MKO Abiola’s family is demanding clarity from the federal government over the alleged ₦45 billion contract debt owed to the late pro-democracy figure, declaring they have no record of what the funds were for. The call follows statements by former Jigawa governor Sule Lamido, who in May claimed Abiola’s company, International Telephone & Telegraph, completed major communications contracts in the 1970s under General Murtala Muhammed’s government but was never fully paid.
Speaking to reporters, Jamiu Abiola, spokesperson for the Abiola family, said, “The former governor did not say what the money was owed for. He didn’t give much details about it. Since then, the matter has been what it is. Before we can say more about it, we need more details.” He stressed that until those details are made available, “the issue that the money be paid cannot come up because it hasn’t been substantiated.”
So far, the federal government has not issued a formal response. But in response to Lamido’s public remarks, the Presidency indicated that any claim should follow proper legal channels and documentation, not verbal assertions.
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