BizBooks:

Naptu2 has identified him as Major General Joseph Garba. Also the man in suit beside OBJ is
Andrew Young a former secretary general of the United Nations. He is now in his 80s and still
an OBJ buddy. He recently visited him at Otta farms along with the comedian Chris Tucker.

Ohh that's the Joe Garba guy. There are lots of public basketball courts named after him in north.

naptu2: Andrew Young was never sec-gen. He was American ambassador to the UN (also a former mayor of Atlanta). He is a close friend of OBJ (this was helpful during the whole Rhodesia crisis in the '70s).

I stand corrected. All I remembered was that his name was synonymous with the UN back in the
day.

naptu2: I'm searching for an interview Fela granted in which he described what happened on that day (I'd be happy if anybody can find it on Youtube and post it here).

There's also a detailed newspaper interview with one of Fela's girls who was present on the day this happened. According to her, it all started from a traffic dispute between Femi (who was learning to drive) and a soldier or policeman.

Genbuhari posted it already. 1st post 2nd page.

ariy: ask Fela Kuti

Just Shut the Fuckup,You Bastard Cretin!

naptu2: I'm searching for an interview Fela granted in which he described what happened on that day (I'd be happy if anybody can find it on Youtube and post it here).

I remember the interview you're talking of. It is on YouTube. But you have to take it with a
pinch of salt because that's Fela's version of what happened. As several journalists who
witnessed the event as it occurred have reported, Fela electrified his fence and gate making
it extremely dangerous for the soldiers to get in.

Haha I responsible for killin her -- rappin in bizarre voice D12

naptu2:

That's Major General Joseph Nanven Garba (RIP).

He was commander of the Federal Guards (Dodan Barracks) on July 29th 1966. He ensured that no Igbo soldier died @ Dodan Barracks on that day.

When Brigadier Ogundipe gave an order to a northern NCO, the NCO said "I don't take orders from you until my commander comes". His commander was Joe Garba.

Garba loved basketball and was a member of the national team (he initially set up the basketball court @ Dodan Barracks).

Joe Garba was one of the three officers that conceived and staged the coup that brought Murtala Mohammed to power (he was Brigade of Guards commander and Gowon's CSO @ the time).

He was foreign minister during the Murtala/Obasanjo regime.

He served as president of the. . . Was it the UN General Assembly or the Security Council . . In the early 1990s.

Garba was used because of his position as commander of the Brigade of Guards. Although Garba and Ochefu thought they were organizing a coup to remove Gowon, Yar Adua was the de facto organizer, acting for Mohammed. Yar Adua was the main 'tree' who coordinated the actions the 'branches' such as Garba, Aduloju, Babangida, Buhari, Ibrahim Taiwo, etc.

Yaradua and Abdulai Mohammed were the two individuals who knew everyone involved and what they were doing. In fact during the planning of the coup, Yaradua didn't trust Garba and ensured that he was watched.

BizBooks:

I remember the interview you're talking of. It is on YouTube. But you have to take it with a
pinch of salt because that's Fela's version of what happened. As several journalists who
witnessed the event as it occurred have reported, Fela electrified his fence and gate making
it extremely dangerous for the soldiers to get in.

Yes, in the interview I watched, Fela said that he electrified the fence.

Found the newspaper interview.

30 October 2010  

Fela slept with me more than his other 27 wives - Kevwe

By CHUX OHAI and ADA ONYEMA - Nigeriafilms.com

On the wings of the 2010 Felabration that just ended in Lagos, one of Fela Anikulapo-Kuti’s wives, Kevwe, speaks with CHUX OHAI and ADA ONYEMA about her life with the late Afrobeat musician. How did you meet Fela? I used to take food to an uncle of mine known as Gabriel Okpaku. He had a studio. I would take the food to him there. One day, when I got to the studio, he locked me in the dark room and walked away, leaving me in company with Fela, who was visiting him at the time. I had sex with Fela that day. Later, Fela said he wouldn’t like me to live in the same house as his boys in the Mosalasi area. He took me to his first wife, Remi, who was Femi’s mother. The first day I saw her, I was shocked because she was very light and her hair was as long as that of a white woman. Fela left me in her care and asked her to take care of me. I told her everything about myself and she said that if I should take her word and be like a daughter to her, there would not be any problem.

Which year was this?

That was in 1972. He had just recorded the popular album, Shakara.

