Reactions have trailed the planned reopening of the cases of the assassination of two leading political figures, chiefs Bola Ige the unresolved murder cases of two leading politicians, chiefs Bola Ige and Aminosari Dikibo, by the police authorities.

Ige, who was killed in his Bodija GRA home, Ibadan on December 23, 2001, was the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice. Dikibo, was the Deputy Vice Chairman (Southsouth) until his assassination on February 6, 2004.

Those who reacted welcomed the decision, expressing the hope that with the new investigators under a new dispensation will get to the root of the matter.

According to them, the unsuccessful efforts of the security agencies in bringing culprits of such dastardly and gruesome killings to book in the past were not only worrisome but bad precedents.

They advised the Federal Government to reopen other murder cases to restore Nigerians’ confidence in the justice system.

Interestingly, Senator Iyiola Omisore, who was one of those fingered in Ige’s murder and Mr. Festus Keyamo, counsel to Gbenga Adebayo (a.k.a Fryo), a prime suspect in the murder of Chief Ige, were among those who hailed the development.

Adebayo allegedly removed the cap of the late Ige at the palace of the Ooni of Ife prior to his assassination.

Others are: senior advocates Niyi Akintola; Rotimi Akeredolu; a Second Republic governor of old Anambra State, Chief Jim Nwobodo and a former Information Minister, Prince Tony Momoh.

Chief Nwobodo commended the President Muhammadu Buhari administration for taking the courage to re-open investigation on the assassination of Ige and Dikibo. According to him, it wass a right step in the right direction, especially when the families of the deceased and many Nigerians have expressed dissatisfaction with the outcome of previous investigations.

Keyamo described the move as a welcome development. It is long overdue. We must unravel the identity of those behind the murder of Ige and Dikibo, saying that nobody should be allowed to get away with crime. He urged the new leadership of the police to fish out the killers.

On other unresolved assassination cases, Keyamo wanted the files to be re-opened because, according to him, “every live is important; we should not restrict the new effort to Ige and Dikibo”.

Chief Akintola said the President should be commended for his boldness and political will in getting to the root of political assassinations in the country.

Akintola noted that President Buhari had acted properly and within the ambit of the law. It is a welcome development, he said, adding that if anyone has any other person whose death was politically motivated, he should let the President know for immediate action.

In his reaction, Akeredolu, a former President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) and an All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship aspirant in Ondo, lauded the re-opening of investigation on the killings of the two political giants.

He recalled that the NBA under his leadership had requested for thorough investigations on political assassinations in the country.

Akeredolu, though excited with the new set of detectives that would handle the investigation, however, expressed reservation on the possible outcome of the new move, as according to him, a lot of things must have been tampered with.

Also commending the presidency, a former Chairman of Ikeja chapter of the NBA, Monday Ubani, advised the Federal Government to include the late Dele Giwa and others on the list.

Ubani reiterated that the real killers should be unmasked and punished.

Chief Abiola Ogundokun, who also lauded the step, said the Buhari administration was on the right track with the order given to the acting Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Mr. Ibrahim Idris, to re-open the files on the two high profile cases.

According to him, the order will no doubt, send the signal to criminally-minded Nigerians that no one was above the law and that justice would not again elude the families of the victims.

He, however, charged the President to ensure that other high profile murder cases, including the assassination of the late Lagos State PDP governorship aspirant, Funsho Williams, be given equal attention to make his good intention be acceptable by all Nigerians.

Ogundokun noted that re-opening of the murder cases must have brought a relief to the families of the two great politicians that hope was in sight for them to get justice for their loved ones.

Senator Omisore, who was deputy governor in Osun State, said he was happy with the decision to re-open the case files of the gruesome murders of the Ige and Dikibo.

He described the revisit of the cases as good and welcome development.

In a statement by his media aid, Diran Odeyemi, Omisore, urged the Federal Government to extend its search to the killers of late Williams and the late Osun State lawmaker, Odunayo Olagbaju.

He also advised the government and the acting IGP to widen the scope of their investigation, rather than limiting themselves to a particular area or section.

Also reacting, United Progressives Party (UPP) National Chairman Chekwas Okorie described the decision as a step taken in the right direction.