By Adesina Soyooye
48 hours after it became public that two biological sons of the late Chief MKO Abiola were arrested over the shocking armed robbery incident at the Abiola Crescent, Ikeja residence of the Abiolas, the family is telling the story of the robbery, and the circumstances under which the two sons of the late presumed winner of the June 12 1993 Presidential election were arrested, and clamped into detention.
Armed hoodlums had, on September 2, invaded the residence, specifically, the apartment of Abiola’s most senior surviving wife, Adebisi, held her hostage with her daughter, and carted away cash and personal effects worth millions of Naira.
Not a few Nigerians were shocked when it became public that Kassim and his brother, Aliyu, were arrested, along with seven others, and have been in the custody of the SARS since that September 2, 2020.
It became public when the two brothers retained the services of the Chambers of Mike Ozekhome, SAN, to sue the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, to the tune of N100 million for, alleged, humiliation and unlawful arrest. They, also, asked for a public apology from the Police.
Kassim and Aliyu hold their step mother, the victim of the robbery, Mrs Adebisi Abiola, responsible for their arrest and detention till date. They said she picked on them because they are not her biological children. They accused her of discrimination, otherwise, they posited: Why were her own children and aides, who were also in the premises at the time of robbery, not arrested?
But members of the Abiola family are telling a different story of their shock and ordeal. They say Mrs Abiola had nothing to do with the arrest, and wrote no petition against the two.
She never reported them, the family says. On the contrary, the statement, say, she had been making frantic efforts, in conjunction with the family lawyer, to secure their release on bail.
After initial refusals by the Police because they, (the Police), insisted on unfettered investigation, given the embarrassment the robbery caused, they gave in, and agreed to release them, only for the law suit to be slammed on the Police, and truncated the process.
The family says the two sons of Abiola are responsible for their fate, having comported themselves in a very suspicious manner before the Police.
According to the statement, naturally, immediately after the incident, the Police came for investigation. Part of it was to talk with every resident in the compound.
But when it for to the turn of Kassim he, allegedly, was not only very uncoperative, he became unruly, asking the Policemen what they came to his father’s house to do. Kassim, allegedly, supported by his younger brother, Aliyu, threatened to deal with an officer, describing the make and colour of the Police officer’s car. Their alleged rude, and unruly behaviour, raised suspicion, and were the reasons why they were arrested.
On Friday, the Vacation Judge, before whom they went, asking to be released on bail, adjourned the case to October 15, and ordered the Court Registrar, to take back the case file so that it would be re-assigned to a non-vacation Judge.
Following is the family’s story, and position, in a Press Release, signed on their behalf by a group of Lawyers from the:
MARITIME, COMMERCIAI, AND IMMIGRATION LAW CHAMBERS
Barristers, Solicitors, Maritime & Commercirl Law Consultants, Maritime Arbitrators & Mediators and Immigration Consultants. Gbadebo Ajibola Adeleke Esq.
PRESS RELEASE
The attention of the entire members of Late Moshood Kashimawo Abiola and in particular Chief Mrs. Adebisi Abiola have been drawn to the press and social media stories concerning the Fundamental Rights Suits allegedly filed
by Mr. Kazeem Abiola and Mr. Aliu Abiola on Friday 11th September, 2020 captioned Robbery lncident: Abiola’s sons sue Lagos State Commissioner of police over detention by SARS”.
The Family had meticulously, painstakingly and carefully perused the said publications and are completely taken aback by the unsavoury, untruth, careless and malicious innuendos raised in the said online publications.
First and foremost, we consider it pertinent to call the attention of the public and indeed the press to the honour and integrity of late Moshood Kashimawo Abiola and his selfless cum monumental sacrifice he made for the nation during his lifetime. lnfact in the course of fighting for an egalitarian society coupled with his principle in eradicating poverty in Nigeria, he paid the supreme price in sacrificing his life for Nigeria.
We remember vividly that a one-time senior citizen of this country once described Late Chief Moshood Kashimawo Abiola as not only being an icon but the “best president Nigeria never had”.
It is on the above premises that the entire members of the Abiola family hereby plead passionately with the public particularly the press to be wary and cautious of any publication regarding the Late Chief MKO Abiola’s family so as not to dishonour and disrespect the memory of the Late sage.
Having gone through the said publications, the family have decided to present the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth regarding the unfortunate armed robbery incident that occurred at Late MKO Abiola’s residence.
* Adeleke G.A
B.A (l{ons) Ifc, LL.B (ltoas) BL. BVC. PNM. NIM.
* Dr. Okechukwu T.I. Umahi
Bsc. Msc. LLB BL. LLM. PhD.
* Oyetunde Bamidele Ogundijo
Bd (Hons) Ife, LLB (Hon$ BL, PNM.
* Prof. Adeleke F.A.R
LL.B (Hon$ lfe, B.L. LLM. LLD.
* Dn Wada Bahir
LLB M Ed. Acct Dip. PhD
* Mohammed Sambo ldris
LLB. BL,
* Prof. lysa Ade Bello
LL.B (Hons) MA, Ph.d Law
* Abubakar A. Musa
LLB (Hon$ Lasu, BL. DRS
* L.A. Opawoye
LLB (Hons)lfe, BL. LLM,ACTI,
* Ebuka Nwaeze
LL.B (Hons) BL. LLM,
* Benson T. Akeredolu
LLB (Hons)BL,ACIS. PGMLA, MILD.
* Onyebuna ThankGod
LLB (Hon$ ESLft, BL. NIM.
