LAWYER'S MURDER: NBA GIVES POLICE ULTIMATUM TO PRODUCE CULPRITS

The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Kaduna State chapter last weekend embarked on a peaceful demonstration in Kaduna to show discontent over the inability of the police to resolve the murder of their colleague, Chief Jimmy Omogbereme, who was allegedly killed at his residence over two months ago.

The lawyers commenced the demonstration from the premises of the Kaduna High Court to the state Police Head Quarters holding placards that read:

'Can justice reign when lawyers are slain? Who stands to gain when innocent blood falls like rain?

The chapter Chairman, Mr. Muyiwa Olowokure, in an interview with Daily Sun at the High Court premises said: 'We want answers, we want to know what is going on and we want to be sure that this issue is not swept under the carpet like so many other murders that have been done in Nigeria before.

'We have enough information on how far the police have gone in the investigation to unravel the case and for that reason we cannot express satisfaction with what they have done so far.

'NBA will want to put it on record that we expect result, otherwise the police should be expecting us very soon again.'

He said police could not carry out forensic investigation of crime scene, 'such as in the case of the murder of Jimmy that were full of finger prints, footsteps and blood everywhere,' because of lack of forensic laboratory.

'That is why it seems as if it is a difficult case to resolve.'

Amongst those that participated in the protest were the former chairman of NBA, Kaduna chapter and a human rights activist, Mr. Festus Okoye, who told Daily Sun that, the action by the lawyers in the state was symbolic, in the sense that for too long, such incidents of brutal murder of lawyers had been going on in Kaduna.

He said: 'In the past, lawyers have been killed. I remember during my tenure as the chairman of NBA in 2000, a colleague, the late Mazino Uzuazebe, was murdered in cold blood. Same incident occurred when Egware O. C. was murdered in 1999 and P. Y. Garba and his wife were killed in 2006.

In his response, when he received the protesting lawyers at the Police Headquarters, the Kaduna State Commissioner of Police Alhaji Tambari Yabo Muhammad expressed regret over the unfortunate incident, adding that, the job of the police was to protect life and property.

The Police Commissioner who was represented by Deputy Commissioner of Police, Isaac Eke explained that, the matter was still under investigation.