Obidients demand reopening of Funsho Williams murder probe

The Obidient Movement has mounted fresh pressure on the Federal Government to reopen the investigation into the 2006 assassination of former Lagos State governorship aspirant, Engr. Funsho Williams, arguing that recent remarks by Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate Peter Obi about fears for his personal safety have revived concerns over political violence and impunity in Nigeria.

In a strongly worded statement that was signed by the Media and Communications Directorate of the Obidient Movement and issued on Sunday, the movement described the unresolved killing of Funsho Williams  as “an enduring stain on Nigeria’s democratic history” and challenged President Bola Tinubu to direct the Inspector-General of Police to immediately reopen the case.

The group argued that, two decades after Williams was murdered in his Lagos residence, Nigerians are still without answers over who masterminded the crime, insisting that allowing the case to remain unresolved has continued to fuel public suspicion and weaken confidence in the country’s criminal justice system.

According to the movement, reopening the investigation would demonstrate the Federal Government’s commitment to justice, transparency and accountability, regardless of the political status of those who may be linked to the circumstances surrounding the killing.

The demand comes against the backdrop of comments attributed to Obi, who reportedly expressed fears about his safety ahead of the 2027 general election, saying he could not confidently guarantee that he would still be alive to contest the presidency because of what he described as persistent intimidation and hostility directed at him.

The Obidient Movement said such remarks from a leading opposition figure should not be dismissed in a democracy, warning that Nigeria’s history of unresolved political assassinations makes every allegation relating to the safety of political actors a matter deserving serious national attention.

It maintained that democracy cannot thrive where opposition leaders publicly express fears for their lives, adding that successive failures to solve politically sensitive murders have entrenched a culture of impunity.

The group also urged the Federal Government to provide adequate security for Obi and other opposition leaders, stressing that every Nigerian, irrespective of political affiliation, has a constitutional right to participate in the democratic process without intimidation or fear.