New York [RR] New York—new shocking revelations show that “IBB
killed Abiola, Abacha, Idiagbon, Ige and Elewi – Abacha died of spiked
viagra – SSS kept Abiola’s sex tape – Abiola kept Samuel Doe’s
money in Swiss Bank – Abiola funded 1985 Coup with $10 million –
Nigeria might break up soon”, reports say.
But RepublicReport was first to report that not only did Babangida kill
many innocent people, he sometimes killed double agents that
worked for him, he, Babangida is also alleged to be a CIA agent.
Reports alleged that IBB also recruited Orji Uzor Kalu as a go between
agent for IBB and CIA during 1980s Nicaragua WAR in Latin America
when US Congress caught funding to fight US secret wars in Latin
America including Nicaragua, Panam, without the approval of the US-
Congress.
Reports alleged when funds was caught by US-Congress, CIA turned to
drug trafficking and due to chaotic nature of Nigeria political landscape
picked & used Nigeria as shipment and supplies conduit for drug
trafficking, with funds accrued from the drug-trafficking used to
prosecute Nicaragua war and other wars in the 80s.
These and many other reports about alleged IBB-CIA links, is why
United States trust Babangida more than Goodluck Jonathan to lead
Nigeria come 2011 general election. Indeed, if anything, America would
even use ”by any means necessary” to impose IBB, regardless whether
2011 presidential election is free or not, if US have their way.
Nevertheless, with massive publications and increasing publications by
other media outfits out there, aggressively exposing so-called strategic
interests of the US may force US to stand-down from overtly & overtely
backing IBB, but I doubt it. We must brace for an impact, because
anything, if not earthquake, something terrible will happen that will
change forever the geo-political equation of what is called Nigeria very
soon.
Already IBB’s side-kick, Orji Uzor Kalu is a mess at hoem and abroad,
with recent death of one Chinwe Masi [Ogbonna] in his US-Mansion
with him smuggled out of the US shores, that was widely covered and
expository reports electonically mounted telling about his fraudulent and
criminal baggage, efficiently and effectively circulated in the US and in
the homeland makes OUK and IBB a dead wood but don’t count
anything over, until it’s OVER.
From the Excerpts we learn that: – IBB killed Abiola, Abacha, Idiagbon,
Ige and Elewi – Abacha died of spiked viagra – SSS kept Abiola’s sex
tape – Abiola kept Samuel Doe’s money in Swiss Bank – Abiola funded
1985 Coup with $10 million – Nigeria might break up soon
No other journalist in Nigeria would challenge his impressive fearless
reportorial style with which he took on the military for a deceptive
transition agenda in 1993 Nigeria. The 1988 graduate of Education and
Political Science from the University of Lagos, Nigeria threw himself into
the thick of the effort to dislodge the military from power.
Long before many of his contemporaries understood the game of
deception foisted on his native country Nigeria, by gap-toothed sly by
smiling Babangida, husky trimmed Egba Lawyer Ernest Shonekan, and
the dark goggled General Sani Abacha, Fayewimo clearly interpreted,
investigated and reported how Nigerians had helplessly turned to
pawns in a complex political chess manipulation. He used his media,
Razor, to monitor and expose every move of the 14 year Nigerian
military dictatorship.
The military was irreverent and extremely stubborn in tormenting
Nigerians. Fayewimo was a consistent and dogged nemesis. He used
the power of words to expose the stealing and plundering military
politicians. He was always publishing their secret and coded foreign
accounts containing money stolen from Nigeria.The military caught him
and kidnapped him from exile in neighboring Benin Republic in 1997. He
did not see the light of day light until after Abacha’s death. Abacha
would not release him even after Pope John Paul II came to Nigeria
and entered a plea on his behalf.
Since he left Nigeria in 1999, he has not returned to the country of his
birth. As a matter of fact, he said he may never step his foot on
Nigerian soil again. But he has done well with himself. An holder of
three masters degrees, one in MA Journalism (2004) from University of
South Florida at Tampa, another one from State University of New York
in Information Science (2006), and yet another from the same University
in African History. He is also finishing his PhD in Public Administration
and Public Policy even as he has just started another doctoral work in
law Juris Doctor (JD). He finds time to practice as an International
Consultant, writes a weekly column for pointblanknews.com and has
also worked as a journalist with The Informed Constituent of Albany,
New York, The Crow’s Nest Newspaper, Florida and The Works
Magazine.
