Remembering High Profile Political Killings From 1960 - Date

As Nigeria turns 55 today, October 1, Clavmedia.com revisits some high profile killings that rocked the nation from 1960 to date.
Just as Nigerians continue to live with the agonizing memory of unresolved killings, including those of the celebrated journalist, Dele Giwa, elder statesman Alfred Rewane, former Attorney-General and Minister of Justice Chief Bola Ige and many others, the unsuccessful effort of the security agencies in bringing culprits of such dastardly and gruesome killings to book is worrisome.
Although, the House of Representatives has urged the Federal Government to reopen investigations into these unsolved murders with a view of bringing culprits to justice, the passage of time has not healed the wounds inflicted on the nation as the cry for justice remains justifiably loud.

The list of politically motivated killings is endless but here are some cases.

Tafawa Balewa: Born on 1912, he became the first and still the only prime minister of an independent Nigeria on October 1, 1960.
Balewa was knighted by Elizabeth II as a Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire. He was awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of Sheffield in May, 1960.
Death however struck on January 15, 1966 as he was overthrown and murdered in a military coup. The circumstances of his death still remain unresolved. His body was discovered at a roadside near Lagos six days after he was ousted from office.

Sir Tafawa Balewa

Balewa was buried in Bauchi state and today, his portrait adorns the 5 Naira Note. The Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University in Bauchi was also named in his honour.


Ahmadu Bello: He was the first premier of the Northern Nigeria region. Bello was however assassinated January 15, 1966, same day as Tafawa Balew.

Ahmadu Bello

He was still serving as premier of Northern Nigeria at the time.

Murtala Mohammed: He was the head of the federal military government of Nigeria from 1975 until his assassination in 1976.
Muhammed lost his life at age 37, along with his Aide-De-Camp (ADC), Lieutenant Akintunde Akinsehinwa in his black Mercedes Benz saloon car on February 13, 1976 in an abortive coup attempt led by Lt. Col Buka Suka Dimka.

General Murtala Mohammed

Muhammed’s car was ambushed while en route his office at Dodan Barracks, Lagos and was murdered. He was succeeded by the Chief of Staff, Supreme HQ Olusegun Obasanjo.
Today, his portrait adorns the 20 Naira note and Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos is named in his honor.

Samuel Ladoke Akintola: Born in Ogbomosho, south west Nigeria, Akintola was a politician, lawyer and aristocrat who lost his life in January 15, 1966.

Samuel Ladoke Akintola

He was assassinated in Ibadan, on the day of Nigeria’s first military coup of January 15, 1966—which terminated the First Republic.

Ken Saro-wiwa: The spate of killings ceased for a while but soon made a return as the 1995 executions of Ogoni leader Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight Ogonis by Nigeria’s military government attracted international condemnation.

Ken Saro-Wiwa

In May 1994 four prominent Ogoni leaders were murdered. The government arrested Ken Saro-Wiwa for involvement in the crime. On October 31, 1995, Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight other Ogonis were sentenced to death for inciting the murder of the four Ogoni leaders. They were executed on November 10, 1995.

DELE GIWA – The assassination of the founding editor of Newswatch on October 1986 via a parcel bomb, opened agonizing memories yet again.

Dele Giwa

The death of the celebrated journalist was a big loss for the nation. Giwa died aged 39.

OBI WALI
River state born politician Dr. Obi Wali was brutally murdered in 1993 at his Port Harcourt residence.
Although the police questioned his wife back then in the early 90s, nothing again has been said about his death.

KUDIRAT ABIOLA
Wife of acclaimed winner of Nigeria presidential election held on June 12, 1993, Kudirat Abiola was murdered very close to the Lagos-Ibadan express toll gate in 1994.

Kudirat Abiola

One of Late General Sani Abacha’s aide, Hamzat Al-Mustapha amongst others, are still being tried for her death.

ALFRED REWANE
Elder statesman, Pa Alfred Rewane, was murdered at his Ikeja, Lagos home in 1994.
Before his death, Rewane was a successful businessman and a strong critic of military dictatorship.

BOLA IGE
Former Governor of Oyo state and later, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Chief Bola Ige, was murdered on December 23, 2001.
Ige was killed at his residence at Ibadan, Oyo state. His family have since given up on the case as various people were arrested and tried for involvement of his murder, but they were all cleared.

Bola Ige

In a speech at his funeral, he was quoted as saying that he was sure that Nigeria was worth living for but he was not so sure that it was worth dying for.
Alhaji Ahmed Pategi –  The Former Kwara state chairman, PDP, was murdered at Aiyetoro, in Kogi state on August 15, 2002.

OGBONNAYA UCHE
Ogbonnaya Uche, All Nigeria Peoples Party senatorial candidate for Orlu zone was murdered on February 8, 2003 at his Owerri home. Imo state.

MARSHAL HARRY
Just like Ige and Rewane, death struck in the home of the All Nigeria Peoples Party chieftain, Chief Marshal Harry.
Chief Harry was murdered on March 5, 2003.

AMINOSARI DIKIBO
Next was the death of another big politician in the south-south as Chief Aminasoari Dikibo, was killed on February 6, 2004.
Dikibo was a former national vice chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party.

ANDREW AGOM
A member of PDP Board of Trustees and former boss of Nigeria Airways, Chief Andrew Agom, was also killed on March 4, 2004.
He was on the entourage of the former Benue state governor Senator George Akume, when the ugly incident happened.

IGWE BARNABAS
The Onitsha branch chairman of Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), Chief Igwe Barnabas was murdered on September 10, 2002. He was killed alongside his wife Abigail Amaka Barnabas.

FUNSHO WILLIAMS
On July 2006, Lagos PDP governorship aspirant, Engineer Funsho Williams was killed at his Dolphin Estate, Ikoyi, Lagos home. The police are yet to identify his killers about nine years after.

Funsho Williams

AYO DARAMOLA
The former World Bank consultant and PDP governorship aspirant in Ekiti state, Dr. Ayo Daramola was also murdered in 2006. The police are still investigating the murder.

CHARLES NSIEGBE
On November 21, 2009, a political associate of former Rivers state governor Rotimi Amaechi, Chief Charles Nsiegbe, was killed on the street of Port Harcourt.

DIPO DINA
On January 25, 2010, suspected assassins shot and killed Otunba Dipo Dina around Covenant University, Ota, Ogun state.
The late politician was the AC governorship candidate in 2007 and was popularly called DD-Direct.
The list is endless as Nigerians demand Justice must prevail.

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