- Matter has been quashed by court, says lawyer
Fifteen years after the gruesome murder of the former attorneygeneral of the federation and minister of justice, Chief Bola Ige, in his bedroom in Bodija, Ibadan, Oyo State, a prime suspect arrested in connection with the crime, Olugbenga Damola Adebayo, popularly known as Fryo, has accused Lagos lawyer and human rights activist, Mr. Festus Keyamo, of allegedly framing him up for the crime.
Fryo said that Keyamo did that in order to feather his professional nest and boost his legal
career.
The former prime suspect, who was later discharged and acquitted, after being remanded
in prisons for some time by the court, denied confessing to Keyamo that he killed Ige or knew his killers.
He was reportedly said to have confessed to knowing the killers of the late justice minister
before allegedly withdrawing his statement in court.
Speaking on a radio programme monitored in Osogbo, Fryo said, “Keyamo took me to the police station. He told me to write. I was in the office of one police officer. I did not do anything that should make people call me prime suspect and Keyamo also know this, only that he used me and my situation to boost his legal career because no one knew him (Keyamo) before Ige was killed.
“I did not confess to him (Keyamo) that I killed Bola Ige. He took advantage of the incident and my predicament. He used me to make name. Whatever you (Keyamo) do, you will reap. God will deal with Keyamo.”
Also exonerating Senator Iyiola Omisore, who was another major character accused in the
murder of Ige, Fryo denied that the former Osun deputy governor induced him to allegedly change his confessional statement on Ige’s killers, saying, “Omisore did not talk to me when I was in Alagbon. He left me on my own.
“Through prayers and mercy of God that I received, Prince Adeyemo, a lawyer stood for me. During this period, my family deserted me and later returned. Keyamo planned to imprison me. May my generation suffer if I know anything about Bola Ige’s death.”
When asked what he knew about I g e ’ s murder, Fryo insisted, “Keyamo framed me up. I don’t think anybody is responsible for it (Ige’s murder).
I did not confess to Keyamo that I killed Ige. He took advantage of me to make name
Some men came to their house (Ige’s residence) for property and money. Probably, they were armed robbers. They just want me to be killed for no just cause.
“They should ask Ige’s children, who were in the house when Ige was killed. They should ask them (Ige’s children) questions, if you want to know the killers of Ige.
“They are just trying to pick anybody connected to Omisore in order to get at Omisore. It had nothing to do with Osun politics or removal of Ige’s cap at Ooni’s palace. I was discharged and acquitted by the court.”
Fryo therefore warned people against referring to him as prime suspect in Ige’s murder, threatening to sue anyone that violated his order.
He disclosed that he was already writing a book on Ige’s murder and his ordeal and denied
being a cultist while he was an undergraduate.
Fryo advised youths to shun cultism and be wary of the kind of friends they go out with.
Reacting, Keyamo refused to go into details of Ige’s murder, saying that the matter had been quashed by the court.
When asked whether Fryo confessed to him that he killed Ige, Keyamo said, “I cannot
comment on this because there is a judicial determination on it.
It was quashed. The matter has been laid to rest by the court.” He accused the government of handling Ige’s murder in a shoddy manner, adding that some government officials attempted to cover up the saga.
Keyamo, however, tasked the government and the Nigeria Police to find Ige’s killers and bring them to book.
