Court Approves Re-commencement
of Suit Against Tinubu Over
Murder of Funsho Williams
A Federal High Court in Lagos on
Monday granted an application to
re-list a suit seeking the
prosecution of National Leader of
All Progressives Congress (APC),
Bola Tinubu and others over the
gruesome murder of late Funsho
Williams.
Williams, a former governorship
candidate of the Peoples
Democratic Party (PDP) in Lagos
State was murdered at his
residence in Lagos in June 2006.
Trial judge, Justice Rita Ofili-
Ajumogobia had earlier struck out
the suit which was filed by a
former detainee in the Williams’
murder, Bashir Junaid.
The judge had struck out the suit
for want of diligent prosecution.
But on Monday, the judge granted
an application to re-list the suit.
Junaid had gone to court seeking
for an order of mandamus to
compel the Inspector-General of
Police, to re-open investigations
into Funsho Williams murder.
The motion to re-list the suit was
filed by the applicant’s lawyer,
Tunji Adesheye.
Arguing the motion, Adesheye
informed the court that his client
had effected personal service of the
concurrent writ of summons on the
defendants that reside outside the
court’s jurisdiction.
Justice Ofili-Ajumogobia, had
earlier granted leave to the
applicant to effect personal service
of the concurrent writ of summons
in the suit on the Inspector General
of Police (IGP) by substituted
means.
Other defendants affected by the
court’s order included former IGP,
Sunday Ehindero; Attorney General
of the Federation and the PDP.
In the suit, the applicant is praying
the court to compel the Attorney
General of the Federation, to direct
the appropriate organ in the
Criminal Justice Administration in
the country to commence
prosecution of the alleged suspects
in the murder of Engineer Funsho
Williams.
He is also praying for a declaration
that all defendants in the suit
should pay him compensation for
his illegal detention and the
psychological trauma he suffered
for a period of over one year under
the unmitigated actions of the
defendants both jointly and
severally and for their acts of
commission and omission over the
said illegal detention and his
unlawful incarceration over the
murder.
Besides, Junaid is asking for a
claim of N5 billion as both
compensatory and exemplary
damages against the defendants
for their actions or inaction over
his illegal detention and
dehumanization over the murder of
the deceased.
Listed as co-defendants in the suit
are the Inspector-General of Police,
Lagos State Commissioner of
Police, Sunday Ehindero (former
I.G.P & I.P.O. of Funsho Williams’
murder case), Attorney-General of
the Federation, Modupe Shasore
and the PDP.
Others are Bola Ahmed Tinubu,
Muiz Banire, Babatunde Edu, Dele
Alake, and Henry Oladele Ajomale.
The matter has been adjourned till
September 29.