This is his first major interview since leaving Nigeria in 1999. When he
came to pointblanknews.com ’s corporate headquarters in Manhattan,
New York last week, he was again his characteristic self. He held
nothing back. He confessed the undue favors extended to him by some
of the key actors in the Nigerian intrigue. And issued a range of
challenges to living Nigerian leaders to speak up on their atrocities and
rape of the country.

He was interviewed by POINTBLANKNEWS Managing Editor,
OLADIMEJI ABITOGUN.
Excerpts:
You got into student union politics very early. How did that happen?
I was interested in politics immediately I entered the University of
Lagos. University of Lagos, as you know, was very unique and strategic
in Nigeria, not because of anything, but because of its location close to
the government, because Lagos was where the seat of government was
then.
So very early during my undergraduate years I was involved in students’
union politics. In 1983, one of my friends, actually I was his campaign
manager, Lateef Gbadamosi, became the president of University of
Lagos Students’ Union. If you could remember, his secretary-general
was late Chris Imodibe who eventually died in Liberia while working at
the Guardian as Foreign Correspondent.
Mr. Imodibe was part of our group and it was the first time I met Chief
Abiola. It was Gbadamosi who invited him to our campus. He was with
us at the Students’ Union Building. From there we went with him to Eni
Njoku Buttery he ate with us and addressed us. That was my first time
of meeting Chief M.K.O. Abiola in real life. Gbadamosi later graduated
and left the University of Lagos. I participated in politics and became
the president before I was eventually removed.
What led to your removal and how were you removed?
Well, we had problems. When Abiola learnt that I was preparing to play
politics in UNILAG in 1984, he sent for me. But I ran into problems with
the administration of the then Vice Chancellor, Prof. Akin Adesola as a
result of my principled opposition to some of the policies. I was banned
from contesting the presidency of the Students’ Union. I had problems
at the University. I almost became a permanent student. It was hot
(laughs). So I took a year off. And I went to Abiola’s house and
explained my situation.
Were you on suspension or you acted on personal volition?
I was not on suspension. I acted on my own because I was also having
some academic problems. Let me just say that I was not in a hurry to
graduate. That is why I said it was fun. Well I had an interesting
meeting with Chief Abiola who, having listened to me, gave me a letter
to the then Deputy Editor of National Concord, Mr. Ismaila Mohammed.
That was in 1984. That was how I knew and witnessed the Babangida
coup of 1985. You want us to continue from there?
What kind of personality did Chief Abiola project when you first met
him?
There were many students. We all surrounded him at the Buttery.
Gbadamosi brought him. So many people hated Gbadamosi because
there was the erroneous impression that the students’ union was being
sold to the government of National Party of Nigeria (NPN) led by Shehu
Shagari. Lateef Gbadamosi had gone to congratulate Alhaji Shagari for
being re- elected in 1983 shortly before he was removed by the
military.
Abiola was a very simple person. He ate with us. He waited in line.
Everybody saw him in queue, he was served. He projected a populist
personality. He made people laugh. People liked him. That was my first
time in his company. He took and shook my hand after I was
introduced to him by Lateef Gbadamosi. And that was it.
Nigerians often complain about falling standard of education. I feel it
has always been that way. How were things during your time?
I was president of UNILAG Students’ Union from 1985 to 1986. To me, I
think Nigerian students can hold their own anywhere in the world.
Pointedly, it was General Babangida who spoiled the Nigerian
educational heritage. His pathological hatred for any organized
opposition made him to move against the educational system. That
was why he targeted students’ unionism.
Student union association was not voluntary during our time. So long a
student was duly admitted, such a student was made to pay the union
fee alongside the university tuition. Students cannot aspire to full
leadership training without a rallying point like the union. The cults
mushroomed because Babangida sacrificed the union.
Administrators, professors and every other component of university
system are in place because students came to school. When students
are denied their rights to associate, when the platform for such
association, the union is destroyed, something so important for
students to agitate for their interests, students become cultists. You
are here in the United States; you see how Nigerian students excel. But
the Babangida regime was very silly. The man systematically destroyed
our schools and he destroyed our heritage as well.
But the man had his argument. He said some professors were
“extremists” who were teaching what they were not paid to teach. He
felt that unionism was being democratized when students had options
of joining or not joining but strictly listen, learn and graduate… He was
only trying to run Nigeria like a military barrack. He could not expect to
arrive at a consensus on behalf of 120 million Nigerians. He also could
not assume that Nigerians, 120 million, would have consensus on an
issue. That is what society is about. What is a university? The
university is supposed to mould its products to have questioning
minds. That is what the university system is supposed to teach, to
develop minds to such a degree where they can question things.
