areas and parks but unfortunately most of these green areas and parks have gradually been turned into relaxation spots and bars and sometimes restaurants which most people are used to

    This is probably the reason for the constant squabble over the garden by influential residents over the need to change the idea of the garden and this recently led to the vandalism of the park by unknown hoodlums and several police cases that has eventually made the crusaders give up on their beloved park.

    Environmental artist Joy Ogu told Abuja Review that they try to advocate changing people’s mindset on protecting the environment.

    “I actually specialise in painting but protecting the environment is a thing of concern to me and should be to every Nigerian with increasing number of environmental hazards in the country. We try to advocate for people to change their mindset about protecting the environment and getting close to nature. I help create awareness through my art for instance instead of throwing away trash, I try to recycle and make my trash look beautiful for people to admire and eventually they might want to emulate it. We don’t just showcase the visual art alone; we put up everything we do online for people to see.”

    On the art, Nwanyanwu says: “My kind of art which is using organic materials to create works, gave me the enthusiasm of starting an environmental space where we promote, renewable energy, sustenance, educating people on how best to live with the environment without necessarily abusing it.

    “Most of the abuses we do to the environment are such that with very good education, we can correct a lot of damages that have been done to the environment.

    “We try to be part of the crusade. Why throw thrash from the window of your car, why shop from the market with leather bags that do not have any degradable effect, why not change our attitude with the way we do things with the environment.

    “That is what we try to do with the programme consumption by moonlight, we come out to have fun and also make people realise that the moon is also a source of renewable energy not just the sun, we have fun but then use our environmental works which was done with renewable materials, repurposing trash and discuss social issues.

    “Sometimes as Nigerians, we only look at the content, without looking at what houses that content, we do thing without understanding the Environmental effect of what we do.

    “For instance I happened to get a hold of the Chibok school building roof, that was destroyed when the schoolgirls where abducted, with it we are creating works that attempt to address insurgency, these are materials they where seen as thrash and we trying to use it for memorial works.

    “I think it is possible for Nigeria to make a turn in practically every issue, Environmental awareness is one of the least I think should be issue because, Nigerians are quite intelligent it’s just that for some reason, they choose to act the way they do, urinating in restricted places, dump refuse anywhere.

     

  • Activists back CBN’s dollar policy against Bureaux De Change

    Activists back CBN’s dollar policy against Bureaux De Change

    •CLO accuses politicians of using BDCs to corner forex

    THE Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO) alleged yesterday that majority of the Bureaux De Change (BDCs) operating in the country are owned by politicians, who use their influence to corner forex meant for the people.

    CLO’s President Igho Akeregha, at a media briefing on the rift between the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and BDC operators, said the apex bank’s decision to stop sale of forex to BDCs is in order.

    He alleged that those faulting the apex bank’s decision did not mean well for the economy, alleging that they are mostly politicians benefiting from dollar sales to BDCs.

    Akeregha said the BDCs had veered from their roles in the economy and became conduit-pipes for politicians, who are mainly their owners.

    “Go to the Corporate Affairs Commission and ask who the directors of these BDCs are. We have it on good authority that some politicians have 10 and even 12 BDCs. A senator owns 24 BDCs. With time, we are going to mention names, if they do not stop harassing those who want to rebuild this economy,” he said.

    Akeregha said the time to sit idly and do nothing was gone.

    “We cannot be watching people who have benefited so much from this economy wanting to continue to suffocate it. It would not be allowed. We are all Nigerians and nobody owns Nigeria more than the rest of us,” he said.

    The activist said the country would be in trouble, if lawmakers and senators would register BDCs and persecute those making policies to strengthen the naira.

    He alleged that CBN officials designing such policies were being summoned by lawmakers because they want to protect their selfish interests.

    “They are not struggling to protect the interest of the people. The CLO is committed to standing against that. We will no longer keep quiet. We are going to stop these characters,” Akeregha alleged.

    He said there is no country in the world where the Central Bank gives money to BDCs.

    These operators, he added, should source money from the autonomous market.

    He noted that the CBN was committed to plugging the leakages in the forex market.

    “We are also going to take our battles to the commercial banks because the truth is that the CBN releases forex to the commercial banks. It is difficult for individuals to go to the CBN to get money. Most of these forex, they source them from commercial banks and through other sources,” the activist alleged.

    He said Nigeria’s economic development was hampered by corruption.

    “Corruption manifests in different directions and we must face them. The CLO plans to set up a permanent situation room to engage every segment of the society. Everything that is anti-masses, we want to respond to them drastically. We can no longer sit idle and let these same characters, who have run this country aground, continue to enjoy. I think the party is over for them,” he said.

    He added that the BDCs should be restructured to revert to their traditional roles of selling forex to small business operators and other end users.

    “The BDCs had a role. That is what we are asking them to go back to and not become rent collectors.

    “When we say the BDCs should be restructured, it means they should revert to their original role. We are not saying they should be scrapped. But in other parts of the world, their roles are well-defined,” he said.

    Akeregha alleged that BDCs were designed and re-engineered to facilitate corruption, especially as a potential vehicle for laundering proceeds of corrupt funds into foreign currencies.

    He said the mode of bribery in Nigeria changed from naira to dollars since it was easier to give and take bribes in dollars than naira.

     

    The CLO president demanded that the BDCs should be restructured and brought in line to international best practices.

    The group urged the Federal Government to prioritise its forex cache to optimise its use and support the most productive sectors of the economy, to reverse the economic challenges facing the nation.

    It urged the CBN to plug the leakages to stem further devaluation of the naira.

     

  • Activists condemn attack on Aregbesola

    Activists condemn attack on Aregbesola

    The Osun Progressive Left; a coalition of human rights activists in Osun State, has condemned the attack on the state governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola by former Deputy Governor of the state, Iyiola Omisore over the bailout fund for the state.

    The group, in a press statement signed by its convener, Comrade Wale Adebisi said Omisore’s comments while speaking on Crown FM were not only crude, but capable of inciting the people against the government.

    “We denounce very strongly the campaign of malicious slander and inciting activities of Mr. Iyiola Omisore on Crown FM in October, this year on the issue of bailout fund from the Federal Government.

    “The approach of the former Deputy Governor is not only crude but also a way of setting the people against the government. He has clearly shown that he is a bad loser who is not interested in peace and stability of the state,” the statement read.

    According to the statement, the type of criticism that is expected of a man like him should be the one that will bring about development through constructive means not the one that will set the state on fire.

    The group, therefore, appealed to Governor Aregbesola to vigorously pursue his six action plan for the state as this is the only way of elevating the state as one of the best in the country.

    It also urged the Federal Government to re-open every inconclusive criminal case that had been swept under the carpet, including the cases of murder of the former Governor of Oyo State, Chief Bola Ige, Mr. Funsho Williams, Alfred Rewane, Hon. Hassan Olajokun and the killing of four people in a church in Ife.