Charlez Blog

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo was accused, recently, of running a killer squad under the military regime of late Gen. Sani Abacha.
An old associate, Richard Odusanya who had worked with Obasanjo said on Saturday that the former chairman of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party’s Board of Trustees had run the gang used for political assassinations and was responsible for the unresolved killings of politicians under Obasanjo’s administration.
According to a report, Odusanya granted online news portal, Sahara Reporters an interview claiming that the killer squad met at a State Security Service headquarters, known as ‘Yellow House.’
“I believe that a killer squad created during the Abacha regime was kept by Obasanjo and housed at SSS headquarters, known as Yellow House, and was used for political assassinations.”
“The night Chief Bola Ige was assassinated, a top PDP member confided in me that Obasanjo told him Bola Ige was down.”
“I also took a gift to Marshall and he was assassinated just a few weeks later,” Odusanya said.
Members from Obasanjo’s camp has since discredited the claims made. Obasanjo aide, Vitalis Ortese, reportedly called their bluff.
“I don’t know them. Let them prove the allegation. I don’t know any Segun Seriki or Richard Odusanya.”
Obasanjo’s Chief of Staff, Victor Durodola, asked why they used an online television. “They should come to Channels, AIT, or NTA; these are television stations that are known.”
“Definitely, that is not Obasanjo’s character they are describing and everybody knows that. Of all the military rulers, the issue of killer squad cannot be attributed to him. That was not his style. He is not around now but I doubt if he would even give it any attention whatsoever.
“We would like to see it (the interview) but these are issues you know cannot be possible. The killings were unresolved, yes, but you know that nobody could have attributed that to him. He would kill his minister for what? So that he (Obasanjo) could be minister?” Durodola said.
The Punch reports:

Odusanya appeared on the programme alongside Mr. Segun  Seriki, a PDP member in Ogun State and a member of the House of Representatives in the Third Republic, under the Social Democratic Party.
He further alleged that Obasanjo knew about the murder of the former Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation, Chief Bola Ige, and a South-South politician, Chief Harry Marshall.
Odusanya also alleged that the ex-president benefitted from an account with the defunct Trans-International Bank and that from the funds in the account,  Obasanjo,  asked him to deliver a Peugeot 607 and the sum of N500,000 to  a woman (name withheld).
When contacted for Obasanjo’s comments, his Chief of Staff, Mr. Victor Durodola, said his boss was not available to react to the allegations.
He challenged those who made the allegations to come out with their evidence.
Durodola said, “The former president is not available. Therefore, he is not in a position to respond to the allegations.  However, my personal comment is that these are people who indulge in blackmail.
Also reacting to the allegations, Bola Ige’s eldest child, Mrs. Funsho Adegbola, told SUNDAY PUNCH that her father’s killers are still alive.
Adegbola, a lawyer, called for the reopening of the Bola Ige murder case.
She said, “I can’t put anything past them. I haven’t seen the interview. I don’t know the content of the report but I can’t put anything past them. I believe the people who killed my father – the foot soldiers and the people who sent them – are alive. They are not people from Mars.
“A murder case can go on for 30 years or more. If there is political will and the government wants to show that people should pay for their crimes, this can be done. The family can’t do anything about it because it is the state versus the suspects. The family can’t sue; it is the state that can take action.”