Posted by From DAVID ONWUCHEKWA, Nnewi on
Half a decade after the murder of the former Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) Chairman, Onitsha branch and his pregnant wife, Mr and Mrs B.C. Igwe the family members including children of the murdered couple say the former Governor of Anambra State, Dr Chinwoke Mbadinuju under whose administration the murder took place still has a case to answer.
Half a decade after the murder of the former Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) Chairman, Onitsha branch and his pregnant wife, Mr and Mrs B.C. Igwe the family members including children of the murdered couple say the former Governor of Anambra State, Dr Chinwoke Mbadinuju under whose administration the murder took place still has a case to answer.
But in a telephone interview with Dr Mbadinuju over the renewed legal battle, he told Daily Sun that he should be left alone, emphasizing that his hands are clean.
Dr Mbadinuju said he has been discharged and acquitted of the murder case by a court of competent jurisdiction.
Hear him: 'I'm not happy about the murder of the Igwes, it pained me when I heard the news. But I don't know why I should not be allowed to rest over this murder since I knew nothing about it.
'The court has nothing against me again because I'm discharged and acquitted. I will sue anybody including the newspaper that writes any libelous story against me on the Igwes murder."
Despite this, in a press statement jointly signed by the children of the murdered couple, Nnenna Igwe, Somadina Igwe, Vincent Igwe and a brother, B.C. Igwe Jr made available to Daily Sun, the family said they have instructed their lawyers to lodge an appeal against the judgment given to the former Governor.
'We urged the President, Umaru Yar'Adua to direct the Inspector-General of Police to immediately arrest and arraign Dr Mbadinuju in a court of competent jurisdiction for the murders of our parents and brother," the statement read.
The family in the statement further said that 'we have pursued the so-called judgment and wish to state that apart from the fact that it never acquitted nor discharged the ex-Governor of the double murders, as no judgment in a civil suit such as the suit filed by the ex-Governor can by any stretch of interpretation discharge or acquit a person accused of a crime, much less murder."