Despite the recent assurance by Vice-President Goodluck Jonathan that the Yar’Adua administration’s goal is to ensure better security for the people, there appears to be no end to the nation’s bloody record of high profile assassinations. While the Police were yet to unravel the recent killing of a politician and a former permanent secretary in Kogi and Oyo states respectively, another suspected assassination was reported in Edo State. The state’s Information Commissioner, who had earlier been declared missing, was found stone dead in a hotel suite in Benin, the state capital.

The Peoples Democratic Party’s Chairman in Ankpa Local Government, Kogi State, Alhaji Ali Ayegha, had been killed amid the political violence that preceded the state’s governorship election re-run. He was reportedly assassinated by four armed men at his residence just 72 hours after presiding over a political rally ahead of the governorship election in the state.

The former permanent secretary, Mr. Ademola Oyadeji, was also killed by gunmen at his fuel station in Ibadan, Oyo State capital. Though Oyadeji’s killing appeared to be an armed robbery attack as cash totaling N250,000 was stolen by the bandits from his fuel station, witnesses to the crime say it could be another case of politically motivated murder.

Before the 2007 general elections, politically motivated killings had been on the rise as some budding political aspirants were killed when political rivalry became bitter. On 27 July, 2006, Chief Funsho Williams, a PDP gubernatorial front runner in Lagos State, was killed at his home. Up until now, the killing remains a mystery. Funsho Williams’ assassination had been immediately followed by the killing of Dr. Ayo Daramola, another top governorship contender in Ekiti State on 14 August, 2006. On 22 December, 2006, the ThisDay Newspapers’ Editorial Board Chairman, Godwin Agbroko, was also found shot dead in his car in Lagos in suspicious circumstances.

Recently in Ibadan, where a sitting Justice Minister and Attorney General of the Federation, Chief Bola Ige, was gruesomely murdered on December 23, 2001, an incumbent parliamentarian, Olusegun Oladimeji, was also shot dead at an eatery in the city. Yet, as the culture of politically motivated killings becomes more entrenched in the country, the Nigeria Police Force continues to demonstrate its ineffectiveness.

The criminal tendency has been, in fact, intensified amid government promises to arrest its upsurge. Moments after Williams was killed, the then President, Olusegun Obasanjo had, declared “This time around, we are determined to get and bring to book those who killed Funsho Williams.” He had accurately added that if the killing was left unresolved, the trend might continue. The then Senate had also passed a motion stating that the time for excuse was over.

Despite all the condemnations and promises, the killings continue unabated. Apparently worried by the long list of unresolved assassinations in the country, President Umaru Yar’Adua had last year ordered the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Mike Okiro, to re-open investigations into all unresolved cases.

It is clear that people with criminal intent are encouraged to carry out their plans because previous assassinations remain unresolved. As the former police boss, Mr. Sunday Ehindero, once hinted, the Police always hit a stonewall in their investigation of high profile murder cases because most of them were politically tainted.

Apart from reporting back to the nation what the security agencies have done so far on all unresolved assassinations, the Police IG should resolve to apprehend these new murderers with a view to bringing them to justice.