There is no way you proffer solution to the multifarious problems of
modern societies if university students do not have questioning minds.
So it is mere bunkum. Universities are not supposed to be military
academy where ideas have to be regimented and you have to
regurgitate what your professors are teaching you. That has been the
tradition. All over the world that has been the tradition of the university.
Babangida and his cohorts, all these people they never attended a
traditional university, so what do you expect? They wielded out radicals
like Patrick Wilmot and Festus Iyayi from what should be a natural
environment.
Who should decide what university students are supposed to be
taught?
You had met Abiola. You later became the president of the students’
union government of UNILAG. You have not explained what actually led
to your removal from office.
There was a contemporary called Panaf (shortened form of Pan
Africanism). His real name was Olajide Olakanmi. He was the president
of ULSU (University of Lagos Students’ Union) in 1981. Unbeknownst to
most students of University of Lagos, he was, and I think till today was
an informant for the State Security Service, SSS. He was given some
money; most students would not know this that is why I am disclosing
this, after almost twenty years. He was parading himself at UNILAG as
a radical but he was actually working for the SSS. He first brought
some money when I was contesting for the presidency to assist me in
order to become, purportedly, the president of the students’ union. They
claimed they embezzled some union funds but my budget had not even
been passed by the Student Union Senate but every right-thinking
person at Unilag at that time knew they orchestrated my removal
because Akin Adesola, the VC knew I was too tough for him. That was
the wholetruth.
How much?
At that time, it was two thousand naira. Meanwhile, my friend, Lateef
Gbadamosi, had warned me about the foggy moves of Panaf. Elsewhere,
in some of the places we used to go, we had tips that Panaf had
collected money from the SSS. He had assured them that he could
influence political events at UNILAG. Things were usually super-
charged in those days and the security service were always interested
in who should become the leaders in those days. And actually, I was
approached after I became president, if I was interested in becoming an
operative or informant. And since I was not interested, they demanded
to have a nominee from me. I gave them the name of one guy we used
to call Tonee. He was my campaign manager.

How much?
At that time, it was two thousand naira. Meanwhile, my friend, Lateef
Gbadamosi, had warned me about the foggy moves of Panaf. Elsewhere,
in some of the places we used to go, we had tips that Panaf had
collected money from the SSS. He had assured them that he could
influence political events at UNILAG. Things were usually super-
charged in those days and the security service were always interested
in who should become the leaders in those days. And actually, I was
approached after I became president, if I was interested in becoming an
operative or informant. And since I was not interested, they demanded
to have a nominee from me. I gave them the name of one guy we used
to call Tonee. He was my campaign manager.
Was this another payment apart from what Panaf was to pay your
campaign?
Panaf had already graduated and he was actually working with UNILAG
then. He read integrated social science. He served as president and
graduated. Then he went back to the university as a worker. As a
matter of fact, Olu Shodimu, the present Registrar of the University of
Lagos, was actually a student leader, later worker for the SSS. The
point is, at the University of Lagos, if you become a student union
leader, the SSS would approach and try to recruit you. So there are
many student leaders who the Nigerian masses often take for radicals,
even activists out there. They are mostly phonies (laughs). So, Panaf
Olajide Olakanmi got the money and used the money to buy himself a
Citroën car. Anthony Kayode, whom I had nominated for the SSS job did
not get the job because at that point, there were serious disagreements
and we were sacked.
How much was involved sir?
Well, I would not know. But Panaf brought to me two thousand naira.
And Alozie Ogugbuaja, the then Police Public Relations Officer told
Lateef Gbadamosi and I that we used to visit Ogugbuaja, the man who
accused the military of always idly drinking pepper soup and had the
time to stale cups. He was removed. But because I had the information
and I travelled to Bayero University Kano for NANS convention and
before I came back, Panaf Olu Sodimu and the students’ union
authorities colluded and removed me before I came back from Kano.
This was in February 1985. That is exactly what happened.
Would you say if ULSU was an exception or was it the standard
practice all over Nigeria for the SSS to aggressively recruit students’
leaders?
Hmn, I think throughout the 80’s down to the time Babangida came
after Ahmadu Bello University, ABU crisis of 1986, when students were
killed in Kaduna and Babangida set up a panel led by Segun Okeowo
and some leaders, up till the time that the Justice Akanbi panel
recommended voluntary unionism, I think they felt the need was no
longer strong to compromise student leaders. Uptill my time, it was
standard practice like I explained UNILAG being the cynosure of all
eyes, due to its strategic location, I think that they did that in other
universities, Ibadan in particular.
