JOSEPH OKWUOFU, Ibadan
A former governor of Oyo State, and the Otun Olubadan of Ibadanland, Senator Rasidi Adewolu Ladoja, has threatened to drag the former Osun state governor , Chief Bisi Akande to court for defamation over the killing of Chief Bola Ige.
Chief Bola Ige, a former Attorney General and Minister of Justice was brutally murdered on December 23, 2001 following his assassination by yet-to-be-identified individuals in Solemilia Court, No 8, Akinlabi Sanda Close, Bodija in Ibadan, Oyo State.
The gruesome murder also led to the sudden death of Justice Atinuke, his wife; and destabilized his family.
Chief Ladoja who openly challenged Chief Bisi Akande said he knows nothing about the death of a former minister of Justice and Attorney General of the federation, late Chief Bola Ige.
He called on Chief Akande to apologise and make a retraction, or face legal action.
Ladoja refuted the assertion while addressing journalists at his residence on Monday.
Recall that Chief Bisi Akande had claimed that Ladoja had some hidden information about the death of Bola Ige, but, Ladoja while addressing journalists at his residence insisted that Akande lied against him.
The former governor challenged Akande to go public with details of any information he has over the death of Bola Ige.
“I don’t have any hidden knowledge about the death of Chief Bola Ige. I had no problem with Bola Ige.
“Maybe Chief Bisi Akande wants to sell his book. I don’t know. There is no correlation between by election and the death of Ige.
” He should come out and tell the public instead of maligning my image. But, all options are open. As Otun Olubadan, I am no more a politician”.
Chief Bola Ige was about to take up a new position as Africa’s Representative on the United Nations International Law Commission when he was gunned down in Ibadan, Oyo state by yet to be identified gunmen.
Bola Ige’s assassination was linked to an altercation that happened at the palace of the then Ooni of Ife, Oba Sijuwade Okunade during the conferment of chieftaincy title on some individuals.
Ige was mobbed by an angry crowd as they stripped him of his necklace, cap and destroyed his pair of medicated glasses.
The group was led by a certain ‘Fryo’, a known political thug loyal and devoted to Omisore. It was an obvious breach of his security and attempt to eliminate him openly.
Before then, Chief Ige had been entangled in squabbles within his party, Alliance for Democracy (AD), this led to fingers being pointed at then Deputy Governor of Osun state, Iyiola Omisore as being responsible for the murder.
