Calls for the reopening of investigations into the 2002 killing of former Onitsha branch Chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association, Barnabas Igwe, and his pregnant wife, Abigail, have resurfaced in Anambra State.
Security expert Deji Adesogan has backed calls for the Anambra State Government to revisit the case and ensure that anyone found culpable is subjected to due process.
The renewed debate follows comments by former Chairman of the National Human Rights Commission, Prof. Chidi Odinkalu, who questioned the appointment of Ken Emeakayi as Special Adviser on Security to Governor Chukwuma Soludo, citing allegations contained in the report of the Anambra State Truth, Justice and Peace Commission.
The Igwes were killed on September 1, 2002, in Onitsha after returning from an NBA conference in Ibadan. Barnabas Igwe, who was a prominent lawyer and critic of the administration of former Governor Chinwoke Mbadinuju, had reportedly received threats before his death.
According to accounts referenced in the renewed debate, the couple were attacked while travelling in Onitsha. Abigail was pregnant at the time.
Odinkalu, who chaired the Truth, Justice and Peace Commission, said the commission revisited the case and made recommendations concerning the prosecution of persons allegedly connected to the killings.
He alleged that the commission’s findings linked Emeakayi to the operation and identified elements of the Bakassi Boys security formation as being involved in the broader operation.
Odinkalu further stated that Emeakayi had previously been arrested and detained in connection with the murder case, but that the prosecution did not reach a definitive conclusion.
He said the commission submitted its report to Governor Soludo in March 2024, with recommendations aimed at ensuring accountability for those allegedly involved.
Reacting to the controversy, security expert Deji Adesogan said allegations of such magnitude should be subjected to proper security and legal scrutiny.
Adesogan argued that where serious allegations emerge against a serving government appointee, the individual could be asked to step aside while the matter is investigated, stressing that this would not amount to a declaration of guilt.
He urged the Anambra State Government to direct the appropriate legal authorities to review the matter and bring it to a logical conclusion.
Adesogan also called on civil society organisations in the state to demand transparency and accountability, while emphasising that Emeakayi should be afforded a fair hearing and that allegations must not be treated as proof of guilt.
Meanwhile, the Anambra State Government has rejected the assertions surrounding the appointment.
The Commissioner for Information and Communication, Law Mefor, argued that Emeakayi had not been convicted of any offence relating to the deaths of the Igwes.
Mefor maintained that the governor did not have the authority to investigate or prosecute criminal matters, and accused Odinkalu of prejudging Emeakayi’s guilt.
The commissioner also questioned Odinkalu’s claims, alleging that he had previously made accusations against Emeakayi but failed to appear before a state inquiry to substantiate them.
The renewed controversy has therefore placed the long-running Igwe murder case back in the public spotlight, with calls for accountability on one side and demands for due process and presumption of innocence on the other.
The matter remains subject to the appropriate legal and investigative processes, with no determination of criminal guilt established by the competing claims presented in the controversy.
