The Bola Ige Centre for Justice has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to find the killers of former Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) Chief Bola Ige.
The Centre urged the President to resolve the nearly 20-year-old murder before he “completes his second term”.
Ige was murdered in his living Room, at Bodija, Ibadan, on December 23, 2001.
His security aides reportedly went out to eat at the same time.
The Centre’s president, Awa Bamiji, made the request at the 19th edition of the Bola Ige memorial symposium which held recently in Lagos, with the topic “19th year after Bola Ige: Assessment of Security Situation in Nigeria”.
The topic was discussed by Mr Ade Ajakaiye, former AIG Zone 6, Calabar and Ex-ADC to Chief Bola Ige alongside Comrade Mashood Erubami, Convener, Voters’ Assembly, under the distinguished chairmanship of Senator Biyi Durojaiye, a prominent June 12 activist from Ogun State.
Chief Host was Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State. The National Leader of All Progressives’ Congress, (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu was the Special Guest of Honour while the Guest of Honour was Governor Gboyega Oyetola of Osun State.
Bamiji said: “You will recall that Chief Bola Ige’s cap was rudely removed on December 15, 2001, at the Palace of Ooni of Ife by a set of well known hoodlums, and a few days later, precisely, 23 December, 2001, an assassination that shocked the whole nation took place, on that fateful Sunday’s night, in his living Room, at Bodija, Ibadan…
“This was the peak of assassination in Nigeria and Africa as a whole and the foundation for various security chanllenges that we have been confronting with since then till today.
“Therefore, our organised struggles for justice started immediately, 19 years ago, and we came out publicly with the formal Inauguration of the INSIGHT Magazine at the Western House of Chiefs, Ibadan, Oyo State, to commemorate the first year rememberance of Asiwaju of Esa – Oke, Chief Ajibola Ige (SAN), in December 2002.”
He explained that the Bola Ige Centre for justice was formally inaugurated in December 2004, out of the need to start having a coordinated action across various interest Groups to press home its demand for justice on the murder case.
He added: “Who killed Bola Ige? This is a riddle for his close friend of decades, former President Olusegun Obasanjo, despite his bold statement to fish out the Killers after the assassination, between December 2001 till May 29, 2007, when he became the former President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“Thereafter, neither the Late President Musa Shehu Yar’adua, nor former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan could break the jinx.
“It is now time for President Muhammadu Buhari (GCFR), who came into power through a Progressive Platform. If Bola Ige were to be alive, he will definitely be a strong Leader of All Progressives’ Congress (Party).
“It was a general belief that he was killed by his political rivals so as to have inroad to the Southwest Region in the 2003 general elections….”
By Robert Egbe