One of the few good men in Nigeria's political scene, Mr. Funsho Williams, has fallen in the hands of assassins who stabbed him to death in his house in Lagos. Williams was perhaps too clean to tread the dirty gutters of Nigeria's politics, and it cost him his life. However, unlike any assassination before, this one is generating serious attention, and is being investigated by the British police.
His personal driver gave an account, narrating how he discovered the lifeless and battered body of his boss after he completely forced the bedroom doors open at his 184A, Corporation Drive, Dolphin Estate, Ikoyi residence. “Everything was disorganised in the three rooms. His computer was on the floor, shoes, clothes, pillows and bed sheets were scattered all over the rooms. And in the corner of a room near the computer was my boss in the pool of his blood, with his hands and legs tied. The knife used in slaughtering him was on the floor beside him. I couldn’t believe my eyes, so I raised an alarm,” he said.
The chauffeur, popularly known as Omot among friends and close associates of the deceased, said it was after he raised an alarm that Williams’ personal security officer and media assistant, Frank Ozoegbuna, moved into the room and was greeted by the ugly sight. In his own account of the event, Ozoegbuna reportedly told detectives from the Adeniji-Adele Police Station, Lagos who visited the late Williams’ house after the murder that he did not hear or see anything about the killing. The PA maintained that he retired to his room downstairs for the night after Captain, as Williams was popularly called by admirers, had gone to his room upstairs.
Diary Of Political Killings
•December 19, 2001: Mr. Odunayo Olagbaju, a member of the Osun State House of Assembly, was killed in front of Moore Police Station, Ile-Ife, Osun State.
•December 23, 2001: Chief Bola Ige, the Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation, was shot at his residence in Ibadan, Oyo State.
•January 7, 2002: Mr. S. Ade Awonusi, the Confidential Secretary to the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Mohammed Uwais, was stabbed to death by unidentified assailants near the National Mosque, Abuja.
•September 2, 2002: Mr. Barnabas Igwe, the NBA Onitsha branch chairman and wife, Abigail, were both murdered at their residence in Awka, Anambra State.
•February 7, 2003: Mr. Ogbonnaya Uche, a chieftain of the All Nigeria Peoples Party in Imo State was gunned down at his residence.
•February 2003: Theodore Agwatu, Principal Secretary to the Imo State Governor, was murdered by suspected hired assassins in Imo State.
•March 5, 2003: Dr. Harry Marshal, a top notcher of the ANPP was murdered in his bedroom in Abuja.
•March 20, 2003: Rasak Ibrahim, a supporter of the former Governor of Kwara State, Alhaji Mohammed Lawal, was killed.
•March 21, 2003: ANPP House of Assembly aspirant, Mr. Anthony Nwudo, was murdered in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State.
•March 27, 2003: ANPP councillorship candidate in Anambra State, Mr. Ikenna Ibor, was murdered.
•April 19, 2003: ANPP stalwart, Onyewuchi Iwuchukwa, was murdered in Ikeduru, Imo State.
•April 20, 2003: ANPP House of Assembly member, Toni Dimegwu, was murdered in Imo State.
•May 12, 2003: No fewer than 25 persons were killed at a political rally in Effurun, Delta State.
•June 20, 2003: A lawyer, Chief Ajibola Olanipekun, was murdered in Ibadan, Oyo State in circumstances believed to be political.
•February 14, 2004: PDP National vice-Chairman, South-South, A.K. Dikibo, was killed at his Port Harcourt residence.
•March 3, 2004: The convoy of the Governor of Benue State, George Akume, was attacked by suspected assassins on his way to Kaduna. A member of the PDP’s board of trustees, Andrew Agoma, and Joseph Ngama, a police sergeant, were killed.
•March 4, 2004: Mr. Luke Shingaba, a chairmanship candidate, was killed at his house in Bassa L.G.A., Kogi State.
•March 7, 2004: Kogi State Electoral Commissioner, Chief Philip Olorunipa, was murdered in his residence in Kabba, Kogi State.
•February 5, 2005: Sunday Atte, the leader of the legislative council in Yagba East LG of Kogi State, was murdered by unknown gunmen.
•May 15, 2005: Alhaji Alabi Olajoku, one of the political associates of the Lagos State Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Alhaji Rauf Aregbesola, was killed by suspected assassins at Gbongan junction in Osun State.
•June 3, 2005: The Principal Administrative Officer of Uvwie LG in Delta State, Mr. Patrick Origbe, was assassinated by unknown gunmen.
