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2 FRIDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2016 Vox pop How should government resolve Dele Giwa’s murder case? C •Mr. Yusuf Ali (SAN) riminal matters do not die. From time to time, the government should be updating the case file (of Dele Giwa’s murder). The government should not close the file. It should assign investigators to look at it; maybe new angles to the case could come up. In other parts of the world, there had been crimes committed over 50 years back and solutions were found later. That is why the Nigerian government should not let Dele Giwa’s case die. If the perpetrators are eventually brought to book, it will show that our system is working. And it will tell anybody that, crime, no matter how long it is, the perpetrator(s) could be detected. It will also create a lot of confidence in our system. I read it in The PUNCH Newspaper today (Thursday) that one of his (Dele Giwa’s) younger brothers says he knows some of the persons that carried out the act. I believe the Federal Government can revisit that case. Such a brother should be summoned and be interviewed with a view to arresting the person whom he claims he knows in respect of the crime that was committed. That is number one. Number two, I am aware that there is no time limitation as to criminal cases. So, the case can be revisited if the government is ready; there is nothing like statute barred when it comes to criminal cases. With the way the Federal Government is going about curbing crimes and corruption in the country, the government, through the Attorney General’s office, should revisit the case so that the family can get justice by bringing the perpetrators to book. • Dr. Mahfouz Adedimeji, (Director, Centre for Peace and Strategic Studies, University of Ilorin) I do not think the case of Dele Giwa’s murder should remain inconclusive the way it has been. As long as the case remains inconclusive, it is a threat to journalism and journalists. So, the needful should be done. It is done in developed countries. A case of 70 years will be dispensed; even those who had died would be accorded justice. Dele • Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN and human rights lawyer) t is a shame that 30 years after Dele Giwa’s assassination by parcel bomb, the case has not been addressed nor solved by the successive governments in Nigeria. It is a bigger shame that Dele Giwa’s murder, other murders like those of Bola Ige, who was gruesomely murdered in his house in Ibadan (Oyo State) and Harry Mashal have not been resolved. They I lost their lives during the anti-military campaign. People lost their lives either in the course of fighting for power or trying to reclaim a democratic mandate or doing journalism for the sake of making Nigeria a better place. It is a big shame that all these murders remain a puzzle till date and the successive governments have paid lip service to unravel these outrageous murders and cases of assassination. If the government wants to show it is serious about security, it should look into the past and bring to justice the perpetrators of these heinous crimes. If they are not caught and brought to justice, other people will believe that crime pays; whereas it does not. It is a big dent on the image of this country locally and internationally that we have unresolved murders. In the Western world, cold cases are usually dealt with accordingly to make sure that the perpetrators, who even if they are 75-year-old now but were 20-year-old when they committed the crime, are brought to justice according to the criminal justice system of that country. That is what I want the Nigerian government to do in this regard. It is never too late. S •Yemi Omodele (Lawyer) Giwa’s case should not be an exemption. This is more important because of the fact that Dele Giwa represented the best of what our democracy stands for in terms of dedication, commitment to public duty and professionalism. Such a bundle of talent should not be allowed to die like that. The case should be dug up, resolved and justice should be dispensed appropriately. I do not think the country does not have good investigative apparatus; I believe there is no political will to actually investigate the matter. Nigerians excel all over the world in their various callings. There is no doubt about the quality of human resources that Nigeria has. I think the fundamental problem has been our attitude; lack of political will; people trying to cover up others. But I believe i

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