They say NANS president now has escort cars with sirens. Was it also
like that in your time?
No. I am sure they are doing that because of politics. That was not the
practice. Students’ union officials may be important to them now
because of politics. And of course some of these so-called student
leaders, there are other things they do now, take university girls and go
and give them in Abuja. Things do not happen in Lagos anymore. It is
now Abuja. And I read many heart breaking things from Nigerian news
papers. But my conclusion, before I left Nigeria ten years ago was that,
students’ union is dead in Nigeria.
How did you come to know so much about the August 1985,
Babangida coup d’etat?
I had left university of Lagos for one year like I said. I lived in a military
barrack, the Ikeja cantonment. I lived there with an uncle and that was
when I started working with the Concord. I actually had three people in
Ikeja cantonment at that time. I do not want to mention their names
because one of them is still in active military service. One is here now
in the United States, came originally as a political assylee. The other
one has retired. I would not like to mention their names. But I was
living with them. The Babangida coup was planned around Ikeja
cantonment. I have to tell you this General Muhammadu Buhari, the
then Head of State is still alive, he knew it two weeks before the
coupists struck. And for the first time, Nigerians should be able to know
why Babangida staged the coup, because we have heard so many
stories. There have been several guesses all over the place. Of course I
am not a coup plotter, but we heard the real truth because welived in
the barracks.
My senior colleague, Dr. Taiwo Ogunade of City University of New York
has been able to also disclose some of these information. Basically,
what I want to say is that Chief Abiola was the one who sponsored the
Babangida coup in 1985. And the reason Babangida struck was because
he had been marked down by Buhari and Idiagbon for drug running. For
posterity reasons, all these things should be disclosed to Nigerians.
Brigadier Aliyu Mohammed, you have heard of his name. He later
became a Lieutenant–General. He was brought back by Babangida to
become National Security Adviser, NSA to Obasanjo. This man and
Babangida were actually involved in drug running when Babangida was
chief of Army Staff to Buhari regime.
Babangida has been amply rewarded as one of the arrowheads of the
coup that toppled Alhaji Shehu Shagari. The other key players in that
coup were Late Tunde Idiagbon, Mamman Vatsa and late Brigadier –
General Ibrahim Bako. Buhari was brought in as the head of that
government as a compromise leader after Bako had been killed in the
coup at the presidential palace in Abuja while attempting to arrest
Shagari. Idiagbon became Chief of Staff, Supreme Headquarters for
ethnic balancing. Remember? He was a Yoruba from Kwara state. The
coup plotters ran into serious problems. Major Jokolo, who became the
Emir of Gwandu, was one of them. He threatened them that none of
them would leave Dodan Barracks alive after the takeover. Idiagbon had
made a broadcast to the nation. That was 31 st of December, 1983.
Buhari was then the General Officer commanding in Jos, Plateau State.
They were deliberating on who would step into Bako’s shoes. Jokolo
insisted…
Point of observation, sir, General Babangida, in an interview with Point
Blank News/people’s magazine, said that Brigadier General Bako was
never in consideration for the exalted office of Head of State. Then who
were they considering for that position? As usual, the deceptive general
said Buhari was the first choice Buhari was never part of the original
plotters of the coup. He said Buhari had always been the first choice.
No question. Number two, you said there was an ethnic balancing, but
that was not obvious. Buhari/Idiagbon was a moslem/moslem and
North/North ticket. Ilorin was in the North.
Remember I was not in the military, I am a civilian. I did not take part
in their coup. But you know Ilorin people. When things are robust they
claim south. When things twist otherwise, they claim north. The name
Tunde Idiagbon, is a Yoruba name, the man wasa moslem. They put
him there to look like geo-political balancing. The point is that Buhari
was not one of the ring leaders of that coup. He came in as a
compromise candidate. The composition of that government was
changed because Bako died at the presidential palace. I was twenty
three or twenty four at that time. It wasn’t as if I knew much.
The one I knew very well the coup that Babangida himself planned. The
coup was neither motivated by altruistic motive nor by patriotic motive.
It was a self survival coup d’etat. That is the point I want to stress.
There are different ways coups take place in third world countries. It
could be to reject oppression, change a bad direction for a country or to
serve patriotic purpose on how a nation should be governed. None of
these reasons motivated Babangida to organize his coup.
