THE eldest son of the Nigerian presidential claimant and opposition leader, Mr Moshood Abiola, has been detained by police investigating the murder of his stepmother, Nigerian newspapers reported yesterday.
There was no immediate police confirmation of the detention of businessman Mr Kola Abiola (33), which featured prominently in nearly all Nigerian newspapers, including the National Concord owned by his father.
The Concord said Mr Kola Abiola, who is managing director of his father's Summit Oil Company and Concord Airlines was picked up on Tuesday by detectives of the federal intelligence and investigation bureau and his passport seized.
His stepmother, Mrs Kudirat Abiola, was brutally killed by unknown gunmen in Lagos last week and the authorities have promised a thorough investigation into the murder.
Mrs Abiola had championed the campaign to free and install her husband as president based on the results of the annulled 1993 presidential election.
Nigeria has been in crisis since the nullification of the vote which was widely believed to have been won by Mr Abiola, a millionaire businessman detained since 1994 when he proclaimed himself president in defiance of the military government.
Mr Abiola's large family of wives and children has been publicly feuding over which lawyer should represent him in the numerous court cases over his stalled treason trial.
Early this year Kola applied to the court to drop the lawyer chosen for his father by Mrs Abiola, saying his father had instructed him to do so in order to facilitate his release. But his stepmother refused, causing much public wrangling by the family.
While many in opposition and media circles have accused the military regime of ordering the murder of Mrs Abiola, police have not ruled out the possibility it was connected to family feuding over control of Mr Abiola's empire.
Police sources have said several members of the family would be interrogated over the murder.
The opposition leader's doctor, Dr Ore Falomo, said no charge had been laid against Kola, adding that it was a routine interrogation by Nigerian police. According to Dr Falomo, who said he too had been questioned by police, Mr Moshood Abiola has still not been told of his wife's death.
The Nigerian press reported yesterday that Kola's home has been searched by police and numerous documents seized.
. Commonwealth foreign ministers will have discussions with a high level Nigerian delegation in London this month on measures to improve Nigerian human rights, the Commonwealth announced yesterday.
A statement said the June 24th-25th meeting would he the first of the eight member Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group set up last November to assist restoration of democracy and constitutional rule so that international sanctions can he lifted.