Senator Iyiola Omisore has demanded for a withdrawal of a comment from Prof. Wole Soyinka about the murder case of Chief Bola Ige.
Recalled that Prof. Soyinka, on Saturday through a news publication said that Omisore’s new position in the ruling party puts paid to any re-investigation into the murder of Bola Ige, a former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice.
He further said that, “With the emergence of the said prime suspect as National Secretary of the Ruling Party, is the Inspector-General of Police equipped to confront political obstacles in a resumption of investigation?
“Is there any guarantee that the result will see the light of day?” Soyinka said.
Omisore throat his counsel, Gboyega Oyewole, SAN in a letter dated 4th April, 2022 demanded a withdrawal of comment from Soyinka.
A copy of the letter made available toour correspondent reads;
4th April, 2022
PROF. WOLE SOYINKA
Abeokuta,
Ogun State
Dear Sir,
RE: LIBELOUS PUBLICATION AGAINST SENATOR IYIOLA OMISORE
IN THE PUNCH NEWSPAPER OF 2ND APRIL, 2022
We are Solicitors to Senator Iyiola Omisore, a two-term Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, a former Deputy Governor of Osun State, and the current National Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on whose instruction
we write.
Our client’s attention has been drawn to an interview granted by your goodself, which was published in the Punch Newspaper of 2nd April 2022, wherein you made some comments concerning our client in the following terms:
“the resumption of investigation into the murder of a former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Chief Bola Ige, was already hamstrung and disrobed of credibility with the emergence of a
prime suspect in the case as the National Secretary of the ruling All
Progressive Congress.
With the emergence of the said prime suspect as National Secretary of the ruling party, is the Inspector-General of Police equipped to confront political obstacles in a resumption of investigation? Is there any guarantee that the result will see the light of day? How suspect, abinitio, will be the conclusions, given the present political ordering?”
We believe the above statements credited to your goodself were made without full knowledge of all that has transpired in the matter or as a result of misinformation.
Considering our client’s regard for you as an elder statesman and Nobel laureate, we wish to make the following clarifications:
1. Our client was a major player in the formation of Alliance for Democracy (AD) and consequent of which he became the Deputy Governor to the well-respected, Chief Bisi Akande of Osun State.
2. Along the line, political differences arose between our client and some Chieftains of the Alliance for Democracy (AD) in Osun State, which necessitated the eventual defection from the Alliance for Democracy.
3. Upon the death of Chief Bola Ige, SAN, our client was arraigned before a court of competent jurisdiction in Oyo State. The basis of the said Charge at that material time was predicated on the perceived political differences.
4. A proper investigation was not carried out into the said allegation as the whole arraignment, which is more of persecution than prosecution, was targeted at those perceived to have political differences with Chief Bola Ige. As result of this unfounded allegation and the perceived political differences, our client and his supporters were arraigned before the High Court of Oyo State.
5. It is pertinent to state, as it appears that many people may have forgotten what transpired on the night Chief Bola Ige was assassinated, that it was Chief Bola Ige himself who instructed his security guards to go and eat.
6. In spite of the wrongful persecution and incarceration of our client, he calmly defended himself in court, proved his innocence, and was rightly vindicated in the end. The High Court of Oyo State in its judgment, having looked at the whole evidence assembled against our client by the prosecution, found him not guilty of the alleged offence, and subsequently discharged and acquitted our client.
7. The said judgment of the Court of competent jurisdiction exonerating our client is still valid, unchallenged, and stands till today. Annexed herewith is a copy of the judgment.
We therefore expect that through this letter, you will be better informed and take necessary steps to withdraw the earlier comments credited to your goodself
in the publication of punch newspaper under reference.
Thank you.
Yours faithfully,
PP: Lords and Temple
Gboyega Oyewole, SAN, FCArb