•July 16, 2005: Unknown gunmen killed Alhaji Lateef Olaniyan (alias Lati Osogbo), a close associate of the strongman of Ibadan politics, Alhaji Lamidi Adedibu, in Ibadan.
•July 27, 2005: Peoples Democratic Party’s Assistant National Director, Research and Planning, Mr. Anthony Ozioko, was murdered at his residence in Saburi-Gwagwa, Abuja, by unknown persons.
•June 30, 2006: A gubernatorial aspirant of the Advanced Congress of Democrats, Mr. Jesse Arukwu, was adbucted and his dead body found around his house in Bassa LG, Plateau State on Sunday, July 2.
Courtesy The Punch
•December 19, 2001: Mr. Odunayo Olagbaju, a member of the Osun State House of Assembly, was killed in front of Moore Police Station, Ile-Ife, Osun State.
•December 23, 2001: Chief Bola Ige, the Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation, was shot at his residence in Ibadan, Oyo State.
•January 7, 2002: Mr. S. Ade Awonusi, the Confidential Secretary to the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Mohammed Uwais, was stabbed to death by unidentified assailants near the National Mosque, Abuja.
•September 2, 2002: Mr. Barnabas Igwe, the NBA Onitsha branch chairman and wife, Abigail, were both murdered at their residence in Awka, Anambra State.
•February 7, 2003: Mr. Ogbonnaya Uche, a chieftain of the All Nigeria Peoples Party in Imo State was gunned down at his residence.
•February 2003: Theodore Agwatu, Principal Secretary to the Imo State Governor, was murdered by suspected hired assassins in Imo State.
•March 5, 2003: Dr. Harry Marshal, a top notcher of the ANPP was murdered in his bedroom in Abuja.
•March 20, 2003: Rasak Ibrahim, a supporter of the former Governor of Kwara State, Alhaji Mohammed Lawal, was killed.
•March 21, 2003: ANPP House of Assembly aspirant, Mr. Anthony Nwudo, was murdered in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State.
•March 27, 2003: ANPP councillorship candidate in Anambra State, Mr. Ikenna Ibor, was murdered.
•April 19, 2003: ANPP stalwart, Onyewuchi Iwuchukwa, was murdered in Ikeduru, Imo State.
•April 20, 2003: ANPP House of Assembly member, Toni Dimegwu, was murdered in Imo State.
•May 12, 2003: No fewer than 25 persons were killed at a political rally in Effurun, Delta State.
•June 20, 2003: A lawyer, Chief Ajibola Olanipekun, was murdered in Ibadan, Oyo State in circumstances believed to be political.
•February 14, 2004: PDP National vice-Chairman, South-South, A.K. Dikibo, was killed at his Port Harcourt residence.
•March 3, 2004: The convoy of the Governor of Benue State, George Akume, was attacked by suspected assassins on his way to Kaduna. A member of the PDP’s board of trustees, Andrew Agoma, and Joseph Ngama, a police sergeant, were killed.
•March 4, 2004: Mr. Luke Shingaba, a chairmanship candidate, was killed at his house in Bassa L.G.A., Kogi State.
•March 7, 2004: Kogi State Electoral Commissioner, Chief Philip Olorunipa, was murdered in his residence in Kabba, Kogi State.
•February 5, 2005: Sunday Atte, the leader of the legislative council in Yagba East LG of Kogi State, was murdered by unknown gunmen.
•May 15, 2005: Alhaji Alabi Olajoku, one of the political associates of the Lagos State Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Alhaji Rauf Aregbesola, was killed by suspected assassins at Gbongan junction in Osun State.
•June 3, 2005: The Principal Administrative Officer of Uvwie LG in Delta State, Mr. Patrick Origbe, was assassinated by unknown gunmen.
•July 16, 2005: Unknown gunmen killed Alhaji Lateef Olaniyan (alias Lati Osogbo), a close associate of the strongman of Ibadan politics, Alhaji Lamidi Adedibu, in Ibadan.
•July 27, 2005: Peoples Democratic Party’s Assistant National Director, Research and Planning, Mr. Anthony Ozioko, was murdered at his residence in Saburi-Gwagwa, Abuja, by unknown persons.
•June 30, 2006: A gubernatorial aspirant of the Advanced Congress of Democrats, Mr. Jesse Arukwu, was adbucted and his dead body found around his house in Bassa LG, Plateau State on Sunday, July 2.
Courtesy The Punch