Did you eventually marry Fela officially?

Yes, I did. I was one of the 27 women Fela married in one day. His friend took us to his house first before we were taken to a high court for the wedding. The people at the court said we were underage and that Fela should be arrested for even thinking of luring us into marriage. Eventually, they threw us out and we went to his friend’s office and from there to the late Dr. Beko Ransome-Kuti’s residence. By that time, Fela’s house had been burned down. So he rented a hotel where 12 herbalists were invited to conduct the wedding ceremony.

Which one of Fela’s house was burnt? Was it the one in Mosalasi?

Yes.

Were you living with Fela then?

Yes.

Can you describe what happened?

I was an eyewitness. What happened was this: Femi was learning to drive a car. On his way back, the police arrested him for one reason or the other. The policemen who made the arrest argued with Fela’s boys, who appeared to be drunk at the time. A fight ensued and one of the policemen fell to the ground. The others ran to nearby Abalti Army Barracks and reported the matter to some soldiers. Before the soldiers arrived, the boys had already gone into hiding inside Fela’s compound. The police came in and told Fela that they wanted to arrest his boys. But Fela said he was not going to allow that and they threatened to bring in the army. By this time, Fela had fortified his residence, which was walled, with a live electric wire and anybody that touched the wire would be electrocuted to death. When this was going on, he told his mother that he wanted to activate the wire; but she said he should let the police go into the compound as long as they had a search warrant. Also, she said if they didn’t come with one, he should be ready to wage a total war with them. Of course, it turned out that the policemen did not come with a search warrant and they came in company with many soldiers. All of them surrounded Fela’s compound at once. He had no choice other than to turn on the electricity, thereby activating the wire on the fence. In the process, some soldiers were electrocuted. That was why their colleagues came back forcefully and threw fire into the generator that supplied the electricity and the generator burned out. Having destroyed the power generator, the soldiers were able to gain entry into Fela’s home. When they got in, they shot five girls to death instantly. I still remember their names. They were Patience, Kemi, Kehinde and Taiwo, alongside two white men, who were standing at the front gate of the compound. I didn’t remember anything else until I woke up to see myself in Abalti barracks.

Was it on the same day that Fela’s mother was killed?

Yes, the soldiers killed his mother on that day. They came in with arms and were prepared to kill everybody in sight. Immediately they started shooting, I went to hide in the toilet. But they found me and beat the hell out of me. I saw them go upstairs to Fela’s mother and carry her. At that point, I was in pains and half-conscious. But I knew they threw her downstairs. They were really determined to kill.

After you got married to Fela, what happened?

After the marriage ceremony, we went to Ghana for the honeymoon.

All the 27 wives?

Yes, all the 27 wives with Alex Conde, the one that married the late Chief Okotie Eboh’s daughter. He took us to Ghana for the honeymoon and from there Fela brought other girls. The other wives were always jealous because Fela paid a lot of attention to me. Fela used to tell us to smoke marijuana or he would not accept us as his own people.

Were you smoking marijuana before you married him?

No. He introduced me to smoking. Whenever I refused to smoke, he would get angry and disgrace me in public.

What made you think that the other women were jealous?

They were jealous because Fela used to ask after me in my absence and he never allowed anybody else to sit in the front seat of his car. He took me out for shopping always and showered me with gifts of expensive clothes. Apart from that, I could walk in at anytime and demand anything from him and I could drive any of the cars in his compound whenever I wanted them.

Is it true that you used juju to charm Fela?

It is not true, I never used juju on him.

Did your parents approve of your marriage to Fela?

No.

How many children did you have for him?

But for Femi’s mother, Remi, I would not have been able to give birth to my son. She took me to her hospital at Apongbon and the doctors washed my womb and I got pregnant again. I had my baby and came back with the child and Fela’s other wives were saying that the child did not belong to him. But Fela took the child, turned him upside down and declared that he was his son. He named him Fela in 1982. I want to do DNA test because it is a test of life. Let’s say the truth because the truth will set us free.

Are you suggesting that there is more to this issue?

Yes, because there is a relative of Fela concerned.

We were living in the same house with the mother and two sisters, I was very close to his sisters. He had loved me since the first day I set foot in their home. He was always playing with me and from there we started sleeping with each other. I used to prepare his meals. His favourite meal was fried plantain, beans and eggs. Even his best friend used to come and call me for him. One thing about him is that he is a very jealous person. He didn’t even want me to talk to any of Fela’s girls and Fela too is the possessive type. I was so afraid and so, I could not cope.

