The immediate past Commissioner for
Lands and Physical Development in Osun
State, who is the son of the late Chief Bola
Ige, Muyiwa, has said a former Inspector-
General of Police, Mr. Solomon Arase, and
other police officers, who were investigating
officers during the trial of the murder of his
father knew how the case was botched.
Ige’s son, who said the family would not
rest until those who killed his father were
brought to justice, spoke on a private radio
station based in Osogbo, Rave FM, during a
programme, Frank Talk, monitored by our
correspondent in Osogbo on Wednesday.
Ige said it was sad that those who killed
his father, who was then the Attorney
General of the Federation and Minister of
Justice had not been brought to justice 15
years after he was murdered.
Muyiwa said the family lost Ige, and his
wife, Atinuke, who was a judge, within 20
months and those who perpetrated the act
were still walking free.
He said, “The immediate past IGP had
made a statement a couple of years back
that unless they have new evidence there
was nothing they could do. But when I
heard that, what I thought was that it
might be a diversionary tactic.
“The immediate past IGP was one of the
investigating officers during the trial (of
Ige’s murder) they know the intricacies of
how they botched the evidence of the case.
We are hopeful that something will be
done. It is the responsibility of everybody
to ensure that justice is done.
“The family cannot prosecute; it is the
responsibility of the state. All things being
equal, hopefully the right thing will be
done.”
He linked Ige’s murder to the removal of
his cap at the Palace of the Ooni of Ife
shortly before his killers struck and shot
him dead at his Bodija residence in Ibadan
on December 23, 2001.
According to him, the family has organised
a memorial lecture which will hold next
week.
He said a Lagos lawyer, Mr. Festus
Keyamo, was among those who would
speak at the event.
Muyiwa said Keyamo might have a new
light to shed on the matter.
But when contacted by one of our
correspondents, Arase denied that he
bungled Ige’s murder trial.
He said he did not hide the late Ige’s case
file, stating that it was with the Attorney
General of the Federation who was
prosecuting the case.
Arase explained that he had nothing to do
with the file since the case was in court.
“The case file was not with me, it was with
the Attorney General who was prosecuting
the case. The AGF was prosecuting the
case and the file was with him, I couldn’t
have hid what was not in my custody,” he
stated.
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