‘FG Should Conduct Inquest Into Abiola, Abacha’s Deaths’

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  The personal physician to the late business mogul, Chief MoshoodAbiola, Dr. Ore Falomo, has urged the federal government to institute coroner’s inquest to the circumstances leading to the death of acclaimed winner of June 12, 1993 presidential election, and that of late Head of State, Gen. Sani Abacha.
  
  Folomo’s position also tallies with those of associates who gathered at the residence of the Abiolasyesterday to mark the 15th anniversary of the late politician’s death.
  
  But one of the wives of the late Abiola, Mrs. Dupe Onitiri-Abiola, expressed reservation on the issue that nothing meaningful would come out of the move owing to the level and status of those involved in the unfortunate incidence.
  
  Speaking in a Television Continental (TVC) programme monitored by Africcon Blogspot in Lagos, Falomo, who accused the government of the United States of America (USA) of complicity in the murder of Abiola, said the inquest must also cover the last moments of his death.
  
  “It is now left to us to look into the possibility of instituting a commission of enquiry if President (Goodluck) Jonathan can agree, we have conducted inquiry(in the past), we had an (Justice Chukwudifu) Oputa Panel but we didn’t see the reports.
  
   “We need a judicial enquiry, where everybody will come and we see those things that took place shortly before the death,” Falomo added.
  
  According to him, the whole episode in the death of the late politician has been shrouded in mystery prompting his call for a thorough inquest into the deaths of the two dramatis personae that struggled for the soul of the country.
  
  He said, “There is too much coincidence, too much secrecy about the deaths of Abiola and Abacha that people should forget quite easily, to me the deaths cannot be wished away. Things are changing globally and roles played by everybody would soon come into light.”
  
  Giving an insight into the last moments of the Abiola, Falomo said the he was oblivious of the fact that some guests were coming to visit him on that fateful day, even though his (Abiola’s) associates knew that the US government had dispatched a team for the visitation.
  
  “They woke him up that afternoon at 3 pm only for him to get to Akinola Aguda House to see the American delegation waiting to see him. The then head of state, General Abubakar Abdulsalami knew about the visit,” Falomo said.
  
  He also stated that the delegation had met with a select team of the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO) at that time shortly after lunch before proceeding to meet Abiola who was taken to the venue of the fateful meeting from his detention home.
  
   “Apart from these NADECO people, I don’t think any other people knew about the presence of the US delegation and their mission, not even Abiola’s wife and daughter who were in Abuja at that time when he died,” he said.
  
  According to Falomo,  his patient who was in good condition of health prior to the visit soon developed complications shortly after the departure of his guests whom he accused of poisoning the tea drank by Chief Abiola on that day.
  
  “I have no doubt that he was poisoned that day, he remembered that he had met Susan Rice (of the visitors) many years before, he even described the kind of dress worn by her during their first encounter in 1982. He also remembered having seen Mr. Thomas Pickering before.”
  
  Those who gathered in his residence include former Lagos State Military Administrator, Admiral NdubuisiKanu, Convener of the Save Nigeria Group, Pastor TundeBakare, Publicity Secretary of the pan-Yoruba socio cultural group, Afenifere, Mr. Yinka Odumakin, President of the Campaign for Democracy, Mr. Joe Okei-Odumakin.
  
  In all, they were united in the call for the institution of a judicial probe of enquiry to ascertain the cause of the death as well as those liable for it, just as they urged the Federal Government to act on a resolution of the National Assembly urging it to rename the Abuja National Stadium after him.