Arase, Others Bungled Bola Ige’s Murder Trial – Son

 

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.