Court frees six men charged with Funso Williams’ murder after eight years
By Adetokunbo Fakeye
A Lagos High Court on Monday discharged and acquitted the six men charged with the murder of Funsho Williams, the Peoples Democratic Party candidate for the 2007 Lagos State gubernatorial poll.
The freed men after eight years of trial, for conspiracy and murder are, Bulama Kolo, Musa Maina, David Cassidy, Tunani Sonoma, Mustapha Kayode and Ikponmwose Imariabie walk
Delivering his judgment, Justice Ebenezer Adebajo held that the evidence adduced by the prosecution to prove its case was “weak and superficial”.
Prosecutor according to Justice Adebajo had failed to establish the fact that the defendants conspired to kill Williams.
“The prosecution alleged that the fourth to sixth defendants made calls to their co-defendants using the deceased’s mobile phone.
“The prosecution, however, failed to produce the call log of the communication in court and also failed to show that the mobile phone actually belonged to Williams.” He delivered as he described the evidence in proof of the charge of conspiracy to murder as circumstantial, the judge ruled that the defendants could not be convicted on a “weak and superficial case”.
On the charge of murder, the judge said that the prosecution was able to show that Williams was actually killed but could not create a nexus between the crime and the defendants.
On the evidence of the pathologist, Prof. John Obafunwa, who said Williams was strangled to death, Adebajo said: “I am satisfied that the deceased died.
“But there is nothing to show those responsible for his death.
“In the final analysis, the evidence is manifestly unreliable for the court to call upon the defendants to defend the allegation.”
Prior to today judgment Okezie Agbara, the defence counsel had told the court on June 9 that the prosecution had failed to establish a prima facie case against the accused and submitted a no-case-to-answer on May 20.
As soon as the verdict of discharged and acquitted was handed down, some of the defendants thanked God for giving them victory, fighting back tears.
Sergeant Imariabe Ikponmwose, leader of the police team which guarded Funsho Williams at the time of the murder, could not be comforted as he kept crying.
Ikponmwose said through the eight years that the trial lasted, the Nigeria Police had sacked him, while his wife also left him, adding that the ordeal has caused his mother a stroke that has confined her to the hospital, he said.