Court frees suspected killers of Rewane

A LAGOS High Court yesterday acquitted and discharged the two suspects standing trial for the gruesome murder of the chieftain of the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO), Alfred Rewane, for the inability of the prosecution to prove its case beyond reasonable doubt.

The police arraigned the freed persons, Lucky Igbinovia and Effong Elemi-Edu over the murder case in 1995.

Delivering her judgment in the 16-year-old case, the trial judge, Justice Olusola Williams, held that the only evidence the prosecution relied on were the statements allegedly made by the two accused, which the defendants said they made under duress.

The court added that it was clear that the prosecution had nothing to support their case, as there was no evidence to support the charges levelled against the two accused persons.

Justice Williams said: “I wonder what the overwhelming evidence the prosecution referred to. The only things that linked the accused persons to the alleged crime are the statements, which they have denied. It is quite plain that there was nothing to support the case of the prosecution.

“It appears to me that, all what the police did was to visit the scene of the crime and arrested workers of the late Pa Rewane. There was no evidence to support the alleged statements the prosecution relied on. I cannot rely on the statement brought by the prosecution. The charges against the defendants failed, they are hereby discharged and acquitted.”

The defence team led by Mr. Moses Odiri, assisted by Mr. Owolabi Dawudu and Mr. Maxwell Adeniran had earlier filed a no-case submission but the court in its ruling only discharged Elvis Irenuma, a co-accused and held among others, that evidence by the prosecution could not link him to the crime.

But, the other five suspects in the trial namely Sylvester Iyasele, Saturday Egbeide, Ola Obanuso, Akeem Ali, and Sunday Obanobi all died in prison custody awaiting trial.

The accused persons were arrested and charged on a two-count-charge of conspiracy and armed robbery. According to the prosecution, they were accountable for the murder of Rewane at his home, No. 100 Oduduwa Crescent, GRA, Ikeja on October 6, 1995.

One of the defendants, Elemi-Edu, had in his examination in chief, told the court that on the day of the incident he left his house to buy suya for his wife around 8:45 p.m. but when he was about to reach ‘Mallam’s Sweet Suya Spot’ he heard sporadic gunshots, and took cover.

According to him, after the gunshots died down, he decided to go back home but suddenly from the dark, he allegedly heard a baritone voice, which shouted, “stop or I shoot.”

His words: “In confusion, I stopped dead in my tracks. Then four men in mufti pounced on me. I was screaming and wondering what would the robbers get from me other than the N5 note I had budgeted for suya? They ignored my protests, rained more blows on me and shoved me and a few other persons into their van and drove to a place I later recognised as SARS, at Oba Akinjobi Street, Ikeja.”

Igbinovia had in the course of the trial-within-trial also denied the confessional statements allegedly made by them (him and others) to the police stating that they were made under duress.

Led in evidence by their counsel, Odiri, one of the suspects, Irenuma, told the court that he was employed as an “office boy” but later turned to be a driver, adding that on October1995, the late Rewane sent a message to him that he would be having an important meeting and directed him to report at his house.

According to him, he reported at Rewane’s house located at No. 100
Oduduwa Crescent, GRA, Lagos at about 7:30 a.m. and was writing a note to the Administrative Manager as instructed by Rewane when he suddenly heard noise from the sitting room.

Upon investigation, he said he saw three men arguing with the steward and later discovered that they had an envelope for Rewane and they insisted that it must be handed over to him (Rewane) personally.

Irenuma further informed the court that one of the intruders pointed a gun at his head, raided the whole house and locked them up including Rewane’s wife in a room.

His words: “They left us in the room, but shortly after, we heard gunshots and the intruder drove out. We later went to Rewane’s room and saw him soaked in his own blood. We rushed him to the hospital and I immediately informed Chief Anthony Enahoro about the incident because he was to hold a meeting with Rewane.”

He further told the court that the doctor later informed them that Rewane died before he reached the hospital as the bullet penetrated through his heart and that he had no chance of surviving.

Guardian

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