20th anniversary of Funsho Williams murder: Nigerian leaders demand justice, decry political climate

Two decades after the still-unsolved murder of Funsho Williams, a prominent figure in Lagos politics, Nigerian leaders gathered to commemorate the event and renew calls for justice. The killing of Williams, a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), on July 27, 2006, remains one of the state's most shocking political tragedies.

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Twenty years is a long time, but it looks just like yesterday. The pain is still there.

Chief Bode George, former Deputy National Chairman of the PDP, relived the painful memory, describing the day he received a call from then-President Olusegun Obasanjo directing him to Lagos. George recounted arriving at Williams' house and seeing his body on the floor. "Twenty years is a long time, but it looks just like yesterday. The pain is still there," George said, emphasizing that Williams, his junior at the University of Lagos, was an "epitome of civility, an icon, a humanist."

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Mr President called me around seven in the morning and said I have to go to Lagos, that Funsho has been murdered.

George lamented that the circumstances surrounding the murder continue to serve as a stark reminder of the need for accountability in Nigeria. He urged Nigerians to "tell the truth to power" and learn from the tragedy, stating, "Those in government today, let them use today as a pointer that we should alter course for the good of this country." He also paid tribute to Williams' family's resilience.

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I can never forget that sight. He was my junior at the University of Lagos. Funso was an epitome of civility, an icon, a humanist.

Funsho Doherty, a governorship aspirant for the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), echoed the sentiment, describing Williams' legacy as one that transcends party lines and continues to inspire. Doherty noted that the ideals Williams championed remain relevant, but the struggle for opposition politics in Nigeria has become increasingly difficult. "All opposition parties today are under threat, and the political landscape is one where the opposition is increasingly threatened and the space for opposition very limited," he observed, adding that the political space has "regressed" since Williams' time.

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We lost a gem. Everybody who was involved in that murder knows themselves. Nigerians must tell the truth to power and ensure that the nation learns from the tragedy.