OYERINDE: Wife rains curses on killers •As court orders IGP to pay N5m to Ugolor

THE killers of Olaitan, if you are here, you will know no peace. Your children and wives will know no peace. You shall  sow and never reap in your lives.”
Those were the words of Funke Oyerinde, wife of slain former private secretary to the Edo State governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, the late Comrade Olaitan Oyerinde, during the first anniversary of the death of Oyerinde held in Benin City on Monday.
In an emotion laden voice at the Imaguero College, venue of the anniversary and pointing at her son, Adams Oyerinde, she said “they have killed Olaitan, but Olaitan is here,” adding that she lost her mother the same year she lost her husband.
Tears flowed freely as tributes poured in for the late Oyerinde who was shot dead by assailants in his Benin City home on May 4, 2012.
In his tributes, Comrade Oshiomhole said “we have a duty to keep the memory of Olaitan alive. Olaitan was a man of uncommon vision and clarity; he was a very selfless worker.
“It is impossible for me to find a replacement, if there is anything happening in any section of the civil society, Olaitan will draw my attention and if possible he will suggest what is to be done, so it is impossible to find a replacement. If it is impossible for me to have a replacement it is impossible for the children to have another father and for the wife to have another husband,” he noted.
According to the governor, “I am happy that one year on the fighting spirit is on and people have asked me why I talk in this way and manner. Some say I don’t talk like a governor when it comes to Oyerinde’s matter. How is a man supposed to talk when a man is mourning? Is my office and indeed the life of any Nigerian as important as the life of a Nigerian?”
The guest speaker at the anniversary, Mr Femi Falana (SAN), called on the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), Mohammed Adoke, to publicly apologise to Oshiomhole for what he called a misleading statement that the office of the AG did not give legal advice to the police with regards to state offences.
Meanwhile, the Court of Appeal sitting in Benin City,  on Monday, handed the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mr Muhammed Abubakar, a 60-day ultimatum to pay  the sum of N5million as damages to  a human rights activists, Reverend David Ugolor.
The three-man panel of justices, headed by Justice Helen Olagumwumiju also struck out the stay of execution filed  by counsel to the IGP and Attorney General of Federation (AGF),  Michael Ehunde.
 Justice Olagunmuju held that the judgement sum of the lower court should be paid into an interest yielding account pending the determination of the substantive appeal filed by the police.
Counsel to the respondent (Ugolor), Mr Olayiwola Afolabi, had argued that the motion of appeal was incompetent and legally virus, urging that it should be struck out accordingly.
The Appeal Court ruling is coming eight months after Justice E.A Edigin of a Benin High Court ordered the police to pay the activists the sum as damages for his unlawful detention over the murder of  the late Comrade Oyerinde.
Ugolor was  incarcerated  by the security operatives for 41 days  after one of the suspects in police custody allegedly named him as sponsor of the killing.
After listening to the  submissions of both counsels, the court declare: “It is hereby ordered that the judgment sum of N5million be paid to the Deputy Chief registrar of this court within 60 days; and  shall immediately deposit same in an interest yielding account.”
TRIBUNE