His career was on the line. He had his back to the wall, because of his
activities as a former GOC and as the Chief of Army Staff under Buhari
regime. You should also know that Obasanjo knew and subscribed to
the coup that toppled Buhari. Like Babangida, Aliyu Mohammed was
also a drug baron that was well known to Buhari and Idiagbon. Aliyu
Mohammed was slated for retirement as well. Babangida and
Mohammed were both marked down for retirement and possible trial.
Ambassador Mohammed Rafindadi was in charge of the then National
Security Organization, NSO, now known as State Security Service, SSS.
He, Rafindadi was an uncle to Buhari. When they came into office, a lot
of things were going on and they discovered Idiagbon insisted on death
penalty for drug pushers. And most of the drug peddlers and
international couriers were Babangida’s boys. As a matter of fact,
Babangida’s clique introduced drug-running into Nigeria. When Buhari
regime uncovered the elaborate entrenched Babangida drug-running
network and the rumor of his wife, Maryam’s involvement as well, they
penciled him down for retirement. We shall talk about the Gloria Okon
connection later.
The Babangida’s removal announcement had been scheduled for
October 1, 1985. Babangida knew and staged the coup to pre-empt the
calamity of October. They had the coup plans. They wanted to strike in
October, but with Babangida’s pending retirement, they quickly brought
the date back to August. After they had agreed, the boys, Abubakar
Umar, Abdul Aminu, Lawan Gwadabe and Anthony Ukpo went to Otta to
inform Obasanjo that they wanted to remove the Buhari/Idiagbon
regime. Any military coup also needed Obasanjo’s clearance. There is
no coup in Nigeria, either successful or abortive that Obasanjo does not
know of. You know he had this phony organization called African
Leadership Forum. It was all a ruse He used that organization for
anything but leadership training. He came here to the Council of
Foreign Relations to collect the initial money to set up that clandestine
organization. Anyway, that was the body they used to plan anti-people
policies at Ota including coup planning.
Nzeogu’s coup as well?
I am talking of anything that happened after he became Head of State
in 1976. He was even in the know about the coup that killed General
Muritala Mohammed.
You mean he knew about the Dimka’s plot?
Yes of course. That was why he left for Abeokuta that day. The CIA has
documents in the United States here about this.
But he maintained the face of the avenger of his boss’s death to all of
us. Are you accusing Obasanjo of hypocrisy?
Yes. He became the Head of State and checkmated the other plotters.
He knew of the 1976 coup. That is why I said he always knows about
every coup plot including that of Abacha. Well maybe because he would
have access to intelligence estimates as a former leader of the
nation. We shall talk more about that. So the boys went to him in Otta.
They gave him a note to know if he had a candidate in office. He did
not want any obvious association, but he gave them the name of his
cousin, Onaolapo Soleye who was a lecturer at the Department of
Economics at the University of Ibadan to become Buhari’s Minister of
Finance. Buhari drifted and his economic policies were harsh. Obasanjo
tried to advice him then, they snubbed him. He was annoyed and that
was why he said he would never talk to a “deaf regime”. He had a pre-
existing axe to grind with the Buhari regime.
So when the IBB boys came to tell him that they wanted to remove
Buhari, he asked to know who they had as Buhari’s substitute. They
said Babangida. He said o.k.
He said that? Would he not have had intelligence that IBB was a drug
baron?
He said o.k. I don’t know what he knew or what he did not know. He
gave them his blessings. They told him they had a problem. What was
the problem, he asked? They said with Buhari, it would be very easy to
topple the government, but with Idiagbon, they did not want to kill
anybody. How would they get Idiagbon out of the way? They want
Obasanjo to call Idiagbon to lure him to go out of the country to go to
Saudi Arabia on Umrah, the lesser Hajj. Obasanjo invited Tunde
Idiagbon. Tunde Idiagbon came to Obasanjo’s farm at Otta. It was the
first time Idiagbon smiled to journalists. He was always frowning, but
he laughed for the first time in Obasanjo’s farm. Obasanjo gave him the
bogey advice that it was time for Nigeria to court the economic co-
operation of the Saudis and the Middle East, so that the economy of
the country could be revived. It was a dummy idea of the Babangida
boys to get Tunde Idiagbon out of the way. And when Tunde Idiagbon
wasgoing, they were also afraid of Vatsa, he was in charge of the
Federal Capital Territory, FCT. Vatsa was asked to go with him on Holy
pilgrimage to Mecca. During the Sallah celebration, they took over
power. The coup was staged on a Friday. It was at Ikeja cantonment.
