Senator Rasidi Ladoja, a former governor of Oyo State, has denied knowing anything about the death of the late Chief Bola Ige, a former Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation.
Ladoja spoke in reaction to the comments made by former National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Bisi Akande, on the unresolved assassination of Ige, in which he (Akande) alleged that Ladoja may have vital information regarding the murder.
The APC chieftain, who spoke in an explosive interview with a broadcaster, Edmund Obilo in Ibadan, lamented that key figures who might have shed more light on the case, including a former Oyo State governor, Lam Adesina, had died.
Akande’s statements read, “There are many things that die with people. I know Lam Adesina went to court over the matter, and I also know his successor, (Rashidi) Ladoja withdrew the case. Ask Ladoja, he would know more about Bola Ige’s death.
“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.
“Because there are many things you don’t want to tell the public. I don’t want to tell anybody. Now Bola Ige is dead and Lam Adesina too is dead, so who will be my witness? Nobody.”
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo appointed Ige as Minister of Mines and Power, between 1999 and 2000 and when he was not able to make significant improvements to the service provided by the monopolistic National Electric Power Authority (NEPA), Ige was redeployed as Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation between 2000 and 2001.
The former minister was assassinated on December 23, 2001, at his Ibadan, Oyo State residence.
Reacting, however, while addressing journalists at his residence in Ibadan on Monday, Ladoja refuted the assertion, saying, “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 my 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 the Otun Olubadan, I am no longer a politician.
“Chief Bola Ige was assassinated on December 23, 2001. I became governor on May 29, 2003, which was 18 months before my tenure began.
“I didn’t withdraw the case. My government didn’t withdraw any case.
“The case was even prosecuted by the Supreme Court. Chief Akande lied against me, and he is old. This is not his first time. People say he lies. Even Baba Adebanjo said he lied in his book.
“We are all deeply saddened by Ige’s death. We are all concerned about his murder; I was very close to Chief Bola Ige when he was alive.”
