If it is true that people who die suddenly, still hang around after their eyes might have been snapped by death, then Ibrahim Abutu is yet to give up. Abutu, a former staff of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), was murdered by an unknown person in his room in Wuse II, Abuja on Wednesday, December 28, 2011.
A book, “Beyond Death,” co-authored by Dr. Gary Habermas and J.P. Morel, aptly captures what might be the state of the deceased, who was cut down before the prime of life.
In the book, the authors paint a vivid picture of what happens when humans die. Through encounters with people who had Near Death Experiences (NDEs), they insist that the dead don’t leave their former environments after they cease to breath. They indicate that dead people try to prove their innocence if they were wrongly accused or console their loved ones, who are devastated but these attempts don’t get through as they float outside of time and space. “NDEs may not conclusively prove there is a heaven or hell, but they do indicate that at death the soul separates from the body, and that a person’s spirit is conscious and coherent at death,” they stated.
Before his gruesome murder on that fateful Wednesday, Abutu had heaps of unfulfilled dreams and unaccomplished tasks. He might have been thinking of several things including some business deals seconds before hot bullets released from his licensed double-barrel gun pierced through his chest and silenced him forever. He might not have envisaged death in the next 20 years, but alas! The end was closer than he ever imagined.
Family sources said Abutu had on Tuesday, December 27, 2011, invited his trusted mechanic in Lagos to fly in to Abuja to handle some jobs for him. He woke up with his usual verve on the doomsday and dashed here and there, giving instructions to aides on what his expectations for the day were. He specifically instructed his gateman to wash one of his cars and apparently went in to dress up for a planned business trip to Kaduna.
He had no reason to suspect that death was lurking with its ominous fangs inside the very place he had called home for years. Suddenly, there was a bang and he was found in the pool of his blood. Four women allegedly witnessed Abutu’s sad end. These were his first wife, Hadiza, his cousin, Oyiele Okoh as well as friends of the family, Anthonia Ojuodiale and Nafisat Ategua.
While the four women, who witnessed the death of the deceased are said to have given conflicting accounts of the sordid drama, the Nigeria Police do not seem to be in a hurry to buy the cacophony of statements made by them. Besides, the police would not understand why the witnesses totally defaced the scene of the crime, thereby tampering with essential ingredients that would have aided investigation.
Given claims by Habermas and Morel, perhaps, the ghost of Abutu has been shouting course; trying to tell the police and relations how he died and who pulled the trigger of the gun that killed him. He might be crying for justice but since mortals can’t comprehend the language of the dead, his voice has remained largely unheard. True. The dead don’t tell their stories. Abutu can’t therefore, be an exception.
As soon as the doors of the morgue were closed on the remains of the deceased, the police took in Hadiza and three other women, who were at home when he died. It was hoped that they would assist in giving information on how the man, who had been paying their bills, was shot inside his room. But the accounts by the witnesses have so far left so much to be desired. Perhaps, a demon had surreptitiously crept into the house without the four women being aware and pulled the trigger of the gun that killed the man of the house. Alas, so many questions begging for answers.??
Following suspicion that the four witnesses where economical with the truth and might have in fact given false information capable of derailing police investigations, they were arraigned at an Abuja Chief Magistrate Court presided over by Ahmed Shuaibu on charges of criminal conspiracy and giving false information. The quartet were however admitted to bail on January 16 and released on January 18 after fulfilling their bail conditions. Not done with the matter, the police instantly re-arrested and remanded the accused persons when they could not be arraigned on the same day for culpable homicide. The reason was that the presiding judge, Justice Ibrahim Talba of the FCT High Court, who was billed to hear the matter, had travelled out of Abuja.
However, when the case came up on Tuesday, January 24, the judge unilaterally granted Hadiza bail on the sum of N1 million with a surety in the like sum without either an oral or written application from her counsel. Talba took the action even when the police prosecutor, Umoh Inah had made an exparte application seeking the court to take cognizance of the case and remand the accused pending the conclusion of investigation into the matter.
In a 10-paragraph affidavit and written address in support of the exparte application, the police stated in part, “The case before the court is culpable homicide contrary to Section 221 of the Penal Code. The police are making efforts to complete their investigation and arraign the suspect in appropriate court. The evidence before the police points to the facts that the accused committed the offence.”
The police further averred that the court has inherent powers to grant the application in line with Section 129 (1)(2) of the Criminal Procedure Code (CPC) which also empowers the court to take cognisance and remand the accused in prison custody pending conclusion of investigation.
But while ruling on the exparte motion, Talba said “In view of the evidence before me, I hereby take cognisance of this matter but decline to grant the prayer to remand the accused but admit her to bail for N1million with one reliable surety who must be resident within the jurisdiction of this court. The case is hereby adjourned till February 7, 2012 for hearing.” Hmmm!?
The police did not agree with the position of the court on this.? The state prosecutor told journalists outside the court, “This is not a bailable offence even if there had been bail application moved by the defendant because it is a murder charge. But since the presiding judge appeared to have made up his mind, there is nothing the police can do in this circumstance.”
Before Inah could finish talking, one of the lawyers to Hadiza, Kamin Asunogie countered, saying, “The court ordinarily frowns at holding charge, which was what the police that had held the accused in their custody for weeks, brought before the court. The court is at the liberty to admit the accused to bail based on the evidence before it. Besides, Section 129 (3) of the CPC draws the attention of the court to Section 45 of the CPC which empowers the court in this circumstance to grant the accused bail.”
As the legal fire-works began to heat up, the police suddenly dropped charges on the three other women earlier arraigned before the Chief Magistrate Court without giving reasons for their actions.? When asked to comment on the whereabouts of Okoh, Ojuodiale and Ategua earlier held in custody, Inah replied angrily, “Did you ever see me with them; at least you can see me here with Hadiza?
A few days after the controversial bail was granted, the Chief Judge of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Justice Lawal Gumi, squashed the bail and consequently re-assigned the culpable homicide case to another High Court in Apo.?? Gumi squashed the bail after receiving a petition from relations of the deceased who viewed Talba’s action as morally and legally unacceptable.
While legal fireworks have started reverberating in the court, the family of the deceased has concluded plans to bury his remains in Orokam village, Ogbadibo Local Government Area of Benue State. But they insist on knowing who killed Ibrahim and why. Perhaps, the ghost of the dead would be appeased and would detach from his former environment when those who killed him, are fished out and brought to justice.