Alhaja Kudirat Abiola (born Kudirat Olayinka Adeyemi), commonly known as Kudirat Abiola (1951 – 4 June 1996), was a fervent Nigerian pro-democracy activist. She was tragically assassinated while her husband, Moshood Abiola, was imprisoned by the Nigerian government. Moshood had won the 1993 elections, which were annulled by the ruling junta, leading to his arrest.
Early Life
Kudirat Olayinka Adeyemi was born in 1951 in Zaria, Nigeria. She became the second wife of Moshood Abiola and was his senior wife at the time of her death.
Assassination
Kudirat Abiola was murdered during her husband's detention by the Nigerian government. Moshood Abiola was widely believed to have won the 1993 Nigerian elections, which were annulled by dictator Ibrahim Babangida. Her assassination was meticulously planned and executed by six men, as later revealed during investigations and trials. Kudirat was gunned down in her car, which also claimed the life of her driver. Her personal assistant, present in the car, survived unharmed and was later accused of collusion.
Aftermath
Even after her death, Moshood Abiola remained detained without charge and died under suspicious circumstances on 7 July 1998, shortly before his expected release.
Legacy
In the wake of her death, an anti-military radio station, "Radio Democracy," was established in Norway, supported by the American, British, Swedish, Danish, and Norwegian governments. The station was later renamed Radio Kudirat in her honor.
In 1998, a New York street corner was renamed Kudirat Abiola Corner, despite objections from the Nigerian government. That same year, Major Hamza Al-Mustapha and former President Abacha's son, Mohammed, were charged with her murder. During the trial, Sergeant Barnabas Jabila, a self-confessed killer, testified that he followed orders from Al-Mustapha.
On 30 June 2012, Hamza Al-Mustapha and Alhaji Lateef Shofolahan were sentenced to death for Kudirat's murder. Al-Mustapha had been a Presidential Chief Security Officer, and Shofolahan was her personal assistant. Both were later acquitted on appeal by a Lagos court.
Enduring Symbol
Kudirat Abiola remains a powerful symbol of Nigeria's fight for democracy. Nineteen years after her death, demonstrations continued at her graveside. Her story, along with that of her husband, is captured in the documentary "The Supreme Price," directed by Harvard lecturer Joanna Lipper. The documentary, told from the perspective of her daughter, Hafsat, includes interviews with former U.S. ambassador to Nigeria Walter Carrington and Nobel Prize-winning writer Wole Soyinka.
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