As I am wont to say, my task in writing is to do at least three of six things: to inform, to teach, to provoke, to amuse, to express my point-of-view – and to learn following inquiry. So all week, I have been trying to piece together the implications of Fr(a)yo’s interview, asking questions here and there, making and receiving local and international calls here and there, doing my usual thing of being a part-time reporter-activist-commentator living in the Diaspora.

So here is the deal: Honorable Odunayo Olagbaju of Osun State is dead and now buried. Federal Minister of Justice and Attorney-General James Idowu Ajibola Ige is dead and now buried, each assassinated in cold blood within eight days of each other December 15 and 23 respectively. Some bodies killed them, and although they know themselves, and some people know them, and God knows them, we the masses do not exactly know the perpetrators.

Nevertheless, we have our suspicions, at least one possible set. In Osun State, a contest of political will has been going on, with Governor Bisi Akande on the one hand, and Deputy Governor Otunba Michael Iyiola Omisore on the other hand. Ige was a supporter of Akande, and Olagbaju a supporter of Omisore. Thus the supported are alive, but the supporters are dead.

Mr. Joseph Olugbenga Damola Elubode Adebayo, a.ka. "Fryo" (or is it "Frayo?"): supporter and emissary of Olagbaju, Physical Education student at my alma mater (University of Ife, now Obafemi Awolowo University) despite official denials, erstwhile AD publicity secretary in Iremo (Ward 1), most recently organizing secretary of PDP (Iremo (Ward 1)). Christian brother suddenly turned white-long-robed Bar-beach "Cele", he is half-brother of teenager (and Muslim) Shehu.

Fryo’s ears have heard what they should they should not hear, and his eyes have seen what they should not see, and he has been singing like a canary.

The turn of events scares even the hardened Fryo, and he knows that his life is "fried" if he does not do something quick! Should he get out of the country? No money to do that: his primary benefactor Olagbaju is dead, and he dare not return to his secondary benefactor Omisore! Where would he go anyway? And if the police get to him first – or maybe his former friends - he is dead-meat. After all, in Nigeria, as a prime-suspect, you are guilty until proven innocent. In that unfortunate eventuality, after serious torture, Fryo’s inevitable attempt to escape arrest will lead to his been "travelled" – that is being extra-judicially killed by the Police.

Fryo obviously loves to LIVE – this is no suicidal bloke - or at least he wishes to be remembered to have lived! If he dies or is killed in custody tomorrow, who will not remember the tough-guy name "Fryo?" Even I again might be moved to ask in English nursery rhyme: " Who killed Cock Robin?"

Lagos lawyer and "father Confessor" Festus Keyamo: enfant terrible, most recently tormentor of Senator Tokunboh Afikuyomi, until he himself (Keyamo) was tormented. Yes the intrepid Keyamo – who lends his ears to hear from Fryo what ears have not heard, and to write down what hands have not written until now.

Sure! Who is kidding who? I may have been born at night, but not last night. Omisore’s denial is the first standard mistake of a suspicious person who denies knowledge of another suspect who knows his bedroom intimately – and says so convincingly.

As the Yoruba will say, "Aa nmu eye bo la’po, e nbere pe kini awo re" – Please be patient while the game bird is being withdrawn from the hunting bag, for you know not what might confront you!

If the allegations are true, however, then now I am confused, very confused. Atiku is a friend of Obasanjo, who is a friend of Ige, who is a friend of Akande, who is an enemy of Omisore, who is a friend of Atiku who is a friend of Obasanjo. The Ooni, a friend of Obasanjo who is a friend of Ige who is a friend of Akande who is an enemy of the Ooni who is a friend of Omisore.

Yes, the Ooni, Vice-President Atiku and President Obasanjo have an explanation of their relationship with Deputy Governor Omisore and the unfolding PDP power play in Osun State and the South-West to make. When in a previous piece we wrote earlier that this Ige affair was not simply Osun State politics, or even merely Yoruba/AFenifere politics, but national politics and "contractocracy" on a grand scale played on Osun/Yoruba turf, we were not kidding. If Atiku can indeed be involved in mere Student Politics, and Omisore can proceed to Washington DC on a World-Bank mission (at whose behest, we might ask?), who else up there might have sent him to do other things more dastardly?

What a mess! Some things do not just compute, and a lot of people, both remote and immediate causers of the Ige/Olagbaju tragedies, have a lot of explanation to do in this Election Year.

One story has it that once upon a time, there was an English King who aroused the jealousy of several noblemen by bestowing titles upon favourite architects. When the unhappy nobles met and discussed how to get rid of the King's favourites they used the euphemism "who will bell the cat?" Actually, it appears that the more well-known story of the origin of the loaded question is from an old fable retold in William "Long Will" Langland's (c. 1332–c. 1400) unrhymed alliterative poem entitled "The Vision Concerning Piers Plowman," which was written, as far as is known, between 1360 and 1399. . It tells of a family of mice who hold a meeting to decide what to do about a cat who has been preventing them from foraging for food. One cunning mouse suggests that a brass bell be hung around the cat's neck so that they could be warned of its approach. Everyone agrees that this ploy is perfect, except for one sage mouse, who steps forward and says, "Excellent idea, but who will bell the cat?" It is regarded as the greatest Middle English poem prior to Chaucer ("Canterbury Tales"), and has been favorably compared to Dante’s "Divine Comedy". It is both a social satire and a vision of the simple Christian lifeIt means taking on a dangerous mission, risking confrontation at great personal risk for the benefit of others, for the common good.

So, in this unfolding saga of the Ige/Olagbaju assasinations, it is no longer just "Who killed Cock Robin?" as I previously asked, but "Who will Bell the Cat?" Maybe it is Festus Keyamo – or even "Fryo" Adebayo?

P.M. News January 25, 2001

MID-WEEK ESSAY: The Death of Uncle Bola Ige (Mobolaji Aluko)

December 26, 2001

January 14, 2002

January 14, 2002

January 15, 2002

January 15, 2002

January 15, 2002

http://allafrica.com/stories/200012110229.html 

Lai Balogun Shot Dead Former presidential aspirant in the defunct Social Democratic Party (SDP), Chief Olayiwola Balogun, a key witness in the murder petition of Alhaja Suliat Adedeji, pending before Justice Oputa-led Panel was, on Thursday night, killed by persons suspected to be hired assassins.

Suspected Assassins Kill Prominent Nigerian Politician Suspected assassins have killed a prominent Nigerian politician and businessman, Olayiwola Balogun, police sources said.

Obasanjo Has Promised To Find Balogun's Killers, Says Adesina President Olusegun Obasanjo has promised that his government will fish out the killers of late Layi Balogun and make them face the full wrath of the law. ----

Layi Balogun's Assassination Nigeria's long list of assassination incidents got longer last week. A prominent citizen, Chief Layi Balogun became the last figure on that list when he fell to the bullets of the assassins in his Akoka, Lagos, residence, last Friday.

http://allafrica.com/stories/200012140214.html 

Afenifere Demands Probe Of Layi Balogun's Death Afenifere, a pan-Yoruba socio-political group, has called for the immediate probe of the circumstances leading to the assassination of Chief Layi Balogun and appealed to the Federal Government to beef up national security and halt the assassination of innocent Nigerians.