Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami (SAN), has called for an independent inquiry into how a former Chief Protocol Officer to Minister of State for Defence, Desmond Nunugwo, died in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.Desmond had died on June 9, barely six hours after he was arrested by the EFCC for his alleged role in a N91m fraud. The family of the deceased had, however, denied the allegation, insisting that he was arrested unjustly.
The family's lawyer, Mr. Paul Edeh, led relatives of the victim to the Ministry of Justice on Monday where Malami commiserated with them.
The AGF described Desmond’s death as a big loss as he had served meritoriously under four former ministers.
Malami said, “I will give direction for investigations to commence immediately. I will also demand explanations from the EFCC to furnish me with the details of the case. It is the responsibility of every government agency to protect the sanctity of lives. As the chief law officer of the country, I will not compromise investigations.”
Desmond’s widow, Susanne, who thanked the minister for his concern, narrated how her husband was arrested without the knowledge of relatives, saying he was held incommunicado for several hours.
She lamented that she had not been able to see her husband's corpse since his death 2 months ago.
Susanne also requested that her husband’s name be cleared as he had been declared guilty by the EFCC and was no longer alive to defend himself.
In his response, the minister said he would speak with the relevant authorities that the family be given unfettered access to the corpse.
The family lawyer, Edeh, urged the minister to ensure that the investigations were thorough and comprehensive. He urged him to ensure that those responsible for Desmond’s death were punished.
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