Another Ige Murder Suspect Obtains Favor Under Obasanjo's Administration
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Another Ige Murder Suspect Obtains Favor Under Obasanjos Administration Page 1 of 11 Another Ige Murder Suspect Obtains Favor Under Obasanjo's Administration By Bolaji Aluko, PhD My People: A top murder suspect, since released, of Chief Bola Ige, is currently an Osun State Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. His name is Otunba Iyiola Omisore. Another top murder suspect, also since released from detention, has now been made by President Obasanjo an Osun State nominee for a yet undisclosed Federal Ministry (maybe of Internal Affairs?) His name is Dr. Adewale Oladipo. What is left is the judiciary: maybe Barrister Kehinde Adesiyan, the lawyer of all murder suspects, should be made a Supreme Court Justice? Or maybe Judge Ige who gave Omisore bail for collapsing in the bathroom just in time to be sworn in as Senator? Unbelievable! Osun State must be creeping with "worthy" persons for federal office, all connected somehow with the murder of Uncle Bola - and Festus Keyamo now looks like a veritable prophet. It is a pity. Bolaji Aluko Shaking his head And Scratching it too. Senate unveils Obasanjo's 40 ministerial nominees Sufuyan Ojeifo & Ben Agande Wednesday, June 25, 2003 ABUJA — THE Senate yesterday unveiled President Olusegun Obasanjo’s 40 nominees for ministerial appointment with five members of his cabinet during his first term making the list submitted to the upper chamber of the National Assembly for screening. http://www.nigerdeltacongress.com/articles/another_ige_murder_suspect_obtai.htm 7/18/2008 Another Ige Murder Suspect Obtains Favor Under Obasanjos Administration Page 2 of 11 The six are former Minister of Industry, Dr. Iyorchia Ayu (Benue State), former Minister of Science and Technology, Prof. Turner Isoun (Bayelsa State), former Minister of Education, Prof. Babalola Borishade (Ekiti State), former Minister of State for Internal Affairs, Elder Odion Ugbesia and former Minister for Water Resources, Alhaji Mukhtar Shagari (Sokoto State) and former Minister of State for Transport, Alhaji Isa Yuguda (Bauchi). The fresh nominees are: Mrs Ngozi Iweala (Abia), Alhaji Adamu Bello (Adamawa), Mrs. Rita Akpan (Akwa Ibom), Chief Chukwuemeka Chikelu (Anambra), Hajia Bintu Ibrahim Musa (Borno), Senator Liyel Imoke (Cross River), Dr. Roland Oritsejafor (Delta), Mr. Broderick Bozimo (Delta), Chief Franklin Ogbuawu (Ebonyi), Mr. Frank Nweke (Junior) (Enugu), Alhaji Musa Mohammed (Gombe), Professor Fabia Osuji (Imo), Alhaji Saleh Shehu (Jigawa), Malam Nasir El-Rufai (Kaduna), Nenadi Esther Usman (Kaduna), Mohammed Rabiu Musa Kwankwanso (Kano), Dr. Saidu Samaila Sambawa (Kebbi). Others are Prof. Eyitayo Lambo (Kogi), Chief Cornelius Adebayo (Kwara), Princess Funke Adedoyin (Kwara), Senator Adeseye Ogunlewe (Lagos), Alhaji Husaini Zannuwa Akwanga (Nasarawa), Alhaji Abubakar Tanko (Niger), Ambassador Oluyemi Adeniji (Ogun), Chief (Mrs.) Mobolaji Osomo (Ondo), Dr. Adewale Oladipo (Osun), Mr. Akinlolu Olujimi (Oyo), Mr. Bamidele Dada (Oyo), Engineer Mohammed Musa (Plateau), Dr. Sekibo Abiye (Rivers), Alhaji Idris Waziri (Taraba), Senator Lawan Gana Guba (Yobe) and Col. Bala Mande (Zamfara). Deputy Senate President, Senator Ibrahim Mantu, who presided over yesterday’s sitting of the Senate announced the names of the nominees before he directed the Clerk to circulate the list to Senators. The screening of the nominees will take place tomorrow consequent upon the release, today, of the procedures for the screening by the senate leadership. As an important aspect of the screening process, the nominees were quickly informed yesterday by Senator Arthur Nzeribe that they should ensure that they submit their asset declaration forms along with their curriculum vitae, an information which the Senate leadership affirmed. Ige's Suspected Killer Made Minister P.M. News (Lagos) June 25, 2003 Lagos One of the suspects arrested in connection with the murder of Chief Bola Ige, former attorney general of the federation, has been appointed minister-designate by President Olusegun Obasanjo. The suspect, Dr. Adewale Oladipo, a lecturer at the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) Ile-Ife, Osun State was on the list of 40 ministerial nominees submitted to the National Assembly for screening by the president. Oladipo is representing Osun State now being ruled by Obasanjo's People's Democratic Party. http://www.nigerdeltacongress.com/articles/another_ige_murder_suspect_obtai.htm 7/18/2008 Another Ige Murder Suspect Obtains Favor Under Obasanjos Administration Page 3 of 11 Oladipo, was one of the 16 suspects arrested by the police shortly after Chief Ige was assassinated in his Bodija, Ibadan residence on 23 December, 2001. Other suspects arrested along with Oladipo