MY GOVERNMENT NEVER PLOTTED TO KILL BAMAYI, OBASANJO
Former President Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, has denied any plot by his government to kill former Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Ishaya Bamaiyi (rtd ) as claimed by Bamaiyi in his book.
Obasanjo made this clear on Sunday while hosting members of Ogun State journalists, at his palatial hilltop residential residence in Abeokuta.
He explained that his administration only asked Bamaiyi to answer to those that were alleged to had been killed by him, saying that the decision was legitimate.
Hear him “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 and that is all. Who the hell is he that I would want to kill him? Kill him for what? To achieve what? No!’,Obasanjo said
“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, Obasanjo said.
Bamaiyi it would be recalled had recently alleged that more than eight years of his incarceration was for 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 last weekend in Abuja. He also said in his book that the incarceration was to keep him away for fear he would overthrow the Obasanjo government.
The ex-chief of staff said as soon as Obasanjo took over, Gen. Abubakar and some of his people told Obasanjo that if I were left free, I would overthrow Gen. Obasanjo’s government.
Obasanjo while speaking on corruption said investigation must be proper, thorough and must be taken very seriously.
His words “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 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, “he said. (NAN)
