Murder Of Ige: Group Backs Akande

Following a recent disclosure by an elder statesman, Chief Adebisi Akande alleging that the former Oyo State governor, Chief Rashidi Ladoja, could have information about the assassination of former Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Chief Bola Ige in 2001, a Northern group, Arewa Think Tank (ATT) has called on President Bola Tinubu to consider investigating high profile killings in Nigeria.

Although Chief Ladoja has denied the allegations and threatened legal action against Chief Akande, Arewa Think Tank, in a statement on Tuesday by its Chief Convener, Muhammad Alhaji Yakubu, however,  said the verbal war between Ladoja and Akande has opened another chapter of opportunity to revisit past murder of high profile citizens in Nigeria.

ATT, therefore, reiterated that President  Tinubu needed to swing into action and begin a probe of similar assassinations of prominent Nigerians across the country.

“Arewa Think Tank stands by Chief Adebisi Akande’s narrative. And in furtherance to this narrative, we are urging President Bola Tinubu to probe past high profile murder of senior citizens in the country, including Harry Marshall and Dokubo, among other such killings so that historical justice can be done to those affected families”.

The convener said, “We have it on good authority that Ladoja’s government filed a Nolle Prosequi in the lower court and that the case didn’t get to the Supreme Court. If, however, the case got to the Supreme Court, it will serve the public interest for the evidence, such as the case number, to be published,” he stressed.

It would be recalled that, Chief Akande in a recent interview implied that Ladoja might have crucial information about Ige’s murder, lamenting that individuals who could have provided clarity on the murder case, such as former Oyo State governor Lam Adesina, had passed away.

In the interview, the elder statesman suggested that Ladoja had a role in withdrawing Ige’s murder case, asserting that Adesina had pursued the matter legally before Ladoja took over as governor.

“There are many things that die with people,” Akande said. “Lam Adesina went to court over this matter, but his successor, Ladoja, withdrew the case. If you ask him, he would know more about Bola Ige’s death.”

Chief Akande, who served as Osun State governor at the time of Ige’s assassination, maintained that since Adesina was the chief security officer of Oyo State, he was in a better position to investigate the case, adding that crucial conversations he had with Adesina about the case could not be disclosed. “Now that Bola Ige and Lam Adesina are both dead, who will be my witness?” Akande said.

However, report said Ladoja dismissed Akande’s remarks as baseless and untrue, emphasising that his administration did not interfere with the case and stated that it was pursued up to the Supreme Court.