The stunning spouse of late business magnate and well-respected politician Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola was Alhaja Kudirat Abiola, a woman who was politically and socially active in her day. Her struggles, her endeavors, and the unwavering assistance she provided to her husband, MdotK. She tragically died as a result of O Abiola’s imprisonment.
Kudirat Abiola was killed on June 4th, 1996, in Lagos, allegedly at the hands of some gunmen acting under the orders of Sani Abacha’s military junta.
The car in which Kudirat Abiola was assassinated
Background.
After M.K was declared the winner of the June 12, 1993, election by President Ibrahim Babangida. Several riots broke out after O Abiola was declared the winner, particularly in the southwest. As a result, President Babangida’s military regime fell on August 26, 1993, and the Interim National Government under the leadership of Shonekan was established.
A transition to a democratically elected government was to be supervised by the interim government that Babangida established before he left office. MdotK. Due to the Interim Government’s lack of intentions to reinstate O Abiola as president of Nigeria, he refused to support it. Gen. Later removed the Interim National Government. November 1993: Sani Abacha.
M.K at first. O Abiola backed the military government of Sani Abacha in the hopes that Abacha would give him back the mandate, but M.K was implemented when Abacha refused. On June 11, 1994, O Abiola went ahead and formally proclaimed himself president. He was detained and accused of a felony treason twelve days later.
The 12-month long strike by oil workers against the government was led by Kudirat Abiola. Additionally, she organized market women, students, and government employees to fight for their right to vote, which was rejected on June 12, 1993. She crossed over into Abacha’s military regime in an effort to free her husband from prison and reinstate his authority. Kudirat Abiola was unaware that she had been targeted for murder by an unidentified cabal.
Alhaja Kudirat Abiola was traveling on June 4th, 1996, in a white Mercedes Benz being driven by her driver Dauda Atanda and joined by Lateef Shofolahan, her personal assistant. When she left for an appointment at the Canadian High Commission, it was around 9:30 a.M. In the streets of Lagos.
Kudirat Abiola’s car was shot at by six heavily armed men as it double-crossed two other cars on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway as it slowed down near the 7-Up bus stop on Oregun Road in Ikeja. Kudirat, their intended target, was shot in the forehead and instantly lost consciousness while Kudirat’s driver had his mouth and shoulder pierced by a bullet.
She was taken to the emergency room at the Eko Hospital on Mobolaji Bank Anthony Way in Ikeja, Lagos, where she passed away between 12:15 and 12:30 pm. Lateef Shofolahan, Kudirat’s personal assistant, was hurt during the attack but managed to flee unharmed. Later, he was charged with involvement in Kudirat Abiola’s murder plot.
Investigations revealed that there had been two prior attempts to assassinate Alhaja Kudirat Abiola before the conspirators allegedly broke into her network through Lateef Shofolahan.
Aftermath.
Anyone who could provide information that led to the assassins’ capture was offered $45,000 by the military government of Abacha. General Sani Abacha’s chief security officer, Hamza Al-Mustapha, was later charged with a crime and found guilty. Hamza Al-Mustapha’s personal arsenal was where the killers’ bullets were found, according to the murder investigation.
Hamza Al-Mustapha and Gen. Mohammed Abacha met in October 1988. Both Abacha’s son and the accusation of killing Kudirat Abiola were presented to the court. Mohammed Abdul, one of the assassins, described in court how Lateef Shofolahan broke into the Abiola network and how Mohammed Abacha gave him and other gunmen $10,000 to leave the country when the Obasanjo administration started looking into Kudirat Abiola’s murder.
He spoke.
A 504 saloon car key was then given to me. I was operating the 504 while Sumaila Shuaibu was behind the wheel of the 505. We went to the National Theatre and ran into P.A. To Kudirat Abiola, Alhaji Lateef Shofolahan. A) who led the way to Festac town and showed us one house. We then traveled to Mr. James Danbaba’s residence from there via Surulere.
Before entering and staying there for a while, Rabo Lawal asked the security guards if the CP was present. After that, we returned to Dodan Barracks. Alhaji Lateef met us at Dodan Barracks in the evening, and we traveled to Victoria Island together. While we were there, Alhaji Lateef pointed out a house to Rabo Lawal, who was traveling in the same car as him. From V. I. Igbosere Road was our next stop after visiting Surulere. Then, Alhaji Lateef entered a one-story building on a street close to Sura Market in Igbosere.
Confession of Barnabas Jabila.
It was reported that Barnabas Jabila, alias Seargent Rogers, another member of the killer squad, admitted to carrying out Hamza Al-Mustapha’s instructions and that he had given Rabo Lawal, the commander of the presidential villa’s mobile police force, the order to kill Kudirat Abiola. Additionally, he claimed Mohammed Abacha was present when they received the weapons for the mission.
Abacha Mohammed.
A Federal High Court in Abuja released Mohammed Abacha in May 2001 on the grounds that he had only been implicated on the basis of circumstantial evidence. Additionally, on Friday, July 12, 2013, Hamza Al-Mustapha and Lateef Shofolahan, who had been given hanging sentences on January 30, 2012, were released on the grounds that there wasn’t enough evidence to establish their guilt.
One of Nigeria’s most notorious killings was that of Alhaja Kudirat Abiola.