‘The Murder I’ll never forget’ Damilola Taylor, Chief Funsho Williams, Chief Bola Ige, Prof. Victor. C. Uchendu
Star of Star Wars was last to see Damilola Taylor alive: Murdered boy’s father reveals
I was very young then, but could remember this murder case which threw the nation agog.This was a November 2000 murder case of Damilola Taylor, a refugee from Nigeria who came to Britain four months ago, bled to death in a stairwell on the notoriously rundown estate where he lived in Peckham, south-east London. He had been stabbed once in the leg, the knife severing his femoral artery. A 100-yard trail of blood showed where he had attempted to crawl to the safety of his home.
Six building workers tried to stem the flow but the boy, dressed in his maroon school jumper, was certified dead on arrival at hospital on Monday afternoon. Police appealed for help to trace three black youths aged between 11 and 14 wearing dark hooded tops, who were seen near where Damilola collapsed.
His mother, Gloria, said that on the morning of her son's death, she had escorted him to school to address complaints that he was being "beaten up" and "called names" by older boys. Mrs Taylor, who came to England with her mother and three children, spoke to Mark Parsons, the headmaster at the Oliver Goldsmith Primary School, many of whose 600 pupils are from ethnic minority or refugee backgrounds.
Mrs Taylor did not need to. As she ran back into the estate she saw uniformed officers searching a gloomy stairwell, behind a group of industrial units. Yesterday Mrs Taylor said: "They told me a child was stabbed. I didn't know it was my child."
Unknown to his mother, Damilola had already been dead for two hours. A trail of blood led from the road where his attackers had first surrounded him to the point, 100 yards away on a raised stairwell, where the young boy collapsed as he tried to crawl home to her. He had been stabbed once in the thigh, severing an artery.
In 2002, four youths, including two 16-year-old brothers, went on trial at the Old Bailey for the murder of Damilola. The trial led to all four suspects being acquitted. Two were acquitted on the direction of the judge after he ruled that the prosecution's key witness, a 14-year-old girl, was unreliable; the jury found the other two not guilty. As well as questioning the reliability of the young witness, the defence presented evidence suggesting that Taylor's wounds were consistent with his falling on a broken bottle and that he had not been the victim of an attack. Till date the investigation into the killing of this young boy is yet to be uncovered or any arrest made.
His mother suffered a heart attack and died.
FUNSHO WILLIAMS A governorship aspirant on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, Chief Funsho Williams, was killed in the early hours of Thursday in his Lagos home
Still loving the love in the air felt by lagosians who believed would have won the election that brought Fashola as a governor. A very charming and loving politician lagosians would forever miss.
He was also shot in the abdomen.
The news of the incident, which occurred at his 184, Corporation Drive, Dolphin Estate, Ikoyi Lagos, filtered into the metropolis at noon on Thursday as his loyalists trooped to the residence.
The police had, on Thursday night, arrested his Personal Assistant, who also coordinates the media and publicity of his campaign organisation, Mr. Frank Uzuegbunam; his driver simply identified as Omo; and a female cook whose name could not be ascertained.
The three were reportedly in the building with the late Williams when the incident took place.
The two policemen who were supposed to be on guard at Williams’s house but did not turn up for duty on Wednesday night, were also undergoing orderly room trial.
Williams had four policemen attached to him, but they worked shifts.
His wife was said to have travelled out of the country.
As at press time, it was yet to be ascertained how the assailants got into Williams’s apartment.
There were two accounts of how Williams spent his evening, leaving room for speculations.
One account had it that he met with some of his supporters in his house till about midnight before retiring to his room where he was later attacked.
The other version, which sources said was nearer the truth, was that Williams attended a reception in honour of the State Party Chairman, Chief Rasheed Williams, at the OPIC Plaza, Ikeja, Lagos.
The reception started at about 10pm and Williams was said to have left at about after 2am with two orderlies who had been with him all day.
He arrived home at about 3am.
Sources said that the cook and one other unidentified person were in the house when Williams returned.
The scenario bore a striking resemblance to the circumstances leading to the assassination of a former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Chief Bola Ige, in December 2001.
All the policemen guarding him went out to eat when the assassins struck.
Popularly called Captain, Williams was said to have been murdered in the green ankara buba and sokoto he wore to the party at Opic Plaza.
Sources said it was likely that the assailants were already in his bedroom before he got there.
The news of the incident, which occurred at his 184, Corporation Drive, Dolphin Estate, Ikoyi Lagos, filtered into the metropolis at noon on Thursday as his loyalists trooped to the residence.