include Alani Omisore, brother of the former deputy governor, Iyiola Omisore, who in spite of being arraigned for the murder was elected as senator, in an election believed to have been massively rigged. The other suspects were Kunle Alao, Olugbenga Adebayo, a.k.a. Fryo, Jelili Adesiyan, Lambe Oyasope, Hon. Lekan Oyediran, Idowu Ajayi, Awotide Akantioke, Biyi Odunlade, Ayo Adewoyin, Ezekiel Daramola, Adebayo Adegoke, Sgt. Oye Oniyanda, Ganiyu Badmus and Yinka Awosiyan. Oladipo was detained by the police in Abuja for more than seven weeks before he was released. During police interrogation, Oladipo admitted to detectives that he belonged to the Omisore camp in the factionalised Osun State politics. On whether he participated in the killing of Ige, Oladipo claimed that he neither recruited thugs nor arranged any vehicle for the killing of Ige. The Ife-born politician told the police further that even though he was aware of the factionalisation of the party, referring to the Alliance for Democracy, he never planned the killing of anyone. There are lingering public suspicions that the Federal Government knew something about Ige's death. And what further fuelled the suspicion was the granting of bail to the elected senator, Omisore, standing trial for murder. http://www.thisdayonline.com/news/20020516news01.html As Detainees' Families call for Police Report... Ige: Suspects Are Innocent, Says Omisore Dismisses expulsion from AD as a 'huge joke' From Razak Yusuf, Ademola Adeyemo in Ibadan and Hammed Bodunrin in Osogbo The Deputy Governor of Osun State, Otunba Iyiola Omisore yesterday described the suspects being held by the police for alleged complicity in the murder of Chief Bola Ige as "innocent people illegally arrested and unlawfully detained," who http://www.nigerdeltacongress.com/articles/another_ige_murder_suspect_obtai.htm 7/18/2008 Another Ige Murder Suspect Obtains Favor Under Obasanjos Administration Page 4 of 11 should be released "without any further delay." In the same vein, families of the suspects have called for the immediate release of the police report on the investigations "so that justice will be seen to have been manifestly and transparently done without fear, favour or ill-will." Only on Monday, the police said they have in their custody 15 people linked to the assassination of the former Justice Minister, adding that the case file had been forwarded to the Oyo State Ministry of Justice for advice. Ige was killed in his Ibadan residence December 23, 2001. Principal suspect in the trial, Ademola Adebayo, alias Fryo said in a sworn affidavit which he later denied that Omisore masterminded Ige's assassination. Omisore in a statement signed by his Chief Protocol Officer, Mr. Tunji Iyanda, said that Ige's death "was greeted with political colouration even by the police," adding "after almost six months, investigation revealed no link with Osun crisis so far." According to him, "the police hierarchy of today condemned the lack of preliminary investigation to establish the real suspects and not political opponents. "Our message is who are the real killers of Ige. This is criminal not political. The police must not allow the late Justice Minister die in vain... A realistic and preliminary investigation is never too late," he stated. Spokesman for the families of the detainees, Barrister Kehinde Adesiyan called for the immediate release to the public the full police report on the investigations. A spokesman for the families of the suspects, Barrister Kehinde Adesiyan told newsmen at a press conference in Ibadan yesterday that the Oyo State Ministry of Justice should take immediate and prompt action on the case file sent to it. Adesiyan, who was flanked by both old and young placard carrying sympathisers of their cause also demanded "the immediate and unconditional release of all the detainees in police custody," after their innocence must have been proved. He said the evidence currently available against them are purely circumstantial. The spokesman said the families have been "watching with keen interest the scenario since December 23, 2001 and by now consider that we could no longer fold our arms and watch the continuing illegal detention of our fathers and breadwinners since December 24, 2001." Adesiyan said those arrested and still in police custody include Alhaji Oyewale Jelili Adesiyan; Honourable Kunle Alao; Honourable Lekan Oyediran; Honourable Lambe Oyasope; Dr. Wale Oladipo; Comrade Biyi Odunlade and Mr. Ganiyu Badmus Olaoluwa. Others listed are Prince Ologbenda Adedotun; Mr. Alani Omisore; Mr. Ayo Adewonyi; Mr. Idowu Ajayi and Mr. Funminiyi Ehiyera. The spokesman also questioned the credibility of the police investigative team headed by the retired Deputy-Inspector General of Police, Mrs. Abimbola Ojomo of the Force, General Investigation Department. "The team Head, Mrs.