“Ladoja Knows More About Bola Ige’s Death” – Bisi Akande

Former Osun State Governor, Chief Bisi Akande, has reignited discussions surrounding the unresolved assassination of former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Chief Bola Ige. In a recent interview with broadcaster Edmund Obilo in Ibadan, Akande suggested that former Oyo State Governor Rashidi Ladoja may have crucial information about Ige’s death.

Akande expressed frustration over the lack of progress in the case, noting that key figures who could have provided insight, including former Oyo State Governor Lam Adesina, had passed away. He recalled that Adesina had taken legal steps regarding the case before Ladoja, upon assuming office, withdrew it.

“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 stated. He emphasized that while he was the Chief Security Officer of Osun State at the time, the crime occurred in Oyo State, where Adesina was governor.

Ige, who served as Minister of Mines and Power before being reassigned as Minister of Justice, was assassinated at his Ibadan residence on December 23, 2001. His death remains one of Nigeria’s most high-profile unsolved political killings.

Reflecting on Ige’s political journey, Akande said he regretted that the late minister had joined President Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration, describing it as a “kiss of death.” However, he clarified that the decision was not Ige’s alone but a collective one made by the Afenifere and Alliance for Democracy (AD).

Akande recounted how Obasanjo had invited Ige to join his government as part of a broader effort to form a Government of National Unity. The matter was debated within AD and Afenifere, with leaders, including Abraham Adesanya and Ayo Fasanmi, unanimously agreeing that Ige should accept the position.

The former Osun governor also revealed that Ige had contemplated resigning from Obasanjo’s government before his assassination. According to Akande, he and others, including retired General Oluwole Rotimi, advised Ige against resigning, warning that it could put his life at risk. Akande recounted a meeting where Ige told him that Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka and then-Lagos Governor Bola Tinubu had advised him to resign. In response, Akande urged Ige to meet with Obasanjo and discuss his grievances rather than step down.

Akande insisted that Ige’s murder was politically motivated. “He was killed in anticipation of what he might become in the future. It was a state murder,” he alleged, adding that the Obasanjo administration showed little interest in uncovering the truth behind the killing.

Regarding the infamous attack on Ige before his murder, where his cap was publicly removed, Akande admitted he did not know the perpetrators but had advised Ige to focus on writing his memoir instead of attending public events.

When asked about Ige’s political ambitions, Akande said he did not believe Ige was planning to run for president at the time of his death but was committed to ensuring that the AD fielded a strong candidate.

Efforts to get a response from Ladoja’s camp were unsuccessful. When contacted on Sunday, Ladoja’s media aide, Adeola Oloko, initially asked for more time but later did not provide a response. Similarly, Obasanjo’s media aide, Kehinde Akinyemi, did not respond to calls or messages seeking comment.