Bola Ige's assassination: Nigeria was the greatest loser

Chief Bola Ige, a former governor of old Oyo State, and former Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation was known to have won the hearts of the South West with his poised selflessness, hard work and discipline.

Having died on December 23, 2021, following his assassination by unknown assailants in Solemilia Court, No 8, Akinlabi Sanda Close, Bodija in Ibadan, Oyo State, his gruesome murder led to the sudden death of his wife, Atinuke which destabilized his family.

Ige became the first civilian governor of Old Oyo state after defeated his rival, Chief Richard Akinjide of the National Party of Nigeria to become the Attorney-General and Minister for Justice in the Second Republic.

Bola Ige’s assassination was linked to an altercation that happened at the palace of Ooni of Ife, Oba Sijuwade Okunade during the conferment of chieftaincy title on some individuals. It was reported that Ige was mobbed by an angry crowd as they stripped him of his necklace, cap and destroyed his pair of medicated glasses.

The group was said to have been led by a certain ‘Fryo’, a known political thug loyal and devoted to the then Deputy Governor of Osun state, Iyiola Omisore. It was an obvious breach of his security and attempt to eliminate him openly.

A day after the assault, Omisore granted an abusive interview to Tempo magazine that was published the following week.

In his words, he said "...Bola Ige came on radio here to insult me and my family. That is his last one. He was beaten yesterday; the people of Ife beat him up and he was crying like a baby as they removed his cap and his glasses."

A week after the attack on Bola Ige at Ooni’s palace, he was killed in his home in Ibadan. Omisore alongside others were arrested and arraigned before an Oyo State High Court as part of the suspected killers of the former Attorney General of the Federation but were later released for lack of evidence.

It was gathered that Bola Ige was about to take up a new position as Africa’s Representative on the United Nations International Law Commission when he was gunned down in Ibadan, Oyo state. Ige was shot dead at his home in Ibadan.

Chief Bola Ige was amongst the brightest stars for Yorubas. There are those who consider it their duty to focus only on Chief Bola Ige’s life. To them we say, a celebration of Chief Ige’s life is inevitable as his legacies live on.

Some of his achievements which are still been remembered are as follows;

He ensured the presence of massive mechanized farming all through the region.

He also used tact to effectively manage the Agbekoya riots which broke out among peasant farmers during the Nigerian civil war.

Ige implemented the free education policy of the UPN all through Oyo state and established the Ladoke Akintola University of Science and Technology (LAUTECH) amongst other great projects he established in the state which endeared him to the masses who continually sang his praises.