Former President Olusegun
Obasanjo has given insight into
how he has so far escaped death
by the whiskers at least a dozen
times in his 78-year stay on
earth.
In his latest three-volume
autobiography, “My Watch”, Mr.
Obasanjo wrote about how he
survived infant mortality that
consumed all but one of his
siblings, how local herbs and
concoction helped kept him
alive after a life-threatening
scorpion bite, and how he
almost perished in the Ogun
River while learning to swim.
The former president, who
recently spoke to PREMIUM
TIMES about the book , also
narrated how he escaped unhurt
in several auto crashes, and how
he survived a plot by suspected
assassins to kill him at the
University of Ibadan.
Mr. Obasanjo narrated, “Being
one of two of my mother’s
surviving children (out of
seven), I must have had the
grace of God to cross the hurdle
of infant mortality. The other
five never lived up to age one.
The vicissitudes of rural life and
limited resources did not
guarantee survival for children
born in my time and in the
place I was born. Growing up in
the village I was bitten by a
scorpion once, and I survived it.
The local herb and concoction
applied by the native doctor
worked in my case. I heard later
that it did not work in some other cases.
“When I was in primary school in
Abeokuta, I went to the Ogun River to try to
swim. My friend and classmate who went
with me urged me to dive with him into the
water; I asked him to go in first and I would
follow. He dived in and hit his head against
a rock, and he never survived. My mother
pulled my ear and warned me never to go
to the river for swimming again. That
marked the end of my attempt to learn
swimming.
“When I was attached to the Welsh Guards
in Pirbright, I had an accident while
learning to drive. It could have been fatal
for me and and for the oncoming
motorcyclist, but we both survived. On
returning to Nigeria, I had another accident
in which the military vehicle I was driving
without proper authority was a write-off. I
survived with a fractured hand. As a young
officer on a UN Peacekeeping Mission in the
Congo Leopoldville, now Democratic
Republic of Congo, I had an encounter with
Congolese soldiers that could have been
fatal.
“I returned home from the Congo and was
posted to the Nigerian Army Engineers,
where I had to learn to ride a motorcycle
for reconnaissance purposes. I took a
motorcycle ride out alone on training and
had a nasty accident where, again, the
motorcycle was damaged beyond repair,
and I was saved by wearing a steel helmet.
The story of my escaping death by the skin
of my teeth during the civil war when four
of my bodyguards died on the spot has been
told elsewhere.
“When I left public office as a military head
of state, I was appointed Distinguished
Fellow of the University of Ibadan in the
Institute of African Studies. I was given a
house to stay in when I had work in the
university. On one occasion, I was to give a
lecture and to spend the night there; but
curiously, I decided to inspect the whole
building and the compound. I found, to
everybody’s surprise, a neat hole cut
through the glass window; and on the
mosquito wire netting on the window was a
hole close to the head of the bead, just big
enough to accommodate the muzzle of a
pistol. I never slept in that house again. The
whole university community, and Professor
Tekena Tamuno as the vice-chancellor, was
alarmed.
“On my way from Abeokuta to Ogbomosho
to attend the graduation ceremony of pastor
Bolarinwa, who I sponsored to Baptist
Theological Seminary, I was waylaid by
armed robbers. They cut in front of my car
to stop it, got out and shot into the air, and
entered their car and drove off. Calmly, I
got out of the car with my driver and other
passengers. I came to understand that if
they had known that I had been the one in
the car, they would not have zeroed in on
that car, or they would have killed me to
avoid getting arrested. I also understood
that the police followed them to a logical
conclusion. In addition, I have heard all
sorts of fetish stories about how people tried
or were trying to kill me and how I escaped
through supernatural powers. I neither
believe in nor practice anything fetish.
“My greatest escape from untimely death
was brought about through the
machinations and snares of Abacha. Even
that was God’s doing.”
Mr. Obasanjo said because of his several
close shaves with death, people built a myth
around him, circulating tales that he was
more than an ordinary human being.
“Once, a writer described me as a man with
seven lives,” the former President said.
“That is, of course, an exaggeration; there is
no man with more than one life. But when
you have almost miraculously escaped death
on a number of occasions, superstitions and
myths are built around you. One might even
be credited with powers that do not belong
to one. For instance, being called ‘ebora’,
which means spirit.”
Saying he does not believe or indulge in
fetish practices, Mr. Obasanjo said he had
remained alive till now simply because of
God’s consistence generosity to him, a debt
he said he would continue to pay by
“thanking and worshipping God while
placing myself unreservedly in the service
of humanity and God”.
“In my opinion, to whom much is given,
much must be expected. God has done so
much to preserve my life and protect me,”
the former President said.
“He has done so much to pave my way and
crown my efforts with success. Bishop
Hassan Kukah put it this way: “God has
singled you out and has been overgenerous
to you.” I agree with him. And I have
nothing o do excerpt to keep thanking and
worshipping God while placing myself
unreservedly in the service of humanity
and God, continuously on the watch. It is
leadership and responsibility.”

Www.premiumtimesng.com

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In olamide's voice*story for the gods.hmmm.1st to comment. Oya shakiti b*b*

I swear this man is not ordinary

And the 13th time........

Hehe Baba watchout.

OBJ must be very cunny n sturborn while growing up he must have seen hell from his parents during grooming.

imagine he ask the boy to dive firsr

Sir... l guess you love attention a lot.

If I hear say u no dey use juju...

op, did you not attend school?

Check your headline again pls.

Oh baby!
Every day we wake up, WE CHEAT DEATH!
No one is going to live for ever abi?