Former Military Governor of Old Western States, Rtd. Gen. Oluwole Rotimi has expressed displeasure over the failure of government to apprehends those behind assassination of former Attorney General and Minister for Justice of the Federation, Chief Bola Ige, years after.

He said If government wanted to make thorough investigation to to unravel Ige?s assailants, it should have extended search light beyond security aides alone.

Former Osun Governor, Chief Bisi Akande, weeks ago raised fresh concerns about the unresolved assassination of Ige, asserting the then Oyo Governor, Rashidi Ladoja, may have vital information regarding the murder.

But Ladoja said Bisi Akande lied because he had nothing to hide, addin he gave all necessary support to prosecution of the case even till the Apex court.

Speaking with journalists in Ibadan to commemorate his 90th birthday celebration, the former Army General said government didn?t take all necessary steps before going to court, saying if anybody come to court with disjointed story, justice can be never be served.

He stated though he has no information beyond what government was saying, he was not convinced with the way the case went.

Reacting to claims that he said there would be consequences if Bola Ige left Obasanjo?s government, the nonagenarian said he only advised Chief Bola Ige not to walked out of Obasanjo?s government but didn?t told him that there would be consequences should he do so.

According to him: ?I expect government then to dig deep into what happened. If you limit your investigation right from the beginning, there are other facts that were hanging around which nobody thought about.?

?I feel sorry, both for Bola Ige, who was assassinated, and Nigerians who looked up to this man as a leader, but there was nothing personally I could do.

?This great man, Bola Ige was assassinated. Within hours of him, he had gone somewhere. Came back home and then his security, which composed of a number of people, took permission to go and have dinner.

?And how all of them left at the same time, I don?t know. But that action exposed Chief Bola Ige to danger. But there you are, his security was not around. His enemies, you know them, but they were around.

?Now, if that is so, what the government did after his assassination, I believe, was not good enough. Later we learnt that one of the principal witnesses at court had withdrawn his statement. So having done that, anybody was not better off. And the government withdrew the murder charge on that particular person.?

?I was not in authority but I was speaking to those who were in authority from now and again. So, that was the limit of my interaction. I was in no way to interfere with what happened.

?That?s the way I think and I feel. And I learned over the years to close my mouth when I speak. Because if I said something which I could not support publicly, I would look like a stupid man, and I don?t want anybody to think I?m a stupid man. So I learned how to shut my mouth and when to open it if required.? (The Nation)

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