How come you were sleeping with both Fela and his relative?

Once, the relative told Fela bluntly that he wanted to marry me. Later, Fela called me to ask me to marry him. I told him I couldn’t do that because he was still alive. He said if I refused to marry him that it was going to be over between both of us. I couldn’t say anything and ever since that episode, he started fighting me.

When you had this child, did you let the relative know that it belonged to him?

He knew. He used to come and carry the child. What transpired between us threw a wedge between us and he stopped speaking to me.

So Fela’s other wives were right when they said the boy was not Fela’s son.

They lied because they said the baby belonged to one big-man in the society. It wasn’t true. The baby did not belong to him, but to Fela’s relative. I’m not a harlot.

Is the relative aware of this?

I have told him about it. Even I took my son to him during my last visit.

Did he accept responsibility for the boy?

He told me that he was going to do a DNA test and sue me. I told him to go ahead and do the DNA test and sue whoever he wants to sue. I’m ready to go to any level with him. But nobody should torment me. Right now, right now I am not allowed to receive visitors in the house when my son came the other day, He was showned the way out of the house.

Who is Mama Mosun?

She is the one they call Najite or Damiregba Anikulapo-Kuti. She has made herself Fela’s only surviving wife in the house, whereas she is not.

How old is your son?

He is 28 years old now.

Where is he now?

He is in Lagos. He used to attend Babcock University.

Who has been funding his education?

My godmother, Mrs. Aduke Bademosi.

Why did it take you so long to make this revelation?

Because I swore on oath to late the Remi Anikulapo-Kuti that I would not spoil anything for her, as long as she was alive. We had an agreement that I could go ahead and spill it after her death. She was a great woman and I respect her a lot.

Aren’t you going against your promise to her now?

No. It was her dream to see the relative of Fela and I settle down as man and wife.

She wanted you to marry Fela’s relative?

Yes, she wanted me to marry Fela’s relative. She used to tell me that Fela’s relative was very fond of me. She was even the one that took me to the hospital to save my pregnancy. She was always there for me.

You abandoned your son, didn’t you?

I did not abandon him.

So what happened?

After Fela named my child, one of the wives poisoned my baby’s food. Unknown to her, I had seen her do it and decided to drop the feeder. Unfortunately, another house mate mistakenly took the feeder and fed her own baby the poison and the baby died. That was how I left Fela’s house.

When did you leave Fela’s house?

That was in 1982.

Between 1982 and now, where have you been and what have you been doing?

Well, I have been in England.

Are you back to Nigeria?

I will say fully because I don’t want to reveal more secret.

Did you come home when Fela died?

Yes, I was here for his burial. That day was very dark.

It’s been more than a decade since Fela died, how do you keep body and soul together?

It’s by God’s grace.

Do have any plan to remarry?

I will remarry if I see somebody that will love me the way Fela did.

You haven’t told us your age

I’m 50 years old.

At the time Fela died, there was this rumour that he died of complications arising from HIV/AIDS infection. What was your reaction when you heard it?

It was a lie.

When you heard it, were you not afraid?

I wasn’t afraid because I had faith in what I believe in. If he died of AIDS, how come it did not affect me? Fela had slept with me more than anyone else in that house. I should be the first person to be infected with HIV/AIDS.

Really?

Yes.

Have you gone for HIV/AIDS test?

I did all the tests in England. There is nothing wrong with me. I’m healthy. I’m a nurse.

While in England, did you date anyone?

There was Nicholas. Since I came here, I have had other people, too.

Do you still smoke Indian hemp?

No, I have stopped.


http://m.modernghana.com/mobile/9342/4/fela-slept-with-me-more-than-his-other-27-wives-ke.html

BizBooks:

I remember the interview you're talking of. It is on YouTube. But you have to take it with a
pinch of salt because that's Fela's version of what happened. As several journalists who
witnessed the event as it occurred have reported, Fela electrified his fence and gate making
it extremely dangerous for the soldiers to get in.

What is wrong with you? You have to take Fela's version with a pinch of salt because he was trying to protect himself?

Did Fela fortify his fence on that day or he did so because he was protecting his property from intruders?

And even if he did for that purpose alone, are you saying Fela was wrong to try to protect himself, his guests, and family from a gang of brutes?