The private jet that conveyed Babangida from Lagos to Minna where he
went for the Sallah holiday was an Abiola personal aircraft. Abiola had
travelled out of Nigeria a week before the coup which took place on 27
th of August, 1985. Abiola had walked into our newsroom at Concord
to address all of us in the newsroom and that was where he told us
“we should forget about this government”.
Most people did not know what was happening. I was working at
Concord and was in the news room when he said it. He said that the
government was gone. A week later, the coup was staged and
Babangida became the Head of State. The point I want to make was
that the coup was that of a self- survival. It was not patriotically
motivated. It had nothing to do with nationalistic agenda. It was selfish
and that is why Babangida exhibited the kind of evil reign that we
witnessed for eight years. That is the point I want to make. Buhari-
Idiagbon came to rescue Nigeria from the destruction of Shehu Shagari.
22 months later, Babangida came not for any reason but for his own
survival because he was about to be tried for drug-running.

It is not so obvious to the general public that IBB was a drug dealer.
We heard of his wife and Gloria Okon, Dele Giwa’s connection. We do
not have any fact of IBB’s direct involvement. How is it hidden from
us?
No. It is not hidden. I don’t know why in Nigeria. The press is there,
the newspapers are there. It is not hidden at all. All the top journalists
are there and nobody is talking now because IBB is still alive. You will
see them talking immediately the man is dead. He has interests in
virtually all the newspapers. You know what I mean?
Let all these people talk. Segun Osoba, Farouk Mohammed, Yemi
Ogunbiyi, Ajibola Ogunsola, Sam Pemu Amuka, Stanley Macebuh,
Patrick Dele-Cole, Imeh Umanah, Alex Akinyele, Tony Momoh, Doyin
Abiola, Felix Adenaike, Banji Kuroloja, Dan Agbese, Yakubu Mohammed,
Soji Akinrinnade, Raymond Ekpu. Let all of these people open up. And
they all know why Mr. Dele Giwa was killed.
Infact, the story you are talking about that Dele Giwa was killed over,
these people, top journalists they have it in Nigeria. If I could have it
then, I was the first person to go public with the story in September
1993 before my senior colleague; Dr. Taiwo Ogunade of CUNY now
came out to corroborate it. I was the only person through Razor, who
came out to stick my neck then.
Sir, that was the story?
It was Babangida who planned the death of Dele Giwa. It was
Babangida that killed him. It is very obvious. Senator Florence Ita –
Giwa, Dele Giwa’s former wife knew. The one they now call Mama
Bakkassi was a girl friend to Aliyu Mohammed, the one I just told you
was to be retired with IBB, although he later changed his name to
Mohammed Gusau just to deceive Nigerians.
You sure he is the same person?
Oh sure. He is the same person because immediately Babangida
became Head of State, Babangida brought him back. Gusau Mohammed
was about to be gazetted by the Buhari regime. I just told you why
they struck. Babangida left him with Abacha, and Gusau later became a
Lt-General. He was the person whom Babangida brought back to
become National Security Adviser to Obasanjo. That is why Obasanjo
was governing but did not rule and Nigerians did not know for eight
years. Every step that Obasanjo wanted to take Aliyu Mohammed Gusau
was always there. I mean your national security adviser is your life.
Don’t you know? That is why IBB foisted the guy on Obasanjo. There
are a lot of things in Nigeria, that Nigerians cannot hear about now
until when IBB is dead. That was why he spread his tentacles all over
the newspapers. And those whose names I have mentioned are alive…
What is the deal that IBB made with those notable journalists?
Immediately Babangida came into power, he knew that any journalist
who was about town had the story. The first thing he did was to make
Aliyu Mohammed (Gusau) the Directorate of Military Intelligence man.
He surreptitiously was Babangida’s National Security Adviser, NSA.
They had to cover their past dirty stuff. The man called all the top
journalists in Nigeria, all these names that I have just given you, they
assembled at the DMI, there was no DMI before IBB took over. He set
up the Directorate of Military Intelligence at Apapa where they took me
to under Abacha (Lagos).
So he now called them and said gentlemen, we want to cultivate the
friendship of the press. If there is any story that is incriminating, we
want to be sharing ideas, let us know. You understand now? You know
they have their press briefing, media chat. Exactly. I have told you that
there are always two stories in Nigeria: the official story, which they
want the people to hear and the unofficial underlying real story that
they do not want you and I to know.
