30 yrs after Murtala Muhammed’s murder: Family advocates victims’ rights legislation

*Says without legal framework, unresolved crimes‘ll continue to proliferate

THE family of the late former Nigerian Head of State, General Murtala Muhammed, has called for the need for victims’ rights legislation in Nigeria.

The family expressed discontent with the prosecution of murder suspects  in Nigeria in remembrance of their son and brother, Zackari Muhammed.

It will be recalled that 27-year-old Zackari Muhammed, a finance graduate of the University of Canterbury in Kent, met a tragic end in Abuja on August 13, 1993. He was fatally shot.

Dr. Aisha Muhammed-Oyebode, who spoke on-behalf of the family, at the 30th anniversary of Zakari Muhammed’s untimely death, held in Lagos, lamented: “Precisely. three decades ago, the life of our cherished brother was cut short. Even though the perpetrators were positively identified, all efforts to prosecute the case failed during the preliminary investigation and arraignment phase.”

Recalling the distressing circumstances surrounding Zackari’s tragic death, Muhammed-Oyebode frowned at the case’s management, stating: “The entire procedure was shrouded in confusion and the ultimate conclusion was a glaring miscarriage of justice.

“To put a stop to similar development in the future, a legislation that protects the rights of victims, a law that reflects the spirit of our nation should be enacted for Nigerians.

“The establishment of such a legal framework will guarantee comprehensive protection for victims throughout the complex corridors of the criminal justice system.

“As we observe this solemn anniversary, we beseech our federal legislators to champion the passage of laws based on the principles of victims’ rights.”

Muhammed-Oyebode stressed that those legislative measures “will unequivocally secure the rights of victims across the spectrum of criminal cases. On a global scale, victims’ rights are recognised as an essential component of human rights.

“The United Nations, UN, adopted the Declaration of the Basic Principles of Justice for victims of crimes and abuse of power as early as 1985. The time has come for Nigeria to adopt a victim-centric legal paradigm.”