Dhelake: For those who're talkin about a legal action against the millitary.. I sorry 4 una o ... because Fela himself would rot in jail ... The military jst didnt come to kill his mother like that ..... They had come earlier that day to arrest fela buh fela knwingly electrified d fence which led to some soldiers being electrocuted ... Which u all knw can also be reffered to as manslaughter ... Xo what had u expect d military to do? In as much as i luv Fela so much ... We should all knw he also had some shortcomings

Honestly, some people just have weird way of reasoning. I don't know if the societal malaise has dumbed some down to a point of ignominy. I just dont know. Why would you blame Fela, when soldiers got shocked for trying to climb over his fence ? Isn't there a gate ?

Witch show face yesterday. . .pikin die 2day. . .abeg na who no knw sey na d witch of yesterday kill pikin!!

hardbody: Let us look at it from the legal prism. If you inflict a grevious bodily injury on anyone, and where the person dies within one year and one day, the law will still hold you culpable for the person's death. It may then be that instead of prosecuting you for murder, you may go in for manslaughter. In the extant case, the OP has just confirmed that the old woman died months after the act. If this were true, then the fact speaks for itself. An action in civil suit could still have been instituted and maintained against the military (although no one person could be identified for carrying out that dastardly act). Above position is the law.

Yes, the bolded part is spot on. Now, whatever might have transpired during the 'operation', what I want now is for the FGN to use the Punch Newspaper photo of Fela's mother on her sick bed for the proposed N5,000 currency note! This will go a long way in atoning for the Nigerian Military Government's goof! This is not a laughing matter. God bless Nigeria.

Katsumoto:
What is wrong with you? You have to take Fela's version with a pinch of salt because he was trying to protect himself?

And even if he did for that purpose alone, are you saying Fela was wrong to try to protect himself, his guests, and family from a gang of brutes?

Well, do not follow in Fela's footsteps. If the Police or Army are coming to arrest you, do
not electrify your fence. It will only make matters worse for you.

BizBooks:

Not to minimize the gravity of the incident but I believe the second floor in this instance
is what is usually known as the first storey. That is not too high. One can survive falls
from such heights even an elderly woman.

I have never heard Fela blame Danjuma for his mother's death. Do you mean Shehu Yar'adua
who Fela frequently mentions?

Ridiculous! Yes, you are ridiculous!! How can you claim not to "minimize the gravity..." but you do just that right in the next couple of sentences! So someone who falls only from a flight of 6 stairs only, landed on his head or suffered internal injuries which Nigeria's medical system does not detect is FINE? If he succumbs to those injuries, you cannot easily see the connection? How much an older woman, thrown down by soldiers when she least expected they would do such evil? I think you must be a little kid who has not known his left from his right.

Obasanjo

BizBooks:

Well, do not follow in Fela's footsteps. If the Police or Army are coming to arrest you, do
not electrify your fence. It will only make matters worse for you.

Regardless of whether Fela electrified his fence and gate or invited them him to eat and sleep with his girls, the military government was bent on dealing with Fela for releasing Zombie, a year before the incident.

Was it not a police issue? How did soldiers get involved? Or did the force run out of police officers?

OBJ! Gbam!

One of Felas boys had a traffic clash with a soldier from the Albati barracks at Idi Oro in Lagos. The soldier tried to arrest the boy,but he fled and took refuge in Felas compound called Kalakuta Republic.
The soldiers from Albati barracks stormed Felas residence in order to arrest the boy and take him to their barracks. Fela refused them entry by electrfying the fence surrounding the fence,so there was a stalemate.
At this time Lagos was still the capital of Nigeria and the defence HQ was based at Marina. When news got to Thophilus Danjuma, a major General and chief of army staff,he instructed the brigade commander of Albati barracks to arrest Fela dead or alive.
Based on this instructions,more than one thousand soldiers stormed Kalakuta,but could not gain entrance because of the electrified fence. Instructions were given to the NEPA manager for the area to switch off the electricity supply to the area,but Fela countered this by switching on his generator plant.
The soliers shot up the generator which exploded and caught fire,the fire then spread to the main building and the soldiers were able to scale the fence and attack all the residents. Fela was arrested,while his mother and breother Beko Ransome Kuti were thrown out of th storey winndow to the ground floor,substaining various degrees of fractures.
The brutality,rap.e and destruction of Kalakuta republic attracted public out cry and the government of Gen Obasanjo had to inagurate a probe panel that returned a verdict that the property was burned by an unknown soldier and as such Fela was not entitled to compensation.
Felas mother, Funmilayo died a few months after this strange verdict. From this,you can reach your conclusion on who killed the poor woman!