Are you saying, sir, that the media is guilty of mediocrity in all of
this?
No. I have told you of the institutional problem of media operations and
ownership. The guys who are stealing the money are the ones rich
enough to set up newspapers in Nigeria. And who will pay the piper
would dictate the tune. Look at all the newspapers in Nigeria. Tell me
which one is not being bank-rolled by these bad guys. That was why
when I set up the Razor, it became a phenomenon in Nigeria, besides
being modest. If I had one of the Generals as my chairman, do you
think I would be able to publish all those stories? This is the problem in
Nigeria. Nigerian newspapers are owned by the same set of people who
are causing the problems; they have control over all the newspapers.
Tell me which paper, tell me in which paper does Babangida not have
shares in Nigeria, by proxy?
After killing Dele Giwa, he told one of his guys, Mike Adenuga, to go
acquire shares in Newswatch. Babangida has shares today in
Newswatch. Let Ray Ekpu, Soji Akirinnade, Dan Agbese and Yakubu
Mohammed come out and tell Nigerians. That is why those guys can’t
do anything.
Is it Vanguard you want to tell me about? He has shares. Let Amuka
come out and deny it. How much did he have when he left Olu
Aboderin’s The Punch? VANGUARD was about to die. Are you listening
to me? VANGUARD was about to die when Babangida came and
injected funds into the place.
O.K. Is it Tony Momoh? IBB knew that Tony Momoh knew about the
death of Dele Giwa, he made him Minister of Information. Is it Alex
Akinyele? Akinyele was a Director on the Newswatch’s board. He also
made Akinyele Minister of Information.That was why IBB said “Oh, I
know Nigerians very well”.
What of Guardian? Do you know that the Dasuki family in Sokoto has
shares in Guardian? I am telling you that they sit on the board. And you
know the closeness of the Dasukis and the Babangidas. How would
Guardian write anything? You know the owners, the Ibrus collected
contracts from the Babangidas too.
Is it Ajibola Ogunsola of The Punch that would go against Babangida?
There is only one news organization in Nigeria that can rattle the
government, perhaps, maybe The News.
All of them. Is it The Sun? It just came out through Orji Uzor Kalu. Kalu
was also a Babangida boy. The Daily Independent is owned by Ibori.
James Ibori was an Abacha goon. He has not spoken up on his
connection with the death of Chief Alfred Rewane. Which other one?
The Nation owned by Tinubu?
Sir, Tinubu was a democracy crusader…
He said he was (laughs) He was.
You were part of the movement, how sincere was he?
There was no movement really. We were fractured. We shall get to that
later. It was a loose coalition of like minds. There was no platform that
we really had. Even NADECO (National Democratic Coalition) itself was
a contraption. We all just felt there must be a way for us to resist the
Abacha INSULT, the dictatorship. We were so disjointed. Everybody had
different agenda. There was not concerted effort.
Let us go back a little bit on your allegation that prominent journalists
benefitted over the death of Dele Giwa. Investigative journalists like us
find it difficult to connect the dots.
What dots?
Yes, it was not so obvious that the letter bomb came from IBB. Gani
Fawehinmi and many other theorists said it did come from “C-In-C”,
Halilu Akilu, Col. Togun are not talking.
Let me clear that one for you. Buhari wanted to make Dele Giwa
Minister of Information. Buhari actually granted his maiden interview to
Dele Giwa, Ray Ekpu and Yakubu Mohammed for the Concord in
February, 1984. In the interview, Buhari said “I would tamper with the
press”. That was how Decree No. 4 was promulgated.
After the interview, Buhari made overtures to make Dele Giwa the
Minister of Information. Buhari called M.K.O. Abiola and said “I want to
make your editor the Minister of Information”, because Dele Giwa was
editing Sunday Concord then. M.K.O. Abiola said Dele Giwa would not
be interested. That was one of the reasons Dele Giwa left Concord. He
was not consulted before Abiola determined his fate.
His fate was determined just like that?
Exactly. Meanwhile Dele Giwa was married to Florence Ita – Giwa. The
one who later became a Senator. Ita – Giwa was annoyed that Abiola
could not own Dele Giwa’s life even if he was working for him. She
wanted him to leave and set up his own. Don’t forget the two, Dele
Giwa and Florence Ita had met shortly after Dele returned to Nigeria.
They met in Surulere. There was the lady called Ani Okpaku that Dele
had separated with. They were in good company with Vera Ifudu. Her
other sister was Dora Ifudu at the then NTA. It was Vera who had a
birthday celebration party. She invited all the big guys. The late Chris
Okolie was there, Sam Amuka – Pemu was there. Florence attended.
