Murtala Muhammed Family’s Cry for Justice

The family of the late former Head of State, General Murtala Muhammed, recently expressed profound discontent with the refusal of the federal government to prosecute those responsible for the murder of the son of the late military general, Zakari Muhammed.

The family expressed their disappointment in a statement in remembrance of their son and brother who was a 27-year-old finance graduate of the University of Canterbury in Kent, United Kingdom, who was shot dead in Abuja on August 13, 1993.

The daughter of the late general, Dr. Aisha Muhammed-Oyebode, made the family’s position known at the 30th anniversary of Zakari’s untimely death, held in Lagos. She expressed frustration with prosecution of murder trials in Nigeria, urging the National Assembly to enact a legal framework for seamless prosecution.

Muhammed-Oyebode lamented that even though the perpetrators were positively identified, all efforts to prosecute the case failed during the preliminary investigation and arraignment stage.

Recalling the distressing circumstances surrounding Zakari’s tragic demise, Muhammed-Oyebode, a lawyer and human rights activist, criticised the handling of the case. She said the entire procedure was shrouded in confusion, adding that the ultimate conclusion was a glaring miscarriage of justice.

According to her, the establishment of such a legal framework will guarantee comprehensive protection for victims throughout the complex corridors of the criminal justice system.

Many would have thought that being a former Head of State, and a man who had sacrificed so much for the country, the federal government would have thoroughly investigated the murder of Zakari and bring the perpetrators to justice. But this is not the case.

If it is true that the perpetrators of Zakari’s murder were identified and yet have not been prosecuted, it is indeed really unfortunate. It shows how the country always let people down.

It is sad that in Nigeria, crimes as heinous as murder and assassination are not always thoroughly investigated and prosecuted to serve as a deterrent to others.

This negligence promotes a culture of impunity and a society filled with freely-roaming criminals. 

The criminal justice system in Nigeria is in dire need of reform because justice still remains a precondition for humanity in a sane society. The right to life should not be a concept that only exists in print and imagination; it must be upheld by the state.

Murtala Muhammed Family’s Cry for Justice

The family of the late former Head of State, General Murtala Muhammed, recently expressed profound discontent with the refusal of the federal government to prosecute those responsible for the murder of the son of the late military general, Zakari Muhammed.

The family expressed their disappointment in a statement in remembrance of their son and brother who was a 27-year-old finance graduate of the University of Canterbury in Kent, United Kingdom, who was shot dead in Abuja on August 13, 1993.

The daughter of the late general, Dr. Aisha Muhammed-Oyebode, made the family’s position known at the 30th anniversary of Zakari’s untimely death, held in Lagos. She expressed frustration with prosecution of murder trials in Nigeria, urging the National Assembly to enact a legal framework for seamless prosecution.

Muhammed-Oyebode lamented that even though the perpetrators were positively identified, all efforts to prosecute the case failed during the preliminary investigation and arraignment stage.

Recalling the distressing circumstances surrounding Zakari’s tragic demise, Muhammed-Oyebode, a lawyer and human rights activist, criticised the handling of the case. She said the entire procedure was shrouded in confusion, adding that the ultimate conclusion was a glaring miscarriage of justice.

According to her, the establishment of such a legal framework will guarantee comprehensive protection for victims throughout the complex corridors of the criminal justice system.

Many would have thought that being a former Head of State, and a man who had sacrificed so much for the country, the federal government would have thoroughly investigated the murder of Zakari and bring the perpetrators to justice. But this is not the case.

If it is true that the perpetrators of Zakari’s murder were identified and yet have not been prosecuted, it is indeed really unfortunate. It shows how the country always let people down.

It is sad that in Nigeria, crimes as heinous as murder and assassination are not always thoroughly investigated and prosecuted to serve as a deterrent to others.

This negligence promotes a culture of impunity and a society filled with freely-roaming criminals. 

The criminal justice system in Nigeria is in dire need of reform because justice still remains a precondition for humanity in a sane society. The right to life should not be a concept that only exists in print and imagination; it must be upheld by the state.