Why Bola Ige was Killed – Akande

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A former governor of Osun State, Chief Bisi Akande, has shared his insight on the murder of former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Chief Bola Ige.

Ige was shot to death in 2001 at his Ibadan residence while he was Nigeria’s Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice.

Prior to his killing, he was entangled in intraparty crisis over which he was attacked in Osun State.

Akande was then Osun governor and between 1982 to 1983 during the Second Republic, served as the deputy governor of Oyo State to the deceased.

In an interview with Edmund Obilo, the first Interim Chairman of the All Progressives Congress enlightened public understanding of the cause of Ige’s killing during Olusegun Obasanjo’s time as president.

“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,” the 86-year-old politician said.

Disclosing what allegedly transpired between late Ige and Obasanjo before the minister was killed, “One evening, he just called me and said, ‘I’m going to resign from this government.’ I said, ‘Please sir, I will come back to you’. I called his friend, Oluwole Rotimi. He asked me to advise him (Ige) not to resign because if he does, he’s likely going to die.

“I called Uncle (Ige) back and begged him not to resign. He said he had talked to Wole Soyinka and Bola Tinubu and both of them had asked him to resign. I asked him not to resign. I then said, ‘You can go to Obasanjo, tell him what you are angry about and tell him that if he doesn’t want you again, this is your letter.’

“He actually did so. Obasanjo asked what he wanted him to do and they both agreed. When he was leaving, Obasanjo said ‘Don’t give that letter to the press, give it to me’ and he dropped the letter. Ige told me himself. It was later after that he was moved to the Ministry of Justice.”

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