Buhari has ordered IGP to re-open death cases of Bola Ige, Dokubo

The late chief Bola Ige. Oyo state governor between 1979 and 1983 and one time minister of power as well as ttorney-general of the federation between 1999 and 2001
President Muhammadu Buhari on Sunday, July 17 ordered the acting Inspector-General of Police Ibrahim Idris to commence fresh investigations into the unresolved murder case of one-time Attorney-General of the Federation and justice minister Chief Bola Ige as well former deputy national chairman of the South-south geopolitical zone of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Chief Aminosari Dokubo and fish out the masterminds of the heinous acts. The death of the two eminent men resulted into national outrage outcry as Nigerians then called on the administration of ex-president Olusegun Obasanjo to fish out the murderers who have still not been found. It should be recalled that Bola Ige, a former Oyo state governor was shot dead in his bedroom in Bodija area of Ibadan, the Oyo state capital around 9pm on December 23, 2001 after he arrived Ibadan from Lagos at about 8.30pm.

The security details attached to the former power minister were said to have asked permission from Bola Ige to go and take their meal before the assailants struck The murderers were said to have waited in the former AGF’s compound before they stormed his resident and tied up family members. It was reported that one of the assailants pointed a gun at a family member and asked him to lead them upstairs to the bedroom of the ex-Oyo state governor.

 The assassins were said to have moved the wife of the late Cicero of Esa Oke and his son to an adjacent room where they locked them up before shooting Bola Ige on the chest. Vanguard learnt that towards unearthing the masterminds of these unresolved murders, the acting Inspector General of Police Ibrahim Idris has set up a high powered investigation team which is headed by an Assistant Inspector General of Police to get to the root of the matter. As a result of the former AGF’s murder, a lot of several unconfirmed allegations were made against several politicians and interest groups while some even said the ‘Cicero’ was killed to put an end to the rise in his political profile. Other people alleged he was killed due to the impending probe of the corruption in the power sector of the nation’s economy by the late and former minister of power. On the death of the late PDP chieftain, he was killed while returning to his base from Abuja after a meeting when he was waylaid by suspected assassins on entering Delta state. Dokubo was murdered close to near Asaba on October 22, 2004.

The murder of the late PDP stalwart then was purported to have been as a result of some disagreements with the mafias in the PDP prior to the general elections. Likewise, Vanguard learnt that the fact that the killers and their sponsors were still walking freely on the streets without arrest and prosecution for crimes against humanity, it was a dangerous trend which if not addressed could lead to killing of more political leaders either now or in the future. Muyiwa Ige, son of late Chief Bola Ige and a former commissioner said late Sunday, July 17 that it would be glorious if the family could get justice 16 years after the death of his father. Muyiwa could not concealhis joy. He said President Buhari did not disappoint him, saying the matter was now in the right direction. He stated: “I knew right from the advent of the administration of President Buhari that the matter would be resurrected. The President is in the right direction. To God be the glory. It’s a new day; we are happy, we will get justice after 16 years. “We are happy that all those who murdered our father, including the star witness, will be brought to justice. It’s good news.” Some political watchers hold the opinion that the death of the late Cicero of Esa Oke was similar to that of Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale (MKO) Abiola who died under mysterious condition on July 7, 1998 in prison while fighting for his presidential mandate.