By Oguwike Nwachuku
Assassination. Attempted assassination. Murder. Attempted murder. These are very familiar words in newsrooms, newspapers, and on radio and television during political periods like the one we are in.
During “normal” seasons, the words make occasional appearances weekly, monthly or yearly, but during electioneering they get used more frequently.
They become household words families freely use at dining tables and living rooms as they watch news on television and listen on radio.
The words dominate discourse in market places, pubs, hotels, churches, mosques, and schools because lessons are learnt by the public depending on the circumstances they find themselves.
But politically speaking, such adjectives are often used to qualify the desperation, dastard, selfish, greedy and other misdemeanors synonymous with politics and politicians during election.
Even business deals that went awry are at times delayed until the period of politics before the actors take it out on partners.
Therefore, the alarm Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, raised during the week that himself, his wife and son escaped assassination should be taken seriously and investigated deeper.
On Tuesday, November 6, Ekweremadu’s media aide, Uche Anichukwu, issued a statement that by 4am same day his principal, wife and son were put in harm’s way by suspected hired assassins.
Aichukwu wrote: “The armed men discreetly evaded the security at Ekweremadu’s Apo Quarters residence, to gain entry into his house.
“The attackers, who could not immediately shoot in order not to attract the attention of the security personnel on duty, took hold of his son, and commanded him to lead them to the senator’s bedroom.
“It was at the senator’s bedroom that a struggle ensued, leading to the arrest of one of the assailants with dangerous weapons and housebreaking devices, while the rest managed to escape.
“The arrested member of the gang has, however, refused to divulge any information on the operation and has been handed over to the police.
“Ekweremadu, his wife, and one of his sons were in the house at the time of the attack.
“It could be recalled that the lawmaker narrowly escaped an attempt on his life in Abuja on November 17, 2015.
“Although the 2015 incident was reported to the security agencies, nothing has been heard about the matter till date.”
On Tuesday, Ekweremadu reported what transpired to his colleagues during plenary, saying the footage of the CCTV recording spoke volumes about the attempt to assassinate him, his wife and son.
He confirmed that the assailants made their way into his bedroom at about 4am, causing him to struggle for his life. He said one of them was arrested.
But the police tweeted that “preliminary investigation carried out so far did not reveal assassination attempt on the life of … Ekweremadu and his family but a case of burglary. However, investigation is still ongoing to determine if there is any other motive behind the offence.”
On Wednesday at plenary, Ekweremadu and other senators expressed surprise at the submission by the police.
Ekweremadu said: “In the afternoon the deputy inspector general of operations came to my house and said it was the IG who sent him to come and see me. He came with the commissioner of police in charge of FCT.
“I showed them round and of course they were very sympathetic of what happened. I was shocked when I woke up this morning that what happened in my house is a mere case of burglary.
“I am at a loss because as we speak, they have not taken any statement from my son who was hospitialised. They have not gone to the hospital to find out what exactly happened to my son.
“They have invited security personnel attached to me who reported yesterday; some are still reporting this morning.
“They looked at the CCTV tapes operated by the DSS and a staff of my house, apparently they were not able to figure it out. So it was easy for them to quickly dismiss what really happened.
“Unfortunately to them, later yesterday evening a technician came and was able to figure it out and was able to produce the CCTV footage, including how they gained entrance into my house and how they got a way into my room and the fight between them my wife and my son and all the efforts we made to save our lives.
“I am happy that we have that in our custody which the police is not aware of.
“I am sure that Nigeria will be shocked about what transpired and all the efforts made to save our lives.
“Now that the police appear to have concluded the case, unless they withdraw the statement that it is a mere case of burglary, I may now be forced to release those footage to the media, international communities so that Nigerians and ordinary people can judge whether it was a case of burglary or an attempt to kill me or whether they just wanted to come to my house to have a breakfast or have a handshake with me.
“I am happy I am alive to tell my story. It appears to me that the man who said it was a mere case of burglary does not know what burglary is about.”
Senators took turns to scold the police for declaring an attack on Ekweremadu as attempted burglary and called for detailed enquiry.
