DEV probe, Bola Ige, who died of Kudirat Abiola, soyinka says Tinubu

The Nobel Prize, prof. Wole Soyinka, urged President Bola Tinubu to order an in-depth investigation on the unresolved murders of several important Nigerians, including the Journalist Dele Giwa, the former Prosecutor General Bola Ige and the Pro-Democracy icon Kudirat Abiola.

Soyinka made the call on Saturday during an interactive session with journalists in Lagos, warning that he continued silence on these high profile murders Herod Herod in the state of law and democracy.

He observed that some Nigerians, including those of the diaspora, have critical information that could help to discover the truth behind the murders that remained unresolved decades after they were committed.

“These unresolved murders are spots on the nation’s consciousness,” said Soyinka. “It has been time that we stop treating these issues as taboos. The truth is out there – people know what happened. The government has to act.”

The playwright and the defender of human rights made the observations reflecting on the celebrations of the day of democracy on June 12, during which the president Tinubu conferred national honors out of 66 people for their roles in the struggle to restore the democratic government in Nigeria.

Soyinka, however, criticized those that described as “remarkable omissions” from the list of honors, insisting on the fact that the recognition has not managed to fully recognize the sacrifices made by the key figures in the pro-democracy movement.

Although he praised the general idea at the basis of national recognition, Soyinka said that he would have dedicated his honor to the deceased Dr Beko Ransome-Kuti, who described as “a defender without fear of human rights and the good governance he paid heavily for his beliefs”.

The literary icon also lashed out against the former military sovereign, General Ibrahim Babangida, calling him “a general without army”, in reference to the cancellation of the historic June 1993, the presidential elections are believed that they were won by Mko Abiola.

“We know what Babangida did, who visited him and those who supported the cancellation – from military officers to the royal fathers,” he said. “It is his responsibility to tell the Nigerians the complete story.”

He warned against the trivialization of the struggle of 12 June, underlining that many Nigerians were killed, tortured or imprisoned under military domain for asking for a return to democratic governance.

“Nobody should ever minimize the sacrifices. Many have paid the final price,” he said.

Soyinka’s comments come among the controversies on a statement that the Aisha Yesufu human rights activist was among those recently honored.

Since then the Presidency has denied awarding the prize, clarifying that only 66 people have been officially listed.

Among the recognized posthumous ones there were Kudirat Abiola, Shehu Musa Yar’adua and Professor Humphrey Nwosu – The electoral referee who supervised the 1993 elections.

In a move widely seen as symbolic, President Tinubu also granted a post-state forgiveness to the environmental activist Ken Saro-Wiwa and the other eight members of the Ogoni nine, almost 30 years after being executed under the military regime of General Sani Abacha.

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