15 facts about the late Chief Bola Ige, SAN

1. Full Name: His full name was James Ajibola Adegoke Ige, SAN.

2. Birth and Death: He was born on September 13, 1930, and assassinated on December 23, 2001.

3. Political Leader: Chief Bola Ige was a prominent Yoruba leader and a deputy to Pa Abraham Adesanya in the Yoruba socio-political group Afenifere.

4. Governor of Old Oyo State: He served as the Governor of the old Oyo State (now Oyo and Osun States) from 1979 to 1983.

5. Orator and Strategist: Known for his oratory skills and political strategies, he contributed to drafting the constitutions of the PDP, APP (later ANPP), and AD.

6. Assassination: His assassination in 2001 remains one of Nigeria’s most shocking unsolved political killings.

7. Early Education: He began his education at St. Joseph Catholic School, Kaduna, and later attended Ibadan Grammar School, where he became Head Boy.

8. University: Bola Ige was admitted to University College, Ibadan, in 1949, where he studied Classics.

9. Polyglot: He was fluent in Yoruba, Hausa, and Igbo, mastering Yoruba last during his youth.

10. Career as a Lawyer: He became a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), a title reserved for legal luminaries.

11. Minister of Power and Justice: Under President Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration, he served as Minister of Power and later as Attorney General and Minister of Justice.

12. Author: He authored the autobiography Kaduna Boy, which gives insights into his early life growing up in Northern Nigeria.

13. Family Influence: His older brother, George Abimbola Adeleke Ige, played a significant role in educating Bola and his younger brother, Dele.

14. Religious Influence: Though he was emotionally attached to Catholicism in his youth, his father, Solomon Ige, was an Anglican, and the family changed their surname from Solomon to Ige in 1940.

15. Posthumous Honors: He remains highly respected in Nigeria, with many remembering him for his impact on law, governance, and Yoruba culture.