The police had, on Thursday night, arrested his Personal Assistant, who also coordinates the media and publicity of his campaign organisation, Mr. Frank Uzuegbunam; his driver simply identified as Omo; and a female cook whose name could not be ascertained.
The three were reportedly in the building with the late Williams when the incident took place.
The two policemen who were supposed to be on guard at Williams’s house but did not turn up for duty on Wednesday night, were also undergoing orderly room trial.
Williams had four policemen attached to him, but they worked shifts.
His wife was said to have travelled out of the country.
As at press time, it was yet to be ascertained how the assailants got into Williams’s apartment.
There were two accounts of how Williams spent his evening, leaving room for speculations.
One account had it that he met with some of his supporters in his house till about midnight before retiring to his room where he was later attacked.
The other version, which sources said was nearer the truth, was that Williams attended a reception in honour of the State Party Chairman, Chief Rasheed Williams, at the OPIC Plaza, Ikeja, Lagos.
The reception started at about 10pm and Williams was said to have left at about after 2am with two orderlies who had been with him all day.
He arrived home at about 3am.
Sources said that the cook and one other unidentified person were in the house when Williams returned.
The scenario bore a striking resemblance to the circumstances leading to the assassination of a former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Chief Bola Ige, in December 2001.
All the policemen guarding him went out to eat when the assassins struck.
Popularly called Captain, Williams was said to have been murdered in the green ankara buba and sokoto he wore to the party at Opic Plaza.
Sources said it was likely that the assailants were already in his bedroom before he got there.
The mysterious death is yet to be ascertained till date.
years later Who killed Chief Bola Ige?
In the largest city in West Africa, Ibadan; it was a fully blown festive mood for the inhabitants of the city as it was two days to Christmas. It was a cold Sunday night as the gentle breeze of Harmattan blew over the city with its refreshing grandeur. In the whistling wind lies the messenger of death ready to take away one of Nigeria’s brightest statesman.
The cold hands of death snatched the Cicero of Esa Oke from the embrace of his lovers and well-wishers. The septuagenarian was assassinated by gunmen right in his bedroom at his residence in Old Bodija, Ibadan. It was a grotesque scene to behold as he was helplessly in a pool of his own blood, he was rushed to the hospital but it was rather too late. A sage was killed like an ordinary man; he was the then Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation. Chief Ajibola James Ige, a prominent Yoruba leader and a lawyer per excellence was assassinated on Sunday, December 23, 2001.
Everyone knows that death is inevitable and as such everyone would definitely die one day. Bola Ige was going to die one day but no one expected a legal luminary of his ilk to be assassinated in a relatively easy way. After the dastard acts carried out by the gunmen, the Nigerian government promised to bring those responsible for the assassination to book. It has been thirteen years now that the then deputy leader of Afenifere was killed in cold blood and his assailants are yet to be arrested let alone convicting them. This is a national disgrace to agencies responsible for investigation of assassination cases in Nigeria.
The question on the lips of many is: Who killed Bola Ige? The question keeps begging for an answer despite the fact that the heinous act happened over a decade ago. There were several people who could have wanted the 71-year old lawyer dead but it is disheartening that justice is yet to have its way.
December 7, 2006. A day i will never forget as this murder was a very close and personal one. Without this man whom i had secretly referred to as 'daddy' though an uncle, i wouldn't be a an Attorney today. He was killed at his home at Umuahia, Abia State, Nigeria, and the news as at that time has it that individuals were hired to kill him to stop him from becoming the mayor of his community.
Frankly, This violent crime has not been fully or satisfactorily solved. Irrespective of the death by hanging sentences which have been decided upon by the high court of Abia State upon the sons of the soil who perpetuated this gruesome murder right before the presence of his wife.
Prof. Uchendu was the director of the Center for African Studies, University of Illinois from1971-1980. He led a very distinguished career..
Victor C. Uchendu: Historian who taught at Illinois, A Professor Who Taught At The Abia State University Murdered in AfricA
December 7, 2006. A day i will never forget as this murder was a very close and personal one. Without this man whom i had secretly referred to as 'daddy' though an uncle, i wouldn't be a an Attorney today. He was killed at his home at Umuahia, Abia State, Nigeria, and the news as at that time has it that individuals were hired to kill him to stop him from becoming the mayor of his community.
Frankly, This violent crime has not been fully or satisfactorily solved. Irrespective of the death by hanging sentences which have been decided upon by the high court of Abia State upon the sons of the soil who perpetuated this gruesome murder right before the presence of his wife.
Prof. Uchendu was the director of the Center for African Studies, University of Illinois from1971-1980. He led a very distinguished career..
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