Obasanjo accuses Bamaiyi of unjust killings during Abacha’s regime

…says EFCC success on fight against corruption lies with Judiciary

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo on Sunday, accused Ishaya Bamaiyi, former Chief of Army Staff of unjust killings of Nigerians during the inglorious regime of late General Sanni Abacha.

It will be recalled that the former Chief of Army Staff alleged that ex-President Obasanjo plotted to kill him and incarcerated him for eight years under latter’s civilian government in 1999 in a recently published memoir which was entitled, “Vindication of A General”, explaining that Obasanjo masterminded the plot for fear of being overthrown by him.

But, in a swift reaction to Bamaiyi’s claims, the former president countered the accusation, saying: “That I wanted to kill him? What of the people he killed? My government did not plot to kill him. My government asked him to answer to those that were alleged to have been killed by him and that is legitimate.”

Obasanjo, who played host to some members of the Correspondents’ Chapel of Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), Ogun State Council being by Kunle Olayeni, its Chairman at Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Hilltop mansion in Abeokuta said further, “if there is an allegation that you have done something, that you have committed a crime, then you are arrested, you should answer.

“And that’s all. Pure and simple. Who the hell is he that I would want to kill him? Kill him for what? To achieve what? No!  There were allegations, the Police and the law enforcement agencies decided to look into the allegations.

“They invited him and they asked him to answer as a result of what was found, so they charged him to court. So, it’s now up to him, the investigators as I said, the prosecutors and the judiciary. That’s all.”

While speaking on inability of the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) to win corruption cases so far, and as being complained by President Muhammadu Buhari, Obasanjo declared that the success of EFCC on winning corruption cases would be majorly based on incorruptible judiciary and EFCC lawyers competence and firmness.
He said, “I was reading today when the President (Muhammadu Buhari) said the EFCC should stop losing cases. They lose cases for a number of reasons. One, they engage more of outside lawyers. I believe that they need staunch, ‘ogbologbo’ (competent) lawyers inside that will do the work.

“If I am a lawyer and I want the opponent to win a case, what I will file will be wishy-washy. And if I file a wishy-washy case, the opponent will see the loophole and he will get out of it. I believe that it is important.

“Secondly, thorough investigation is very important. Now, investigation must be thorough, it must be proper and it must be really taken seriously.

“Third, our judges must be committed in fighting corruption. They must be committed to fighting corruption. Because if the investigation is very sound and you have ‘ogbologbo’ lawyer to handle the case, if you have ‘Salamigate’ you know what the answer will be.

“So it is a line: investigation, prosecution and the judiciary. If there is weakness along this line, chances are that corruption cases will continue to be lost.”