Three policemen, six others for trial over Funso Williams' murder
From John-Abba Ogbodo, Abuja DETERMINED to get to the root of the gruesome killing of one of the governorship aspirants of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Lagos State for the April 2007 elections, the Nigeria Police yesterday said nine suspects, including three policemen on guard at the deceased's residence, will be charged to court to face murder charges. Also, the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mr. Sunday Ehindero, said that the results of the forensic analysis being conducted by the Metropolitan Police, London, were still being expected. Ehindero, who paraded the suspects at a press conference at the Force Headquarters in Abuja, said a total of 46 suspects were arrested following the incident which occurred on July 26, 2006. According to him, 20 of the suspects found to belong to a paramilitary organisation, were screened and charged to court for different offences. He said of the remaining 26 suspects, nine of them were found to have high degree of involvement. They included three mobile policemen and one domestic worker of the deceased. He gave the names of the three mobile policemen as Tunani Sonani, Mustapha Kayode and Okponwasa Imariable. The others were Abubakar Kalamu, Bulama Kolo (allegedly found with Williams' handset), Garba Abubakar, Musa Maina, David Cassidy (domestic guard to the deceased) and Felix John. Giving the details of the investigation, Ehindero said the assailants used a professionally well-knotted rope to gain entrance into Williams' premises at Dolphin Estate in Lagos through an air conditioner opening. He said they met the deceased in his computer room, tied him up and stabbed him to death. "The two policemen were obviously negligent," he added. The police boss further said that the suspects vandalised the house and made away with the slain politician's wife's jewelry box, wrist watches, camera and Williams' handset. He said a sustained interface between the police investigators and GSM providers led to the arrest of four suspects in Lagos and Maiduguri. These include Kalamu, Kolo Abubakar and Maina. Ehindero also said that the deceased's handset was discovered to have been used to make calls some days after the murder in one form or the other. He further said: "Their finger-prints have been collated for analysis, while DNA analysis of the blood stain is still awaited from British Forensic Service Centre. While the outcome of various forensic analysis of DNA reports are being awaited, the nine suspects listed above are being charged to court for conspiracy and murder." Ehindero emphasised the alleged role of Cassidy, the domestic guard, saying that he allegedly provided the ground for the crime to be committed because he opened the door of one of the boys' quarters and put a cushion item for the suspected assassins to have a soft landing through the rope. He said investigation showed that the guard was at a time into precious gold business and claimed to have been duped of the sum of N10 million and had to abandon the business in Ibadan before coming to Lagos to look for security job. Cassidy, who was in tears, said he was being paid N4,500 by the security organisation in Lagos that posted him to William's' house. He, however, said he could not have planned against the late politician because he was too nice to him and took him like his son. The IG asked him to go to the court and prove his innocence. In a related development, the IG also paraded another group of five persons from Jos in Plateau State suspected to have questions to answer over the murder of a former Deputy Vice Chancellor of University of Jos, Prof. Jonnie Onyeka, who got missing on August 18, 2006 after attending a service of songs for the late wife of a colleague. He said neither the man nor his Peugeot 406 saloon car had been found but investigation led to the arrest of one Mohammed Ibrahim, a car dealer who was found with the professor's handset. Through Ibrahim, a handset dealer, Chukwudi Eze, who confessed that an undergraduate at the University of Jos, Emeka Anyaegbunam, sold the phone to him, was arrested. The IG said that when the police went to arrest Emeka in Jos, the parents expressed joy that the notorious boy in the family had been finally apprehended. He ordered that the other suspects should be released for them to serve as prosecution witnesses. | 
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