I knew of Kunle Ajibade from reading his articles in the newspapers and magazines. Indeed he and my husband, Gbenro were in the University of Ife together. I got to really know him in 1998. During the dark days of Abacha, Kunle was ‘jailed for life’ on trumped-up charges of a coup plot and was sent to the oldest and dungiest prison in Nigeria, Makurdi Prison. My dad, Bola Ige, now of blessed memory, had been captured as a ‘prisoner of war’ by the then military governor of Oyo State, and on the orders of the then Head of State, he was detained in Makurdi prison, though charges were never brought against him. As he recorded in his prison notes, he arrived in that prison on Kunle’s 40th birthday! It was a very emotional meeting, as neither knew that fate would bring them together in such auspicious circumstances. Both of them hugged each other tightly as they fought back the tears, so that those who captured their bodies would know that they could never capture their spirit.
It was when Dad arrived in Makurdi that we were sure of where his enemies had confined him. Hitherto, the sadistic General and his depraved aides had spread the rumour that he was being moved from one detention centre to the other so it would be impossible for us to keep track of his exact location! They actually tinkered with our minds – those of us on the outside were in a bigger prison. However, as dad told us, before he got to Makurdi, God had prepared a way for him, through Kunle Ajibade. He was my dad’s friend and companion. Immediately dad got there, through the already-established ‘Kunle Ajibade communication network’ we received news from Dad that he was in Makurdi prison and that all was well. Mum, Gbenro and and I were extremely relieved with this long-awaited news. Today on behalf of the family of Bola Ige, we publicly thank all those people – warders, friends and family, notably, the indefatigable Odia Ofeimun – who facilitated the communication between those held on the inside as well as those of us held outside the prison walls.
If Abacha and his goons had known better, maybe they would not have sent Bola Ige to Makurdi Prison, but our God is Omniscient and He turned the captivity of Kunle and dad around, to His praise and glory. Kunle Ajibade made dad’s time in Makurdi prison tolerable. They engaged each other intellectually and dad described Kunle as a ‘veritable bookworm’! Dad was a lover of books himself, but even he was ‘outread’ by the mentally agile Kunle. During those days, we went to visit Kunle’s wife Bunmi, in their Ibadan home. She had Mayowa and Folarin was en ventre de sa mere - in his mother’s womb. Inside her seeming fragile body was an indomitable and resolute spirit. She and her husband are a formidable couple, absolutely unbreakable by the despotic military junta, because their faith and trust was in God and not in men. I have always admired this Sisi Bunmi, because she reminds me so much of yet another strong woman who went through similar travail in 1962; she too was pregnant when her husband was detained in Ubiaja, and bore her son, her second child, during her husband’s detention. That resilient Nigerian ‘prison widow’ was no other person than my beloved mother, Atinuke Ige, now resting in the Lord. Mum and I fought back the tears after visiting Bunmi, but we were so sure that God who in 1962, had given my mother reason to rejoice over the birth of her son and the release of her husband would do so for Bunmi. Even though it took longer than we had expected!
Kunle made sure that dad did not suffer too much in prison. Luckily, both of them are very spartan in their lifestyle. He gave him water for his bath, his pillow, shared his ‘akara’ with him and most of all, was like a son to him. For this I owe Kunle a huge debt of gratitude which I know only God can repay. Dad would regale us with inspiring reports of this complete ‘omoluabi’. When he came out of prison, I got to know Kunle better and confirmed the gentlemanly qualities of this cerebral patriot and gentle giant. Kunle rose in my estimation, when he was released, though nearly physically blind, but not blinded by hate by those who unjustly imprisoned him! I found that absolutely awesome and inspirational. I don’t think I could be so charitable if I had been through such a harrowing experience. I guess that is what distinguishes the boys from the men! In the end we discover that some military generals are merely ‘boys in uniform’.
Kunle became more than a friend and became a brother from his days at Makurdi, and when on Sunday 23 December 2001, my dad was assassinated in his bedroom in Ibadan, we mourned together, and since then he and all my other brethren and dad’s political friends have made sure that Bola Ige’s murder and memories are not forgotten
My late mother had a soft spot for Kunle and held him in high esteem too. I remember one of her last public outings was the presentation of Kunle’s prison memoirs, Jailed for Life. My mother died on 10 April 2003 as a result of the impending miscarriage of justice in her husband’s murder trial. During those seemingly ‘hopeless’ times, Kunle stood with and by us, and remains as constant as the Northern star.
My children have also got to know him as the ‘Uncle who looked after Grandpa in prison’ and they love and respect him very much. In the last few years, we have confirmed without an iota of doubt that Kunle is a rare gem, a true friend and brother. Kunle is a friend who sticks closer than a brother and in the day of trouble he will stand by you and even make huge personal sacrifices on your behalf.
On this 50th birthday of yours, I know that my parents are smiling and praying for you. We thank God for your life, for keeping you these past 50years through thick and thin. We thank Him for that beautiful gift, Bunmi, who He blessed you with as a veritable backbone and your handsome sons, Mayowa and Folarin. God will continue to grant you good health and He will continue to use you to His glory and for the benefit of mankind. You are an example of the very best of our generation and a shining example of a seemingly ordinary man who has done extraordinary things. My entire family wishes you 50 healthy, more fruitful and blessed years and pray that Nigeria will see many more honourable and true leaders like you.
– Mrs. Adegbola is a lawyer and proprietress of the Vale College, Ibadan.
