By Abiola Olawale
The recent emergence of Adebayo ‘Fryo’ Adedamola as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) gubernatorial candidate for the upcoming Osun 2026 election has triggered a massive political and media stir, bringing a decades-old, high-profile murder case back into the national spotlight.
This comes as many Nigerians have raised concerns that Adedamola, who secured the PDP ticket following the resignation of Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State, is the same individual who was a prime suspect and was subsequently arraigned in connection with the 2001 assassination of Nigeria’s then-Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Chief Bola Ige.
The New Diplomat reports that Ige was murdered in his Ibadan residence on December 23, 2001.
The killing sent shockwaves across Nigeria and remains one of the most significant unsolved political assassinations in the country’s history.
Adedamola, then known by the alias ‘Fryo,’ became a key figure in the initial investigation. He was declared wanted by the police before surrendering through his then-counsel, human rights lawyer Festus Keyamo, in January 2002.
On January 14, 2002, Keyamo presented Adedamola to journalists as an informant who, according to him, had inside knowledge about those behind Ige’s murder. Adedamola subsequently surrendered to the police.
Keyamo presented to the public and the police an affidavit wherein he claimed Adedamola knew Ige’s killers and that Omisore once offered Adedamola N5 million to kill Ige, which he (Adedamola) allegedly rejected.
“He (the suspect) came to me because he felt abandoned by everybody. He thought he had nobody in the world and believed they had abandoned him. He knows all the facts. Those who did it on their fingertips. We will release evidence in stages because from the details, we knew the identities of those who masterminded the killings,” Keyamo told journalists then.
However, Adedamola later reversed his claims and alleged that Keyamo pressured him to frame Omisore, saying the lawyer took advantage of him to boost his public profile.
“I trace my ordeal to the event in the Ooni Palace, where I saw the youths singing against Ige, and I participated in removing his cap. We did it because we knew that he was the brain behind the crisis. I did not know about his death,” Adedamola said.
Thirteen suspects, including Alani Omisore, the cousin of the deputy governor, were arraigned before an Ibadan high court.
Others on the charge list included: Adesiyan Oyewale Jelili, Adekunle Alao, Hon. Lambe Oyasope, Daramola Ezekiel, Sergeant Oye Oniyanda, Adebayo Adegoke, Karimu Lawal, Nelson Kumoye, Oluwole Ogunjiwu, Police Corporal Sule Ibrahim, and Idowu James.
However, on October 16, 2004, the six remaining accused persons — Adedamola, Daramola Ezekiel, Oye Oniyanda, Nelson Kumoye, Kareem Lawal, Adebayo Adegoke, and Oluwole Ogunjimi — were set free by the court after Atilade Ojo, the judge, ruled that the prosecution failed to prove the two-count charge of conspiracy and murder levelled against them.
Ultimately, no one has ever been convicted for Ige’s murder, and to date, the question, “Who killed Bola Ige?” remains unanswered.
