Beyond the parade of Kogi murder suspects

THE Kogi State Command of the Nigerian Police on Tuesday,
December 10, 2019 paraded six young men suspected to have
murdered the Woman Leader of the Peoples Democratic
Party, PDP, Mrs. Salome Abuh, after the violent governorship
elections in Ochadamu, Ofu Local Government Area of the
State.
The state’s Commissioner of Police, Mr. Hakeen Busari,
disclosed the identities of the suspects as Ocholi Edicha (gang
leader), Adamu Haruna, Egbunu, Musa Alidu, Attai Haruna and
Attah Ejeh. They had allegedly set Mrs. Abuh’s residence
ablaze and prevented her from escaping.
Following the outrage that trailed this heinous murder,
President Muhammadu Buhari had given orders for the
perpetrators to be apprehended. According to Mr. Busari while
parading them: “The suspects further confessed that they were
responsible for the series of armed robbery incidents at
Ochadamu and environs”.
For us, the parading will remain a non-event unless it is
accompanied by firm and diligent prosecution to ensure the
perpetrators of this heartless crime are brought to justice. The
Police, as an institution, never showed enough concern about
the woeful failure of security during elections in Bayelsa and
Kogi which cost the taxpayers dearly.
Police authorities had announced the deployment of 60,241
personnel (over 31,000 for Bayelsa and 35,000 for Kogi). The
Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Mohammed Adamu, had
admitted that the Force was aware of the volatile nature of
elections in both states but assured the readiness of the
Police and other security agencies to protect the vote.
But after the election which turned out more of a war than a
peaceful democratic exercise, IGP Adamu shocked Nigerians
when he alleged that “fake policemen” or political thugs
overpowered his men during the elections.
It took more than one week after the murder of Mrs. Abuh
before the police roused to action following Buhari’s directive.
This lackadaisical attitude to their own failure does not inspire
Nigerians to believe that the police are prepared to
conclusively bring the culprits to justice. We hope the police
will prove their critics wrong.
The remarkable thing about Mrs. Abuh’s murder is that while
the police seemed unwilling to do its duties, the victim’s
relations made it clear that the perpetrators were “very well
known in the community”. The suspects’ alleged confession
to the crime seems to support this assertion.
It also confirms that the electoral process has been
outsourced to violent criminals in our society to decide those
who lead us while the police and security agencies fold their
arms. It is a shame.
The only way the police can salvage something for their image
in this ugly saga is to honour Buhari’s directive and the
expectations of Nigerians by ensuring the course of justice is
served.