They said the incident was a clear assassination attempt which the police failed to spend enough time to investigate.
Enyinnaya Abaribe (PDP, Abia) dismissed the ‘hasty’ conclusion of the police as a cover up.
“The police said it was a mere burglary. We all know that these days are very ominous days for politicians in Nigeria, especially for those who are politically exposed as each and every one of us is,” Abaribe added.
“For the police to quickly without even interviewing the very person for whom this incident happened to – the deputy senate president, his wife and his son – and come out and determine that it was a burglary, actually burgles the mind.
“We know that in this country Bola Ige was killed in his home. We know and also it is a fact the former gubernatorial candidate, Funsho Williams, was also killed in his home. And the investigations are still ongoing.
“Our fear today is, why are the police engaging in a cover up? Why are the police continually at any time that it concerns people that do not have presidential oversight or cover, they quickly come out and have a report.”
Mao Ohabunwa (PDP, Rivers) urged the Senate to demand a proper investigation.
He said: “What we are asking is that there should be proper investigation. It’s quite amazing at the speed and the haste at which the police PRO comes out to give conclusion on serious cases that need serious investigation.
“Now somebody has been arrested, what investigation have you done? Those who escaped, you’ve not arrested them. So, how can we come to a conclusion?
“Nobody burgles any place without internal compromise, and looking at the house of a person like the deputy senate president, for anybody to just go for mere burglary, you must be a suicide burglar.”
Dino Melaye (PDP, Kogi) accused the police of partisanship in the case, knocking them for being “myopic” in their approach.
His words: “The police adopted a very myopic, porous and intellectually stagnant approach to a very serious matter. To start with, burglary is not mere. Anyone who is engaged in burglary has satanic intention. It is burglary that leads to assassination.
“To come out and say it’s mere burglary shows that the Nigeria police has identified some individuals that no matter what happened, we will not get their service.
“If this has happened to one of the faithful of Mr President, this will not be the reaction of the inspector-general of police. If this has happened to one of the close friends of the Villa, this will not be the reaction of the IGP.”
Shehu Sani (PRP, Kaduna) argued that “we could have a killer burglar and that is what happened at the house of Ike Ekweremadu. For such to happen and for it to be dismissed as mere burglary, it shows that there is an attempt to cover up.”
Other lawmakers urged security agencies to “thoroughly investigate the assassination attempt.”
The police must be told that it pays them more to unravel criminal cases like the assassination attempt Ekweremadu reported.
The assassin who kills politician A today may kill politician B tomorrow, if a proper inquest is conducted, or even the one who killed politician C years back.
I do not know why the haste to dismiss the reported case of planned assassination when the police can press charges against Ekweremadu for false information if his claims turn out to be false.
The assassination of Ekweremadu, regardless of whether he is liked or not by the powers that be, will be a blur on our democracy. It will make nonsense of the human rights record of the President Muhammadu Buhari administration, which is a subject of local and international criticism.
A proactive police should be interested in who the assailants are. Their motives. Their collaborators.
Arresting and prosecuting them will also help deepen jurisprudence as their prosecution will reveal so many things that would be of interest to Nigerians and the international community.
It is foolhardy for anyone to think that everybody loves Ekweremadu, his family, his politics or even his swag. Is it unlikely that some people who know Ekweremadu and loath his rising political, business and social profile from his village or state want to stop him?
What if the financiers of the assailants are from Ekweremadu’s political family – the People’s Democratic Party (PDP)? What if competitors for a national political office meant for the “big’ boys are involved?
The police must be patient and painstaking in their investigation of crime if they really want to give Nigerians the best. They should learn a lesson from this incident involving Ekweremadu and know that whatever is worth doing at all is worth doing well.
A well investigated assassination case serves Nigeria and Nigerians well, not necessarily serving Ekweremadu’s interest or the interest of the high and mighty. That is the mistake our police always make.
The attempt to assassinate Ekweremadu may have been bungled, but arresting the suspects will help stop such tendencies, no matter where they are coming from and who is fueling them.
