Former Oyo State Governor, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, has refuted claims made by former Governor of Osun State, Chief Bisi Akande, on the assassination of Nigeria’s former Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Chief Bola Ige.
Ige, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, was brutally assassinated in his Ibadan home on December 23, 2001, which that sent shockwaves through the country and remains unresolved more than two decades after.
Akande at the weekend suggested that Ladoja may have critical knowledge about the circumstances surrounding Ige’s murder.
In other words, the elder statesman had insinuated that Ladoja who became governor of Oyo State in May 2003, influenced legal proceedings tied to the case.
However, at a media briefing held at his residence in Ibadan on Tuesday, Ladoja did not hold back in his reaction to the allegation.
“Chief Akande lied against me,” he said, dismissing allegations that his administration played a role in derailing the prosecution of Ige’s murder case.
“Chief Bola Ige was assassinated on December 23, 2001. I became governor on May 29, 2003, which was a whole 18 months after his murder.
“I didn’t withdraw the case. My government didn’t withdraw any case. The case was even prosecuted up to the Supreme Court,” he added.
Beyond just defending himself, Ladoja labelled the pioneer National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as a habitual liar.
“This is not his first time. People say he lies. Even Baba Adebanjo said he lied in his book,” Ladoja remarked, referring to Ayo Adebanjo, a senior Yoruba leader, who had in the past also accused Akande of misrepresenting facts in his memoirs.
Ladoja, who shared a close personal relationship with Ige before his assassination, insisted that justice remains a priority for all who truly cared about the late minister.
“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,” he concluded.
