Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has recounted why he ventured into farming after leaving the Nigerian Army and how he was later arrested and imprisoned under the regime of former military Head of State, late Gen. Sani Abacha.
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Obasanjo also revealed that he rejected an offer of political asylum from the United States despite being warned that he would be arrested if he returned to Nigeria.
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The Ogun State-born elder statesman disclosed this while recounting his experience under Abacha’s regime, according to a video published by BBC News Pidgin on Tuesday.
Following the assassination of Gen. Murtala Muhammed, Obasanjo became Nigeria’s military Head of State on February 13, 1976, at the age of 38.
He served in that position until October 1, 1979, when he handed over power to Shehu Shagari.
Recounting his experience, Obasanjo noted that upon attaining the rank of a four-star general at 42 and serving as Head of State, he felt he had reached the peak of his military career. This influenced his decision to venture into farming.
Obasanjo, now 89, further recounted how he was arrested and imprisoned under Abacha’s regime.
Abacha ruled Nigeria from November 17, 1993, until his death on June 8, 1998.
The former military ruler had seized power in a bloodless military coup that overthrew the Interim National Government led by Ernest Shonekan.
Speaking about his decision to leave the military, Obasanjo said he felt he was retiring too early at 42, having attained the highest rank in the army and served as the country’s military leader.
He said, “When I was leaving government as military head of state, there was — I was leaving too early. I didn’t join the army to retire at the age of 42.
“Now I had to retire at the age of 42. At the age of 42, I had become a four-star general. There’s nothing else I can do in the army. I’ve become the military head of state. That’s the highest political office I could rise.
“So what can I do? I decided I would go into farming. It really was going well, and it went well until I was arrested.
“Abacha had decided that I must be liquidated; otherwise he would not be able to have his way. I didn’t know that. I was travelling and coming back, and the American ambassador in Nigeria called me and said his country had offered me political asylum because they knew that I would be arrested if I returned home.
“This was difficult for me. I don’t— I haven’t done anything. What do they want to arrest me for? Um, I don’t want political asylum.”
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He stated that his passport was seized, after which he proceeded to his farm.
Upon arriving at the farm, one of his security details informed him that the premises had been surrounded by government security operatives.
Obasanjo said that shortly afterwards, a police officer dressed in mufti approached him and informed him that he had been invited by an unnamed Assistant Inspector-General of Police.
He added that he later went to meet the AIG, who informed him that he had been instructed to arrest him.
He said, “And when I arrived, they seized my passport; I made for my farm. At the gate of my farm was my security. He waved me down. He said that security had surrounded the farm. And within 15 minutes, this man came in mufti, not in uniform, a policeman, and he said, ‘Well, you have been invited by the AIG to come and help him.’ I said, ‘You are a fool.’
“‘If the AIG wants me to help him, he will not be inviting me. He will come here.”
Obasanjo added that he used his personal vehicle to drive himself to the police station, where the AIG informed him that he had received instructions to arrest him.
The former President also recalled the intervention of former United States President Jimmy Carter, who appealed to Abacha on his behalf.
He said he was initially confined at an undisclosed location but was later placed under house arrest following Carter’s intervention.
Obasanjo added that he was eventually taken away in the middle of the night and transferred to prison.
He said, “I didn’t know that it was a decision of Abacha that some of us must not be kept free; otherwise, he would feel unsafe. I was put in a place.
“Then President Jimmy Carter came. He pleaded, and then they put me under house arrest. Then they came one day; I was playing squash at about 1 am.
“They came and said they were taking me away. And they took me away, and from there, I went to prison.”
Following his release after Abacha’s death in 1998, Obasanjo contested and won the 1999 presidential election, becoming the first President of Nigeria’s Fourth Republic when he was inaugurated on May 29, 1999.
He served two terms in office before handing over power in May 2007.
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