Former Osun State Governor, Chief Bisi Akande, has reignited controversy surrounding the 2001 assassination of former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Chief Bola Ige, alleging that former Oyo State Governor, Rashidi Ladoja, may possess crucial information on the unresolved case.
In a candid interview with veteran broadcaster Edmund Obilo, released over the weekend, Akande pointed fingers at Ladoja for withdrawing a legal case concerning Ige’s murder after succeeding the late Lam Adesina as Oyo State governor. His remarks have added fresh urgency to a case that has lingered unresolved for over two decades.
“I know Lam Adesina went to court over the matter, and I also know his successor, Ladoja, withdrew the case. Ask Ladoja; he would know more about Bola Ige’s death,” Akande asserted.
Bola Ige, a prominent Yoruba political figure and senior member of the Alliance for Democracy (AD), was assassinated at his Ibadan residence on December 23, 2001. Despite initial arrests and legal proceedings, no one has been held accountable for his murder, leading to allegations of political cover-ups and complicity at the highest levels of government.
Akande lamented the loss of key individuals who might have provided critical evidence, including Adesina, saying:
“Many things die with people. Now that Bola Ige is dead and Lam Adesina too is dead, who will be my witness? Nobody.”
Akande provided insights into Ige’s tenure in former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration, describing his decision to join the People’s Democratic Party (PDP)-led government as a fatal political miscalculation.
Ige initially served as Minister of Mines and Power between 1999 and 2000 before being reassigned as Attorney General and Minister of Justice in 2001. His tenure was marked by friction within Obasanjo’s government and tensions within Yoruba political circles, particularly as he was seen as a leading figure in the opposition AD.
Akande revealed that Ige had contemplated resigning from the administration shortly before his assassination.
“One evening, he just called me and said, ‘I’m going to resign from this government.’ I called his friend, Oluwole Rotimi, and he advised against it. I also pleaded with him not to resign because I feared for his life.”
According to Akande, Ige had already consulted Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka and then Lagos State Governor, Bola Tinubu, both of whom reportedly supported his resignation. However, after a meeting with Obasanjo, Ige ultimately decided to remain in office—only to be murdered shortly afterward.
Akande did not mince words when addressing his suspicions about Ige’s murder, suggesting state involvement in the assassination.
“He was killed in anticipation of what he might become in the future. It was a state murder. The government killed him. The government can kill anybody.”
His remarks have fueled renewed speculation that Ige’s murder was orchestrated by powerful political forces who saw him as a threat.
Despite the serious allegations, Rashidi Ladoja has yet to respond definitively. When contacted, his media aide, Adeola Oloko, initially requested time to consult his principal but later declined to provide a statement.
Similarly, efforts to obtain a response from former President Olusegun Obasanjo were unsuccessful, as his media aide, Kehinde Akinyemi, did not return calls or messages.
