- threatens to sue ex-Osun Governor
A former Governor of Oyo State, Senator Rashidi Ladoja, has threatened to sue a former chairman of the All Progressives Congress, (APC), and ex-Osun State Governor, Chief Bisi Akande, for linking him with the murder of a former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Chief Bola Ige.
Ladoja, who is the Otun Olubadan of Ibadanland, disclosed this during an interview with journalists at his Ondo Street residence in Ibadan, the state capital.
Ige, the Cicero of Esa Oke, who was the Deputy National Leader of Afenifere and also the Second Republic Governor of Oyo State, was gruesomely murdered by yet-to-be arrested assassins at his Bodija, Ibadan residence on December 23, 2001.
Successive administrations in the country have been unable to unravel the mystery surrounding his death.
Akande, in an exclusive interview with an Ibadan-based radio station, accused Ladoja of withdrawing the case instituted on the matter by his predecessor in office, the departed Chief Lam Adesina.
He noted that key figures who might have shed more light on the case, including Adesina, had died, and that Ladoja might have vital information regarding the murder.
According to him, “I was the Chief Security Officer of Osun State at the time, not Oyo State. Lam Adesina was the Chief Security Officer of Oyo State and he went to court and the governor that took over from him, Ladoja, withdrew the case from court. He might be able to tell you more. I believe he has more information on Bola Ige’s death.”
However, Ladoja, at a press conference at his Bodija residence on Monday, debunked Akande’s allegations.
He explained that Ige was assassinated on December 23, 2001, while he assumed office as Oyo State Executive Governor on May 29, 2003.
Ladoja, now a monarch, said, “I took office on May 29, 2003, which was 18 months after the assassination of Chief Bola Ige.”
He said that there was no truth in the statement credited to Akande regarding the withdrawal of the case instituted by his predecessor, Lam Adesina, on Ige’s death.
His words: “I did nothing to harm the delivery of justice in the assassination case of Bola Ige.
“I didn’t withdraw the case. My Government didn’t withdraw any case. The case was even prosecuted up to the Appeal Court.
“Chief Akande lied about me.
“This is not the first time people have said he lied. Someone like Baba Adebanjo even said he lied in his book.
“We are all not happy about Chief Bola Ige’s death, and we are all concerned about it. I was very close to Chief Bola Ige while he was alive.”
Irked by the development, Ladoja stated that all options, including legal action against Akande, would be considered unless Akande withdrew his statement and tendered a public apology.