Former detainee accuses Tinubu as prime suspect over deaath of Funsho William

• Court orders ex-detainee to serve Tinubu

Justice Rita Ofili-Ajumogobia of the Federal High Court in Lagos on Thursday granted an order of substituted means in a suit seeking to re-open investigations into the murder of a former governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Lagos State, Funsho Williams.

One of the detainees in the murder trial, Bashir Junaid, had filed the suit seeking an order of mandamus compelling the Inspector-General of Police (IG) to re-open investigations into how the late PDP stalwart was murdered in cold blood.

Williams was killed on July 27, 2006 at his Dolphin Estate residence in Ikoyi, Lagos.

Junaid, a former cemetery attendant, was detained for about one year in connection with the killing, but later released.

He had filed the suit before Justice Ofili-Ajumogobia and listed the IG at the time, Mr. Sunday Ehindero; Lagos State Commissioner of Police; the Investigating Police Officer (IPO) in the murder case; Attorney-General of the Federation at the time; Mrs. Modupe Shasore; PDP; former Lagos State Governor, Senator Bola Tinubu; Dr. Muiz Banire; Mr. Babatunde Edu; Mr. Dele Alake; and Oladele Ajomale, as respondents.

When the matter came up yesterday, lawyer to the plaintiff, Tunji Adesheye, moved an ex-parte application for substituted service and service of the writ of summons on some of the defendants outside the jurisdiction.

The order was granted as prayed by Justice Ofili-Ajumogobia, who later adjourned the matter to April 29 for hearing.

In the suit, Junaid, cited Tinubu as a prime suspect.

The plaintiff is also praying the court to compel the Attorney General of the Federation to direct the appropriate organ in the criminal justice administration in Nigeria, to commence prosecution of the alleged suspects.

The plaintiff is asking for a claim for compensatory and exemplary damages of N5 billion against the 11 defendants for their actions or inaction over his illegal detention and psychological trauma.

In a 48-point statement of claims in support of the suit, Junaid who lives at 6/8 Oladiti Street, Ilupeju, Palm Grove, Lagos, averred that due to the influence of Tinubu and Banire and the compromising position of the investigators at the Federal Central Investigations Department (FCID) Alagbon, Banire was only cautioned and made to rewrite another statement by the police, while his freely confessed statement which could have assisted the police in its attempt to unravel the actual killers of Williams, with the concrete and implicating evidence was discarded by the police at Alagbon Close, Lagos.

He contended that with the botched and compromised investigations of the murder of Williams by the FCID, which led to letting the 7th to 11th defendants off the hook, as no further interrogations were directed at him, he was pushed from one officer to the other, until he was released by the Lagos High Court which declared that his continued detention by the police was unconstitutional and illegal as his continuous arrest was a flagrant violation of his fundamental human rights to personal liberty.

Former detainee accuses Tinubu as prime suspect over deaath of Funsho William

Funsho Williams was strangled to death – Pathologist

Lagos State Chief Forensic Pathologist, Prof. John Obafunwa, on Wednesday told a Lagos High Court in Igbosere that the slain former governorship candidate in the state, Mr. Funsho Williams, was strangled to death.

Six men – Bulama Kolo, Musa Maina, David Cassidy, Tunani Sonani, Mustapha Kayode and Okponwasa Imariabie – are standing trial before the court for the murder of Williams.

Williams, who was to contest the 2007  governorship election in Lagos, was murdered on July 27, 2006, at his residence, 34A, Corporation Drive, Dolphin Estate, Ikoyi.

Obafunwa, who was testifying as a prosecution witness before Justice Adeniyi Adebajo, said the post moterm conducted on the deceased person’s body showed that this death resulted from asphyxia (lack of oxygen intake) due to “manual strangulation.”

He said, “Based on our findings, the deceased’s death resulted from asphyxia or lack of air intake due to manual strangulation, and the wounds found on the deceased can be described as defence wounds.

“Blood and urine samples, eye fluids, stomach contents, nail scrapings and clippings were also taken by the police for further forensic analysis after which I  made a report.”

The pathologist, who was led in evidence by the prosecuting counsel, Mrs. O.A Akin-Adesomoju, said an X-ray photograph also revealed a fracture of the thyroid cartilage (neck bone) of the body.

He added that there were bruises and defence wounds noticed on parts of the late politician’s body.

He said that he visited the scene of the crime at the deceased person’s residence at 34A, Corporation Drive, Dolphin Estate, Ikoyi at 5.30pm on July 27, 2006, following a call informing him of the deceased’s death.

Obafunwa told the court that he waited for policemen to arrive before he later saw the corpse at 10pm.

He said, “I saw the body of a middle aged man, identified by the family, having his hands tied and lying face down in a pool of blood on a dagger wrapped with a newspaper.

“I covered the hands and taped it with a paper to prevent a foreign DNA which may occur during the movement of the body so as not to affect forensic investigations.

“I noticed that the room was scattered along with two other rooms which I checked before the body was moved to Creek Military Hospital and I left at midnight.

“During the post-mortem examination, myself and two other pathologists at Creek Hospital discovered a cut on the deceased forehead and bruises around his neck.”

Counsel for the defendants, Mr. Agbara Okezie, declined to cross-examine the pathologist.

Justice Adebajo adjourned further trial till May 7.

The defendants were first arraigned on March 1, 2013 before Justice Adebajo on two counts of conspiracy and murder.

The defendants, according to the charge, on or about July 27, 2006, at 34A, Corporation Drive, Dolphin Estate, Ikoyi, conspired to murder Williams, an engineer.

Funsho Williams was strangled to death – Pathologist