On the 2nd September, 2020 at about 6:00 am. Some hoodlums suspected to be armed robbers broke into the residence of Late Chief MKO Abiola. The criminals broke into the bedroom of Late MKO Abiola’s wife, in person of Chief Mrs. Adebisi Abiola and carted away valuables running into millions of naira.
The victim, Chief Mrs. Adebisi Abiola and her daughter were subsequently Iocked up in her room with a threat by the armed robbers that she and her daughter will be eliminated if they raise an alarm.
As expected, Chief Mrs. Adebisi Abiola was so petrified, bemused and stupefied by the unfortunate armed robbery incident that she could not raise an alarm even after the robbers had escaped with their loots running into millions of naira.
Mrs. Abiola was eventually freed by other members of the family who had apparently called the police upon which she and her daughter and other members of the family were interviewed by the police led by the indefatigable and dutiful Lagos State Commissioner of Police in person of Mr. Hakeem Odu mosu.
It is on record that while the police men were interviewing the family members, Mr. Kassim Abiola conducted himself in a very rude,
ungentlemanly, provocative, embarrassing and suspicious manner and all efforts by other members of the family to make him act in a responsible manner failed.
lt is further on record that Mr. Kassim Abiola did not only throw tantrums at the police, but equally threatened to deal ruthlessly with one of the Senior police officers whom he (Kassim) claimed to know personally to the extent of describing the said senior police officer’s car and the location where he will deal with him.
These unguarded vituperations and violent conducts by Mr. Kassim infuriated the police and he was subsequently invited for further interrogation for demanding for the reason for the presence of the police men in his father’s house.
lt is equally noteworthy to mention here that his junior brother, AIiu Abiola joined him in his tirade of abuse against the police men who were only trying to interview them and all other persons at the residence with a view to investigating the crime. The police subsequently arrested Mr. Kassim Abiola, Mr. Aliu Abiola and seven others for further questioning regarding the investigation of the robbery incident which the police suspected to have been carried out through the active connivance of a member of the family or staff considering the ease with which such an ugly armed robbery incident was carried out.
Thus, it is highly inconceivable, preposterous, ridiculous, absurd and malicious to claim that Chief Mrs. Adebisi Abiola was instrumental to the arrest of Kassim and Aliu Abiola simply because they are her “step sons”.
As at the time of the incident and during the interview, Chief Mrs. Abiola and her daughter who are the victims of the crime were visibly disoriented, petrified and disillusioned.
The duo was completely oblivious of the identity and numerical strength of the people invited by the Nigeria police from the late Abiola’s household as at the time of arrest.
It is a fact which is equally known to some members of the family that as soon as Chief Mrs. Adebisi Abiola became aware of the arrest of her step sons and one Mr. Popoola who has been a loyal, tested and trusted personal staff of well over twenty (20) years, she started making frantic efforts for them to be admitted into administrative bail by the Nigeria police but the police insisted to be allowed to investigate the crime and not interfere in their investigation.
To corroborate the above assertion, Chief Mrs. Adebisi Abiola contacted the family lawyer in person of Barrister Debo Adeleke, a Human Right lawyer and the Principal Partner of MCI Law Chambers to liaise with the Nigeria police in other to facilitate the release of her two step sons and her personal staff.
Consequent upon the above, Barrister Debo Adeleke discussed with the Lagos State Commissioner of Police who understandably consented to release them and efforts to release and admit the three men into an administrative bail were concluded on Frid ay 11th September,2020.
However, to the family’s chagrin and constatation, while one of the lawyers in Barr. Debo Adeleke’s chambers in company of Engr. Rahmon Abiola, a younger brother to late Chief MKO Abiola who is also the family secretary of the Abiola family were making final efforts to perfect the bail of the trio i.e. Kassim and Aliu Abiola and Mr. Popoola, a lawyer from the law firm of Chief Mike Ozekhome, SAN in company of a woman stormed the Lagos state Police Command and informed the police of the Suit filed in court for the enforcement of the fundamental rights of Messrs. Kassim and Aliu Abiola.
Becauce of the above, the police could not go ahead with the planned release of the three men as “rtii”t scheduled for Friday, 11th September,
2024.
This unfortunate turn of event hangered chief Mrs. Adebisi Abiola and other members of the family and they were thoroughly embarrassed’
Although Kassim and Aliu Abiola have inalienable and constitution rights for the enforcement of their rights and fight for freedom but before a third party could embark on such an exercise] such an action ought to have been brought to the notice and attention of other members of the family who were makinng frantic efforts to get them release on bail’
Now that Mr. Kassim and Aliu Abiola’s fundamental rights suits have been adjourned till the15th October,2O2O a period of over 30 days’ all efforts by the family especially chief Mrs. Adebisi Abiola and the family lawyer in
company of other Abiola family secretary have been thwarted.
ln the words of our elders of the shortest way home is not always the
quickest”.
However, despite the wrong and ill-advised move by a third party who is not a known member of the famity in titing a fundamental human right enforcement suit for the release of Kassim and Aliu Abiola, the family and, in particular, Chief Mrs. Adebisi Abiola, through her lawyer, in person of Barr. Debo Adeleke, will continue unabated to seek for the release of Mr. Kassim and Aliu Abiola from the police by admitting them to administrative bail pending investigation’
We thank You all.
Signed
Debo Adeleke
Tel: 08036467095
There has been no peace in the late Chief MKO Abiola’s Family since his unfortunate death, due to family squabbles over property, and who are, or not are legal wives and biological children.
