June 12, 2026
By HANNATU MUSAWA
On a Tuesday, 4th of June, 1996, around 3:05 pm, something unbelievable happened that shook the core of the struggle for democracy in Nigeria. Kudirat Abiola was gunned down as her car slowed down around 7-Up Depot/Bus Stop in Ikeja, Lagos State. She was instantly killed along with her chauffeur and assistant.
Many people who knew her opined that her death brought a beautiful, brilliant and bold life, which she was generally believed to have lived, to an untimely end. With her death, a new chapter was opened in Nigeria’s political history, as the deceased became one of the prominent martyrs in the struggle for a truly democratic nation.
The outspoken wife of Chief M.K.O Abiola gave her life for this country and, even in death, she remains a symbol of Nigeria’s struggle for democracy. She is one of several Nigerians that paid the supreme price in their quest for a better, freer, and democratic Nigeria.
