Felix Ademola, an Ibadan-based photojournalist, believed by many to have saved a former Governor of old Oyo State and Attorney General and Minister of Justice, late Chief Bola Ige from the assassin’s bullet in 1983 has been buried.
Ademola died on the 24th of March this year at the age of 68 after a brief illness.
The deceased who until his death was a senior photojournalist with Thisday newspapers was buried at Ile Titun, Near NIHORT in Ibadan, on Friday.
According to reports, Ademola was the man who called the attention of the gathering to an assassin who was pointing a gun at Ige at a campaign ground in 1983.
The dramatic event occurred at Tonkere town in Ife North local government area in the present Osun State.
A former National President of NUJ, Prince Lanre Ogundipe recalled how the late journalist sighted a man with a gun about to shoot Ige in 1983.
Ogundipe maintained that if not for the information revealed by Ademola, an unknown assassin would have claimed the life of Ige at that campaign.
The former NUJ President made the revelations during a commendation service in honour of the late journalist organised by the Oyo State Council of Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), on Thursday.
He said, “We are three, including Felix Ademola, who was on top of a tree in order to get a good photograph while we are in front of Chief Ige. When he saw the assassin, he did not hesitate to call someone close to him, to call our attention to the danger and shouted at the top of his voice that someone is pointing a gun to our direction.
“He charged that we should run to avoid the danger.
When we heard this, every one of us, including Chief Bola Ige scampered for safety. That was how the plot to kill Chief Bola Ige in 1983 was effectively thwarted”.
NUJ Chairman, Ademola Babalola described the late journalist, who he worked with as a reporter in ThisDay as a peaceable person, a respected elder and a man of good conscience.
Others who paid tributes to the ace photojournalist are; Kemi Olaitan (ThisDay newspaper), Dare Fasube (Vanguard newspaper), Femi Ilesanmi (ex-The Nation newspaper photojournalist) and Bisi Oladele (The Nation), who gave a brief sermon during the commendation service.
In his remarks, the son of the late journalist, Adesina Ademola, described his father as a hero, adding that his father did all he could to give them a better life.