She had just had a problem, frustration with her former guy here in the
U.S. There at the birthday gig she met Dele Giwa and they went home
and became so close and that was how they later married.
Dele Giwa only knew of what Abiola did through Florence. Florence was
going out with Aliyu Mohammed. Mohammed was the one who told her
that Buhari planned to make her husband Minister of Information.
Florence was still a lady in town. Several of the top military brass were
having a good time with her. She was generous with her endowment
around then. Thank you very much, and would then get her contracts.
This was one of the reasons Dele Giwa divorced her. They both could be
intimate and in the heat of that moment one General or the other would
be on the phone with her. Her Husband could be hearing the voice of a
General underground. Dele was annoyed. But he bargained for it. They
met at a party and went from there into marriage. She would tell Dele
to “shut up, I have known these people before I knew you”.
When the parcel bomb that killed Dele was to be delivered, they did not
know Dele Giwa’s house. Dele had moved to a new place in Opebi area
in the same Ikeja. Abiola had told him to leave after he left Sunday
Concord. He had a Mercedes Benz given to him by Abiola. He moved
because they now believed so much in their new project, Newswatch.
They did not know his new house.
Aliyu Mohammed was the one who volunteered the information that he
knew his former wife, Florence. He sent for Florence and when she
came, he asked for Dele Giwa’s new residential address. He knew they
still saw from time to time though they were no longer married.
She described the new address to them. She pointed her former
husband’s address. She did not know that they were after his life, that
they wanted to kill him.
She said oh, she normally goes there but that he had moved from
Adolphus Davis and that he now lived at Opebi. They said they needed
to know the place that was how the babe volunteered the address at
Opebi.
The lady knew a lot. That was why Aliyu Mohammed (Gusau) brought
her into the strategic position of Presidential Liaison Officer in the
National Assembly during Obasanjo’s regime. They were the ones who
gave her money to go and contest in Akwa Ibom. Florence Ita – Giwa
should speak up. Why has she kept quiet for almost twenty three
years?
So this is a challenge for her to speak up?
Yes. I am throwing her that challenge. If the incident I have just
narrated is a lie, let her come out and say so. But you see it is the
truth. Nigerians must know. She should be able to tell us what
happened to her former husband like that. Do you know, she has not
granted any interview to anybody?
But she is media savvy. I am surprised she has never spoken about
this, if it did happen?
Yes. The press in Nigeria will not ask her such questions (laughs). This
is the tragedy of the Nigerian press. They would not ask her. They
would be shouting “Mama Bakkassi” with those inconsequential
questions. They should be able to ask her “what do you know about the
death of your former husband”? “Why, all of a sudden, was she so
close to Aliyu Mohammed? She lived far away from her home base.
How did she work it and become a Senator? How did she do it and hold
the position for eight years? She was in Aso Rock. Obasanjo’s
Presidential Liaison Officer, National Security Matters. I have just told
you how she got there. It is just to shut her mouth up. Your next
question.
You said that the pro-democracy movement was not organized as
such, that it was a loose coalition. Could you please explain what you
are talking about?
How do I mean?
I need to be educated further, because what Nigerians saw was
organized onslaught against the military.
It was an ad-hoc movement. It was an emergency set up. The arrow
head was the late Papa Ajasin (Adekunle) Ajasin, who felt the stupidity
of the military must be stopped. As a young Nigerian then, that was the
only Nigerian that I had seen that had Nigeria’s genuine interest. He
loved Nigeria as a nation. That old man was very committed. Very very
incorruptible. If there was any Nigerian who lived what they preached, it
was that man. He was transparently honest. There are only very few
Nigerian politicians who will be placing phone call on the Inland
Revenue to demand when his next pension would come. Only very few
people would be chairman of a Local Government Area in Nigeria or
Governor in a state without a private generating set. He did not have a
generator. NEPA would take light and that was it. Baba would call for
the candle to be lit. This is not what I read or because we were from
the same hometown, I studied him at close range. Several times
hewould be sleeping, Abacha would call. He would say that they should
tell him he was sleeping. They could not wake him up. That is Baba for
you. Remember that he was older than Awolowo.
To read the entire report, please go to this link: http://
www.republicreport.com/bombshell-revelation-linking-ibb-to-mko-
abiola-abachas-death%E2%80%94reports/
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REPUBLICREPORT…standing between civilization and anarchy…

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