Hillary
3 July 2008 01:42Dear Mrs. Adegbola,
Born and raised in Ibadan, I have always felt close to the late Cicero of Esa Oke. He was a gift to us and I thank God for his life. I pray that God will keep and protect his fruits (the Bola Ige) family.
Kola Raheem
4 July 2008 13:26Dear Mrs Adegbola,
The late Cicero was a shining light in the lives of many of us, especially the younger generation.
He was like a guide and a bastion of hope for us, I strongly believe that if he were to be alive, the rascality and hooliganism that took over oyo state politics would not have been possible.
May his Soul continue to rest in perfect peace. Those behind his gruesome murder have murdered sleep, and sleep and peace will continue to elude for the rest of thier miserable lives (Amen).
BISIKAY
4 July 2008 15:21Funso
Thank you for this intereting piece
It captures the unseen aspects of great people’s lives which only their closest relatives may best capture as you have done in this piece.
I had the rare opportunity of being close to both, your late dad, our dear uncle Chief Bola IGE, and our fifty-ish young man of courage, Kunle AJIBADE. I knew both men in the early 80s before my migration to the UK. I salute Kunle at 50 and wish him very many more years to his eventlful LIFE, as I wish him more and more life to his YEARS on this earthly plane of existence.
Regarding your exposition of Kunle’s relationship with the late Cicero whilst in ABACHA’s gulag, I am very proud of how two great souls were able to interface under the most harrowing human condition. For great minds the jail is a succour for its germination what with the absolute absence of distrative external factors that ordinarily hinder human potentiality. Kunle, no doubt, had developed his menatl capacity to a maximum level from the great IFE days, with interations with really great human beings like Prof Wole SOYINKA, late OKOT B’TEK, and late Pierre FATUNMBI-VERGER, among others. Our generation was opportuned to have seized the then enabling environment at IFE to rise above our limited resourcerial backround to become real great persons through extraordinary mental development. N
BISIKAY
4 July 2008 15:36Funso
Thank you for this intereting piece
It captures the unseen aspects of great people’s lives which only their closest relatives may best capture as you have done in this piece.
I had the rare opportunity of being close to both, your late dad, our dear uncle Chief Bola IGE, and our fifty-ish young man of courage, Kunle AJIBADE. I knew both men in the early 80s before my migration to the UK. I salute Kunle at 50 and wish him very many more years to his eventlful LIFE, as I wish him more and more life to his YEARS on this earthly plane of existence.
Regarding your exposition of Kunle’s relationship with the late Cicero whilst in ABACHA’s gulag, I am very proud of how two great souls were able to interface under the most harrowing human condition. For great minds the jail is a succour for its germination what with the absolute absence of distrative external factors that ordinarily hinder human potentiality. Kunle, no doubt, had developed his menatl capacity to a maximum level from the great IFE days, with interations with really great human beings like Prof Wole SOYINKA, late OKOT B’TEK, and late Pierre FATUNMBI-VERGER, among others. Our generation was opportuned to have seized the then enabling environment at IFE to rise above our limited resourcerial backround to become real great persons through extraordinary mental development. No wonder then that when Kunle encountered the equally great Cicero in prison, both men went of intellectual adventures such as you may read in Prof Wole SOYINKA’s prison epic, THE MAN DIED, and which you also read in Kunle’s JAILED FOR LIFE.
I am happy that we are able to celebrate Kunle’s LIFE with his own presence, having survived the evil machinations of the dark goggled one. Unfortunately, Chief Bola IGE was prevented form honouring us with his own PHYSICAL presence, last September, at his 70th BIRTHDAY which was well celebrated POSTHUMOUSLY by the whole world of positive people. Incidentally, I am working on a book titled: UNTIL HIS MURDERERS ARE CAUGHT, WE’RE ALL LIKE CICERO, TRAPPED!..IN THE NEST OF KILLERS.
The lesson I would like us all, especially the wicked ones among us, the jailers, the murderers, the destroyers, the evil souls, is this: the acts of human betrayal will ultimately be rewarded, metaphysically and eternally in ways that actualise the law of unintended consequencies. Good would often come from evil deeds but evil will never come out of good deeds, hence lets all learn and try and do good at all times in whatever position we may be or find ourselves.
BISIKAY
8 July 2008 17:37STILL ON KUNLE AJIBADE
What a rejoinder! How did our friend, Kola make a contribution almost simultaneously with me! Oh, sorry, I forgot to mention in my contribution that I met Kunle through Kola RAHEEM when we were together at IPETUMODU and Kunle would come to interface with us from UNIFE. I fondly remember our intellectual engagements those days, even on the pages of the GUARDIAN newspaper. Kunle has now become this celebrated WRITER and FIGHTER.
And I must add that I met our late dear Uncle Bola IGE through Prince Bayo ADEYEMO who was the Political Assistant to Chief Bola IGE during his GOVERNORSHIP years in Oyo State. Through Bayo I was privileged to know Chief IGE quite closely, including spending days at the Government House at AGODI, Ibadan.. He would often drive himself to Bayo’s house all by himself. I could not imagine any one more HUMAN and HUMANE than Chief IGE as a GOVERNOR. It was such a SHAME that such a good LEADER was betrayed on his way to a PRESIDENTIAL destination. Like the late iconic Chief MKO ABIOLA, he was another great PRESIDENT Nigeria never had. May their SOULS remain blessed as they rest in PEACE.
BISIKAY, London, UK
drbisikay@yahoo.com