Tuesday February 4, 2025 | TheNewsDESK
Former Oyo State governor and Otun Olubadan of Ibadanland, Chief Rashidi Ladoja, has denied allegations by former Osun State governor, Chief Bisi Akande, regarding unresolved assassination of former Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Chief Bola Ige, TheSUN reports.
In a recent interview with veteran journalist, Edmund Obilo, in Ibadan, Akande implied that Ladoja might have crucial information about Ige’s murder. He lamented that individuals who could have provided clarity on the case, such as former Oyo State governor Lam Adesina, had passed away.
Reacting to the claims, Ladoja dismissed Akande’s remarks as baseless and untrue. He emphasised that his administration did not interfere with the case and stated that it was pursued up to the Supreme Court. He also clarified that he assumed office 18 months after Ige’s assassination, making any suggestion of his involvement illogical.
“Chief Bola Ige was murdered on December 23, 2001 while I became governor on May 29, 2003,” Ladoja stated. “Neither I nor my government withdrew the case. It was prosecuted up to the Supreme Court. Chief Akande has falsely accused me and this is not the first time he has been called out for making untrue statements – Baba Adebanjo even noted this in his book.”
Ladoja expressed his sorrow over Ige’s death and highlighted his close relationship with the late minister. He also issued a warning to Akande, demanding a public retraction and apology, failing which he would consider legal action.
Akande, in his interview, 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.”
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.
He added 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?” he questioned.
Chief Bola Ige, chieftain of the opposition Alliance for Democracy (AD), was appointed Minister of Mines and Power by President Olusegun Obasanjo in 1999. However, after failing to achieve significant progress in Nigeria’s power sector, he was reassigned as Minister of Justice and Attorney General in 2000.
On December 23, 2001, he was assassinated at his Ibadan residence, a case that remains unresolved.
Akande claimed that Ige regretted joining Obasanjo’s administration, describing it as a “kiss of death.” However, he defended the decision, stating that it was a collective agreement reached by Afenifere and the AD.
“We met under the leadership of Ayo Fasanmi in AD and under Abraham Adesanya in Afenifere,” Akande said. “By acclamation, we agreed that Bola Ige should join the government. It was not a mistake; it was a unanimous decision.”
Akande also refuted claims that Chief Ayo Adebanjo was the acting chairman of the AD at the time, maintaining that Ayo Fasanmi held the position.
Bola Ige: Ladoja Threatens Legal Action Against Akande
