The Marine Police Vs Abaniwonda

Comfort Obi, Editor-in-Chief

The death, by drowning, of Al-Mastain Alade Abaniwonda, penultimate week has triggered off, at least, two theories. It also, once again, exposed the cheapness of life in Nigeria. On the theory side, opinions differ. Was it an accident, or a suicide? Those who hold the suicide theory say Abaniwonda, a businessman,an investment consultant, and a politician, had a series of disappointments, politically, in the weeks leading to his tragic death, a Lagosian, he was a member of the Alliance for Democracy, AD, where he sought to be the party’s senatorial candidate. But the party gave it to another candidate. He jumped ship, joined the People's Democratic Party (PDP), got the ticket, but was roundly beaten by the ACN candidate. Then, a consolation came, or so he thought.
His name appeared on the ministerial list submitted to President Goodluck Jonathan by the PDP in Lagos. During that crazy time, all kinds of lists and names were bandied in the pages of newspapers. Many fraudsters made a lot of money from the “ministerial nominees.” They would plant names in the newspapers, call the “Nominees,” and ask them to send money to smoothen “their way.” Many stupidly fell for it. This is not to say that was the case with Abaniwonda. But his name fizzled out. For those who hold the suicide theory, therefore, Abaniwonda had had one disappointment too many. Since 2003, he had been contesting, and losing. They also considered the millions of Naira he must have spent in pursuit of his aspirations. A senatorial aspirant spends, at least, one hundred million to get elected. Most of them borrow the money. This explains their obscene lust to replenish, as soon as they get to Abuja.
So, those who hold the suicide theory insist he must have been heartbroken and depressed over his serial political losses. That he may have been in huge debt. To drown his sorrow, he found the angry waters of the lagoon inviting. They say he removed his wrist watch, his jacket, dropped his phone, and plunged in. Questions: If Abaniwonda relieved himself of those items, where are they?
Expectedly, his family has pooh-poohed this theory. Led by Kuburat, his wife of 30 years, the family insists he was not a suicide candidate. She said her husband was neither depressed nor in debt as he borrowed no money for his political mis-adventure. That in death, he was still wearing his jacket, and wristwatch. That, on the contrary, he was at his happiest ever. His daughter just got married and he had thrown her 55th birthday for her the previous day. Then, she made public his health challenges which the family had borne for years. He was diabetic, and couldn’t control his bladder. He could, therefore, urinate anywhere. Once in the US, she revealed, he earned a ticket because they packed their car at an illegal place to enable him urinate. She said the driver was aware of it. And, if the driver said he asked him to stop to enable him urinate, then, it is the gospel truth. That her husband slipped, and fell into the Lagoon. And that she has left the purveyors of the suicide theory to God.
She has a supporter in Wasiu, their driver. Wasiu said his boss simply slipped accidently. But in another interview with the National Mirror, he deepened the suicide theory. “Two times, he asked me to stop on Third Mainland Bridge. He would come down, gaze at the water, and enter the car again," he said. Was this driver quoted correctly?
But beyond the controversies, what efforts were made to save Abaniwonda whether his death was by suicide or by accident? The story of the public toilet operators is important here. They said he came, asked to use the toilet, but before they could get the key, he went behind, and deliberately plunged into the sea. But read his driver.
When he fell into the sea, and screams drew his attention to it, the driver said he raced to the office of the Marine Police to alert them. Since it was an emergency, he jumped canoes and a wall. The shock: Instead of helping out, the Marine Police were more interested in interrogating him for having the audacity to use an illegal route. “I told them my boss was drowning. If they had helped, he wouldn’t have drowned. He was waist-deep in water when I told them. My boss was shouting: Help me, help me. Before they finished interrogating me, he had disappeared," he lamented.
Abaniwonda’s son-in-law had the same experience in the hands of the Marine Police. When he arrived, he said, he told them to help, that his father was drowning. But they told him they had no divers. When he asked for a life jacket to wear, since he knew how to swim, they said they had none, and instead, directed him to local divers. The local divers asked for the sum of N150,000 before they could jump into the sea.
How wicked can we be? This is a typical Nigerian story. The Fire Service will have no water during fire outbreaks. The Police vehicles will have no fuel during emergencies. Hospitals will ask for obscene deposits before saving lives. Look at the Marine Police. In an emergency, they were more interested in interrogating the driver than saving a life. How can they say they had no divers? What are they doing there then? What happened to their flying boats. Why didn’t they use them? The worst, they said they had no life jackets! Haba! Whatever happened to human feelings, compassion? After the man had drowned, they then detained his driver, and his car. Why? Did anybody tell them his driver pushed him into the Lagoon?
Even if Abaniwonda was committing suicide, why didn’t the Marine Police help out, and prosecute him later for trying to take his own life? His driver said Abaniwonda was shouting “help me, help me.” Meaning: if he contemplated suicide, he had changed his mind. The Marine Police simply watched him drown. They refused to make efforts, even if it turned out fruitless. As for the local divers who asked for N150,000 before helping out, they should be left to God and their consciences. But I submit that the Marine Police have questions to answer from shocked Nigerians. If they would have no divers, and no life jackets in an emergency, of what use are they then?
A Judicial inquiry into Abaniwonda’s death will not be too much. He was not a nobody. Even if he was, he was still a citizen of Nigeria, entitled to all the rights of a citizen – including the right to life. What a country!