Ex- ACN secretary prays court to order fresh probe into Funsho Williams’ death

A FORMER secretary of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), in Mushin, Lagos, Bashir Junaid, has approached a Federal High Court, Lagos, urging it to make an order of Mandamus directing the Inspector General of Police to re-open investigations into the murder of Engineer Funsho Williams.

    He said members of “Team Lagos” killer squad are serious suspects that are supposed to be  arrested and interrogated over the incident.

    The suit NO: FHC/L/CS/1371/14 due to be heard before Justice Rita Ofili-Ajumogobia on March 19, has eleven co-defendants. They are Inspector-General of Police, Commissioner of Police, Lagos State, Mr. Sunday Ehindero (former IGP & IPO of Funsho Williams’ murder case), Attorney-General of the Federation, Mrs Modupe Shasore, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Dr. Muiz Banire, Mr. Babatunde Edu, Mr Dele Alake, and Henry Oladele Ajomale.

    In the suit Junaid, who experienced protracted detention over Williams’ murder, but was later released, said Tinubu is a prime suspect while former commissioner for transport in Lagos under Tinubu, Banire is the linchpin who coordinated the activities of the “Team Lagos” killer squad, allegedly put together by Tinubu and his administration in Lagos.

    Other alleged members of “Team Lagos” killer squad, according to the plaintiff include, the General Manager of Lagos State Transport Management Authority (LASTMA), Edu, who the plaintiff described as the “Team Leader of the ‘Team Lagos & killer squad, former commissioner for information and strategy under Bola Tinubu’s Government, Alake, and former chairman of Action Congress (AC) now Lagos State Chapter of All Progressives Congress (APC) Chairman, Ajomale. 

    The Plaintiff is also praying the court to compel the Attorney General of the Federation, to direct the appropriate organ in the Criminal Justice Administration in Nigeria, to commence prosecution of the alleged suspects in the murder of Engineer Funsho Williams.

    He is also praying the court to order all the defendants in the suit to pay him compensation for his illegal detention and the psychological traumatisation he suffered for a period of over one year under the unmitigated actions of the defendants both jointly and severally for their acts of commission and omission over the plaintiff’s said illegal detention and his unlawful incarceration over the murder of Eng Williams. 

    The plaintiff is asking for a claim for compensatory and exemplary damages of N5 billion against the 11 defendants for their actions or inaction over his illegal detention and dehumanization over the murder of Engr. Williams.

    In a 48 point of statement of claim in support of the suit, Junaid averred that it was an open secret in Lagos State between 2004 and 2006, that Asiwaju Tinubu disbursed funds to all LASTMA officers and operatives through Banire and Edu to mow down every FERMA operatives found on Lagos roads and throw them into Lagos Lagoon.

    “The plaintiff herein avers that to truly unravel those behind the murder of Engr. Funsho Williams, the blood samples of these members of “Team Lagos” killer squad and their sponsors i.e., the 7th-11th  defendants must be obtained and sent for DNA testing of their profile, to ascertain whether such blood samples match the blood stains collected from the house of Engr. Funsho Williams and his blood stained cloths, on the day of his murder.

    “The plaintiff also averred that such blood samples and other body tissues of these suspects, must be taken by investigators to a pathologist to verify them along with the report of autopsy conducted on late Engr. Funsho Williams, in order to ensure that innocent citizens of this nation, were not allowed to suffer in vain for what they know nothing about, especially the plaintiff herein.

    “That the plaintiff herein avers to the fact that the 8th defendant confessed to the existence of the “Team Lagos” killer squad and the assemblage of such violent and murderous, illegal and unlawful team of thugs under his watch as Lagos State Transport Commissioner, claiming that they were used to tame troublesome transport operators on Lagos roads.

    He swore that following the murder of Engr Williams, he was arrested and detained unjustly.

The plaintiff also averred that due to the influence of  Tinubu and Banire and the compromising position of the investigators at the Federal Central Investigations Department (FCID) Alagbon, Banire was only cautioned and made to rewrite his statement to the police, while his freely confessed statement which could have assisted the Police in its attempt to unravel the actual killers of Engr. Williams, was discarded by the Police at Alagbon Close, Lagos.