‘Police never closed files on Ige, Dikibo murder cases’

The Nigeria Police have said that the case files on the murder of Bola Ige and Aminasoari Dikibo were never closed as being speculated in some quarters.

The security organisation explained that the need to enthrone acceptable policing standard led to the reopening of the cases

With the reports that President Muhammadu Buhari had directed the Acting Inspector-General (IG) of Police, Ibrahim Idris, to reopen investigation into the cases, The Guardian asked the Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO), Don Awunah, a Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), if such directive was received and/or if the cases had been reopened.

Awunah said: “I have not seen the directive from the President to the effect, but the Police Force does not close murder cases for the sake of it, much less high-profile unresolved contentious ones such as these. So, we are at liberty to reopen them anytime.”

Though the FPRO declined further comments, The Guardian gathered that Idris had made allusion to the lackadaisical investigation approach into the case of Bola Ige.

The source said he (Idris) actually demanded for the file and detailed the Deputy Inspector-General of Police (DIG) in charge of Force Criminal Intelligence and Investigation Department (FCIID), H. Dagala, to re-examine the evidence available.

“These are some of the ways the new leadership has adopted to show to the President and Nigerians at large that he is not out to play politics but to be a professional policeman and return the Force to the path of acceptable standard.

“You know he promised to deal with any officer that acts contrary to the professional ethics.

“These are some of the unresolved high-profile murder cases that made many Nigerians conclude that the Nigeria Police Force is compromised. But with this decision now, the culprits would be brought to deserved justice”, the source said.

Meanwhile, with the reported reopening of the case, reactions have continued to pour in with different groups demanding that everyone that was suspected to have had a hand in the murder, no matter how influential, should be brought to justice, especially that of the former Attorney-General where some suspects were arrested, appeared to be facing trial but after sometime, the whole fizzled out, with some staying in jail for a few months, while others went free.

They said the best image laundering effort for the police at this time is to bring perpetrators to account and ensure redress and justice for the victims.