Nigerian Star Blames Politics for Murder Charge
By KENNETH B. NOBLE
Published: August 16, 1993

About the only facts on which all sides in the case agree is that the body of a man was found here in January, not far from the house of Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, Nigeria's most popular musician and an outspoken critic of the military Government.

Fela, as the 54-year-old singer and saxophonist is known, has since been arrested, jailed, charged with murder and released on bond. He vigorously denies any involvement in the killing, and he calls the charges ludicrous and politically motivated.

"These people aren't serious," he said of his prosecutors the other day. "It's just another one of their ploys to trap me."

"This is how the military works in this country," Fela added as he relaxed at his home here in his standard press interview attire -- bikini underwear. "They make things up. They'll try anything to get you." Family Under Pressure

The question of Fela's guilt or innocence is not likely to be resolved soon. His lawyer, Femi Falana, was arrested last month and charged with sedition, an offense that carries the death penalty. So too, has Beko Ransome-Kuti, Fela's younger brother, a doctor and former chairman of the local medical society who is among the musician's closest advisers.


About the same time, Gani Fawehinmi, another lawyer and a prominent civil rights advocate who has often advised Fela, was also arrested for sedition and held without bail. And even Fela's wife, Fehintola, was arrested last week in a roundup of dissidents although she was released the next day.

What members of Fela's large extended family -- which includes relatives by blood and marriage and an assortment of lawyers, accountants, musicians and political figures -- have in common is their highly vocal and persistent opposition to Nigeria's military Government.

Many of them are leaders in the Campaign for Democracy, a coalition of about 40 trade unions and civil rights groups that has emerged as the leading opposition to the military rule of Gen. Ibrahim Babangida. Campaign for Democracy

It was the Campaign for Democracy that brought Nigeria's largest cities, including Lagos, to a standstill on Thursday, Friday and Saturday with three days of civil disobedience to protest the Government's decision to annul presidential elections held in June.

In turn, the soldiers who have ruled black Africa's most populous country for 24 of the 33 years since it gained independence from Britain have made no secret of their distaste for Fela or his friends and colleagues.

Fela's former communal compound, called the kalakuta, was raided countless times, most notably in 1977, when soldiers destroyed the building and threw his 77-year-old mother out of a second-story window. His mother, Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti, a prominent campaigner for women's rights, died of her injuries the next year.

One of the most publicized conflicts between the authorities and Fela, who has been imprisoned many times, occurred in 1984. In November of that year he was arrested at the Lagos airport on his way to the United States for a concert tour. Convicted of exporting foreign currency -- 1,500 British pounds -- he was sentenced to five years in jail. In 1985, when General Babangida, came to power in a coup, Fela was released, having served 18 months, and until the last year or so, the authorities had generally left him alone. During most of that period, one of Fela's brothers, Olikoye Ransome-Kuti served as Minister of Health in General Babangida's Government.

In the meantime, many of Fela's relatives and associates, particularly his brother Beko, have stepped up their attacks against General Babangida's increasingly authoritarian rule. Indeed, last year Beko Ransome-Kuti became the chairman of the Campaign for Democracy. Getting Back at Fela?

Then came the death of Adesanwo Shokoya. According to the authorities, Mr. Shokoya, was a technician with Egypt 80, Fela's band. Last January some band members accused Mr. Shokoya of embezzling money, and Fela ordered that he be punished, police testified in court. Mr. Shokoya reportedly died from blows he received from two men who whipped him until he collapsed, the police said.

No one has accused Fela of witnessing the incident or being near the scene, but he was later arrested and charged with conspiracy and murder. As many Nigerians see it, the case is being used by the authorities as a way of getting back at Fela, his brother, Beko, and other dissidents who have formed the core of an increasingly effective opposition movement.

The Campaign for Democracy has planned another general protest for the period leading up to Aug. 27, the date General Babangida has said he will step down.

"Fela is certainly a nuisance, but he's no murderer," said a newspaper editor here, who emphasized that he is no admirer of the man or his music. "He's being punished not for what he's done, but for who he is."

Fela said he had been advised not to talk about the specifics of the case and declined to discuss the incident. But Beko Ransome-Kuti's daughter, Morenike Ransome-Kuti, a Lagos lawyer, said being harassed by the military authorities "is almost a way of life in our family, you're used to it after a while."

She added, "It's the price you have to pay when you're fighting for certain things."

Fela will forever be a legend .All the song has truly reflected what is happening today. His music impacted a lot but the ruling class know the truth and they will always hide from the truth. Are we still not in limbo, politcal impasse, still crawling and learn how to walk? What a country!

RIP Fela

IBB thought that because he released Fela from prison and appointed his brother to a ministerial post, that Fela and his family would stop being critical of his government.

I have so much respect for Fela.

IBB= evil

@General Buhari.

You are absolutely right that "IBB = evil".

I think some of the military old boys ( OBJ, IBB et al) have done and continue to do grave damage to Nigeria. They should be totally neutralised but political sophistication seems to be coming to Nigeria extremely slowly because of our unique challenges others do not face.

That's my role model.

Acid talk....... Nothing but the truth.