I have posted part of the interview at the top of previous page

naptu2: I'm searching for an interview Fela granted in which he described what happened on that day (I'd be happy if anybody can find it on Youtube and post it here).

naptu2:
Was it on the same day that Fela’s mother was killed?

Yes, the soldiers killed his mother on that day. They came in with arms and were prepared to kill everybody in sight. . .

http://m.modernghana.com/mobile/9342/4/fela-slept-with-me-more-than-his-other-27-wives-ke.html

This is Kevwe, one of Fela's wives speaking in a 2010 interview. This is exactly how
mis-information spreads in the Nigerian society. But when one tries to set the record
straight, people refuse to listen and stick their heads in the sand. What she said is
what many Nigerians believe happened. But that is patently false. Fela's mother was not
killed that day. She died 2 months after the fact. Pictures of her on a hospital bed is
posted several places on this thread.

From the way fela was sounding in that "unknown soldier" song, you could tell that the mom really died outta the infliction from the fall..
#dem kill my mama
#78 year old mama
#political mama
#ideological mama
#dem throw my mama
#outta my window
#dem kill my mama
#dem kill my mama
#dem kill my mama
#dem kill my mama
#dem kill my mama
....
U could see how he stressed the last part.

The soldiers were wrong to try to enter Fela's house without a warrant. Worse still, they tried to scale the fence. How could he be sure that they were not criminals disguised as soldiers? He electrified his fence to protect himself from criminals and hoodlums (armed robbery was rampant in Lagos @ that time) and he was well within his rights to do so.

Obj sink her

BizBooks:

This is Kevwe, one of Fela's wives speaking in a 2010 interview. This is exactly how
mis-information spreads in the Nigerian society. But when one tries to set the record
straight, people refuse to listen and stick their heads in the sand. What she said is
what many Nigerians believe happened. But that is patently false. Fela's mother was not
killed that day. She died 2 months after the fact. Pictures of her on a hospital bed is
posted several places on this thread.

She could have been speaking figuratively, rather than literally.

slimojas89: From the way fela was sounding in that "unknown soldier" song, you could tell that the mom really died outta the infliction from the fall..
#dem kill my mama
#78 year old mama
#political mama
#ideological mama
#dem throw my mama
#outta my window
#dem kill my mama
#dem kill my mama
#dem kill my mama
#dem kill my mama
#dem kill my mama
....
U could see how he stressed the last part.

# dem carry everybody
# dem carry every body go oo inside jaaaaillll e
.
.
# dem lock us
# radio dey sing
# press dey talk
# dem go burn Fela.
#wetin dis Fela do.
# Fela talk about soldiers flogging civilians for street
# Fela sing about gov't wasting money for Festac
.
.
.
carry go

Katsumoto:

She could have been speaking figuratively, rather than literally.

She was asked a direct question: "Was it on the same day that Fela’s mother was killed?" and
she answered "Yes" with no qualifiers. Many people including myself believed that was what
happened until recently.

Was it on the same day that Fela’s mother was killed?

Yes, the soldiers killed his mother on that day. They came in with arms and were prepared to kill everybody in sight. Immediately they started shooting, I went to hide in the toilet. But they found me and beat the hell out of me. I saw them go upstairs to Fela’s mother and carry her. At that point, I was in pains and half-conscious. But I knew they threw her downstairs. They were really determined to kill.

Read it carefully and answer the following question.

If I shot a man on tuesday and the man was hospitalised and eventually died from the wounds on friday and someone asked you when was the man killed (not when did he die) and who killed him; what would you say?

How am i suppose to know? Did i witness her death?.

BizBooks:

Not to minimize the gravity of the incident but I believe the second floor in this instance
is what is usually known as the first storey. That is not too high. One can survive falls
from such heights even an elderly woman.

I have never heard Fela blame Danjuma for his mother's death. Do you mean Shehu Yar'adua
who Fela frequently mentions?

Why are you stressing yourself asking questions here ? Why not position your own grandmother by the window side and push her out from the window,come back here and tell us if she survives it or not.

Very revealing, enlightening topic.