By Adesina Soyooye
If the dead could talk, the presumed winner of the June, 12, 1993, Presidential Election, Chief MKO Abiola, would have not just been talking in anger, he would have been roaring in anger. But, perhaps, as they say, he would be turning in his grave.
Twice, within the past two weeks, Abiola’s memory has been embarrassed. And sullied.
It has nothing to do with the division in his family amongst his many children and wives. Nor the fight over his estate.
The recent embarrassment where two of his sons have been in Police custody, since September 2, began with an incident which, at once, shamed and shocked Nigerians.
Abiola’s expansive, off Toyin Street lkeja residence, located inside the high brow Abiola Crescent, was invaded by armed robbers who held the residents hostage, totured them, and carted away cash and jewellery worth millions of Naira.
Considering the reverence in which Abiola is held, even in death, and considering that he was buried within the compound, the news of the robbery was greeted with disbelief.
Who dunnit?, was the question.
Naturally, the Police were called in, and an investigation began. First to be arrested were the Security men attatched to the residence. Then, the news that seven people had already been arrested, was greeted with relief.
But a bigger shock was in stock for Nigerians when the news filtered in that two of Abiola’s biological children, were amongst the arrested.
It was, initially, unbelievable, until Friday, when the two of them, Kassim and Aliyu, sued the Police for the sum of N100 million, alleging illegal detention.
The two claimed they were arrested like common criminals, humiliated, thrown into a Police van, while members of the public watched, and thrown into detention over the robbery incident.
They said the Police told them they were arrested based on a report/complaint by their step mother, Abiola’s officially known eldest living wife, Mrs Bisi Abiola, on the suspicion that they were allegedly complicit in the robbery.
They described the suspicion, which led to their arrest and detention as false and malicious.
They said It was, also, discriminatory as they were not the only ones in the House when the robbery took place. They said their step mother, Bisi, picked on them because they were not her biological children.
According to them:”Their being singled out for continuous detention and torment is simply because they are not the biological children of the complainant, as her own children and aides, staying in the same premises, were left untouched.”
They said that their apartments had been searched by the Police a couple of times, and that nothing incriminating was found.
In the suit filed by the Chambers of Mike Ozekhome, SAN, the two are asking the Police to pay them the sum of N100m, and issue a public apology to them for detaining them for days at the SARS detention centre.
Filed at an Ikeja High Court, they said their detention by the Police was illegal.
The duo is asking the Court for “A declaration that the arrest, continued detention and torment on the alleged petition/complaint of one Mrs Adebisi Abiola without giving them administrative bail, since September 2, within 24 hours of their arrest are illegal, wrongful, and unlawful, and constitutes blatant violation of fundamental rights.”
The applicants filed an exparte motion, and affidavit of urgency, seeking an accelerated hearing within the ongoing Court vacation period.
The Judge adjourned the case to October, 15, and ordered that the case file be returned to the Registrar to assign it to a non-vacation Judge.
There has been no peace since the sudden passing of Chief Abiola within his family due, mainly, to his well noted polygamous nature, and his many children.
Speculations are rude that a number if people, friends of the family, in particular, embarrassed by the recent was incident, are meeting to intervene.
