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Tuesday, April 30, 2013
How assassins entered Funsho Williams’ premises –Witness •Says exhibits got spoilt due to epileptic power supply
WALE IGBINTADE
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arms were tied behind him. His head region was under the bed and we observed blood around the head on the floor. “He was wearing a multicoloured Ankara in ‘Buba and Sokoto. The Sokoto had shifted and thereby revealing white under pant. There was evidence of ransacking the whole upstairs including, the family’s living room and master bedroom. “We processed for finger prints, shoe prints and noted the position of things considered to be relevant for our forensic work, which included one empty scab board without the dagger. “We did not move the body from the position we found it. The pathologist who subsequently moved the body discovered the dagger under it.” The witness noted that there was a manhole in the ceiling which was a concrete ceiling, saying: “An
opening of 2x2 covered with a plywood board was made in the ceiling. The manhole was just two feet from the dividing wall of the duplexes and it was similar to the other side. The building has a common roof ’’. According to Oyokomino, the police at that time relied on the mode of entry into the apartment to effect arrest and two suspects, who had previously broken into apartment in similar pattern, were nabbed. He said DNA materials were collected from the suspects and tested in a forensic laboratory in Britain, adding that the suspects were later released after the DNA report exonerated them. Besides, Oyokomino told the court that Investigating Police Officer (IPO) in charge of the case later came back with suspects apprehended with the cell phone of the deceased,
which was removed the day the incident occurred. The witness said: “We obtained the blood sample from the suspects while in detention. Samples were sent for DNA profile, which was reported inconclusive. This was reported to the prosecuting counsel who immediately set in motion to obtain fresh smoke through a court order at the High Court. “I was later informed that the judge at the time gave an order but I never saw the Certified True Copy till now. It was only recently that I learnt that the order could not be carried out because the presiding judge at that time died without signing the order she made.” He also told the court that a fresh order had been secured from the Magistrate’s Court to obtain blood samples of the new suspects along with those of the police men who were attached to the deceased and his private security guard.
Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of Forensics, Force Headquarters, Abuja, Mr. Ovie Oyokomino, yesterday gave a vivid description on how assassins gained entry into the late Funsho Williams’ apartment. Williams was the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in Lagos State in 2003. Oyokomino, a prosecution witness, told the trial judge, Justice Adeniyi Adebajo, of a Lagos High Court that the perishable evidence such as blood samples as well as sample extracted from the diseased’s eye got bad due to interrupted power supply in the course of refrigerating. He told the court that he visited the scene of the crime at about 12:30pm following a call from the Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG) in charge of Zone II. He disclosed that a green rope that was notched in various places was used by the killers to gain access into Williams’ duplex. The witness said: “The assailants gained entry into his apartment (his wing of a twin duplex) from the unoccupied second wing of the twin duplex. “They used a green colour nylon rope notched in a number of places for easy usage to descend into the deceased’s apartment. We collected the rope, mattress, containing shoe print, cushion in the living room that had shoe print. We also found a blood stained Kong sleeve shirt, pink in colour, in a Samsonite suitcase in the third room.” According to him, a mattress and cushion contain- A road show to mark the 2013 World Malaria Day in Abuja, yesterday. ing shoe prints were collected from the deceased’s house at Corporation Drive, Dolphin Estate, Ikoyi, addIn a statement yesterday, results of the people’s public ing that a blood stained pink TORDUE SALEM the Press Secretary to the sessions, the Adhoc ComABUJA coloured shirt was found in Deputy Speaker of the House mittee of the House of Repa Samsonite suitcase in the he House of Represen- and the Chairman of the Ad resentatives on the Review third bedroom. tatives Committee on hoc Committee on the Re- of the Constitution is set to He said: “I got there at the Review of the 1999 view, Mr. Oke Epia, said the embark on a retreat for its about 12:30pm with my men. Constitution will begin its re- retreat would prepare mem- members in preparation for There were many people treat tomorrow in Abuja. bers for the next stages of the the next stages of the ongothere. We could hardly get The retreat is preparatory review. ing constitution amendment into the scene with our ve- to a debate on bills that will The statement reads: exercise.” hicle. form a new constitution for “Pursuant to the successful The committee had, on “The deceased was in a ly- the country. presentation of the collated April 18, presented a report ing position on the floor; his
FG asks polytechnics to stop running Post-HND programmes IJEOMA EZEIKE ABUJA
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he Federal Government yesterday warned the nation’s polytechnics to stop running Post-HND programmes (Post Graduate Diploma). The government said it is outside the jurisdiction of the polytechnics to run such programmes. Minister of Education, Prof Ruqayyatu Ahmed Rufa’I, gave the warning in Abuja at the inauguration of the governing councils of 15 federal polytechnics, 19 federal colleges of education and two federal parastatals. Rufa’I urged the governing councils to streamline the programmes of polytechnics and colleges of education so as to meet national and international standards. The minister said to make tertiary education more relevant to the needs of the economy, it is necessary to refocus institutional mandates of
PHOTO: NAN
Reps begin retreat on constitution review tomorrow
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of 43 responses on the issues that will feature in the next constitution. Hon. Eziuche Ubani, Chairman, Sub-committee on media, in a press statement, said yesterday that “the retreat will afford members of the committee an opportunity to deliberate on draft bills on the aspects of the 1999 Consti-
teaching, research, training and community services. According to her, this requires a critical review and implementation of the various programmes and curricula of polytechnics and colleges of Education. Rufa’I said: “Another major challenge which has to be seriously addressed by the governing councils is the issue of Institutional Master Plans. “Approved Mast Plans that facilitate the development of well organised tertiary institutions with facilities in place should be strictly adhered to.” The minister also warned that the position of Rector/Provosts and other principal officers should be open to all qualified Nigerians irrespective of their state of origins, adding that the Provost and Registrar of Colleges of Education should sign NCE certificates as obtained in polytechnics and universities. The councils were also tasked to ensure that issuance of certificates to graduating students is a prerequisite for approvals for holding convocation. Rufa’I added: “The governing councils and managements of the institutions are to ensure immediate implementation of the external audit reports. “You are expected to effectively implement the views of the government on the Visitation Panel Reports to your institutions as soon as they are available. “I assure you that the Federal Ministry of Education will render assistance in relation to this issue whenever the need arises.” tution that Nigerians will want to see amended as was clearly indicated by the voting during the peoples public sessions held in the 360 federal constituencies on November10, 2012.” Ubani said: “The retreat, which holds May 1 to May 3 at the Protea Hotel apartments in Apo, Abuja, will usher the committee into the next and crucial stage of its work of amending the constitution.”