Obasanjo: My Govt Never Plotted to Kill Bamaiyi

Says EFCC need staunch lawyers to win cases

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo yesterday said his government never plotted to kill former Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Ishaya Bamaiyi (rtd), as claimed by Bamaiyi in his book.

Obasanjo said this while playing host to members of the Correspondents Chapel of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), Ogun State chapter, at his hilltop residence in Abeokuta.

The former president, according to the News Agency

of Nigeria (NAN), explained that his administration only asked Bamaiyi to answer to those that he was alleged to have killed, saying the decision was legitimate.

“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.

“That if there is an allegation that you have done something, that you have committed a crime, then you are arrested, you should answer to them and that is all.

“Who the hell is he that I would want to kill him? Kill him for what? To achieve what? No!

“There were allegations that the police and the law enforcement agencies decided to look into them. “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,”

Obasanjo said. Bamaiyi had recently alleged that his incarceration for more than eight years was punishment for opposing the choice of Obasanjo as successor to former Head of State, Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar.

The allegation was contained in his book: ‘Vindication of A General’ which was unveiled penultimate week in Abuja.

Bamaiyi also claimed in the book that the incarceration was to keep him away for fear that he would overthrow the Obasanjo government.

He wrote that as soon as Obasanjo took over, Abubakar and some of his people told Obasanjo that if he (Bamaiyi) was left free, he would overthrow the government.

Speaking on corruption, Obasanjo said investigation must be proper, thorough and undertaken with all seriousness.

He said: “I was reading today when 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’ 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 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 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.”