₦airaland Forum

How we ferried Globacom boss Adenuga into exile on night of Orkar’s coup – Osiyemi


Prince Bayo Osiyemi, a former Chief Press Secretary to the first civilian governor of Lagos State, Alhaji Lateef Jakande, has revealed how the CEO of Globacom Limited, Chief Mike Adenuga, was ferried into exile on the night of Major Gideon Orkar-led military coup against the Gen. Ibrahim Babangida-led military administration on April 22, 1990.

Osiyemi in his memoir due for launch in February next year to commemorate his 75th birthday anniversary, stated disclosed that the Globacom boss had to ferried out the moment the coup was announced because of his closeness to the former military president.

This he said he did in conjunction with a friend, Titus Fapohunda, using a brand of Volkswagen car popularly called Beetle, because they feared that Adenuga could become a target for the coup plotters.

He said: “I had experienced Otunba Dr Michael Adeniyi Isola Adenuga in diverse ways – his uncommon knack for hard work, his relentless pursuit of excellence and his legendary generosity.

“But his adaptive power came to the fore during the Major Gideon Orkar abortive coup, which could have aborted the dreams of one of Africa’s wealthiest son of Ijebu Igbo, nay all of Africa!

“From my underground security network, I learnt of the Orkar coup in the wee-hours, and my instinct told me I must reach out to my divine helper and townsman and ferry him into safety.

“I designed a smart move and called out one of the most loyal subordinates I had in my Jakande years to please lend me a Volkswagen (Beetle) car to be used to take Mike Adenuga away from his then Oko Awo Street residence in Victoria Island to a safe hiding place.

“Thank God he ran a 24-hour office, and an unexpected call to him through that office demanded that he should be woken up from sleep to get ready for me to help him to exit the country.

“The reason I made the move was simple: from the coup-speech of Orkar, Mike Adenuga, being a close ally of then military President, General Ibrahim Babangida, would have been a sure candidate for instant elimination by the drunken coup plotters.

“Titus Fapohunda, my subordinate and friend for life until death took him away a few years ago, volunteered, also at the risk of his own life, to embark on the rescue journey to Victoria Island from our Ilupeju (Lagos) neighbourhood.

“Mike Adenuga was ready for me by the time we arrived at his residence. Visibly shaken, he bundled his bulky frame and adapted himself into the back seat of the choky vehicle. We were to ferry him across the border for him to escape to London through Cotonou.

“But as we approached the Ojo Military Cantonment, its frontage on Badagry Expressway had been blocked with a ferocious-looking military saladin tank. Graciously, a crowd had massed opposite the Cantonment at the break of dawn to watch the events unfolding.

“All three of us – Mike, Titus and I – were overtaken by fright, but as journalists, Titus and I decided to device a method to secure Mike’s safety, which was what mattered most to my friend and I at that point in time.

“I asked Mike (Adenuga) to jump into the drainage channel while Titus and I put our legs on him inside the huge gutter. After a short while, I again decided to move Mike from that spot into Ojo town, to seek refuge in the house of a senior party man and colleague in Jakande’s government, Chief Richard Ege.

“We were there enjoying Ege’s hospitality until the national radio declared in breaking news that the coup had been foiled.

“From there, Mike Adenuga, now saved from a waiting death, escaped to the UK until Babangida reclaimed power, and returned after a short stay in self-exile.”[/quote]https://thenationonlineng.net/how-we-ferried-globacom-boss-adenuga-into-exile-on-night-of-orkars-coup-osiyemi/

Nlfpmod

The rich also cry

Good one. Maybe if not for this act we may not have any indigenous telco today .

Notwithstanding glo must do better

Adenuga, a friend and associate of IBB, now I know why is has so much money. He benefited a lot from the corrupt military regime

We all need that one thoughtful friend in time of need 👍

Orkar ruined the coup by expelling core northern states from the federation

IBB was very generous with goverment money oooh

Now imagine the millions of innovative scientists, inventors, business magnate etc that our ladies have aborted because of pleasure, ignorance and wickedness.

What kind of crappy story is this ? This 1960/70s kind of mythical story , they are still trying to sell in today’s internet age .

Imagine prince Bayo Osiyemi calling Gideon Orkar and his team of revolutionarists,drunken coup plotters.When the main target IBB himself was a coupist whom have been involved in virtualiy all the coup that took place in Nigeria since 1966.An unrepentant junta that denied Nigeria the most freest and fairest election ever held in Nigeria,the resultant effect led to the death of MKO Abiola and denied Nigeria the opportunity of a true democracy.How about Dele Giwa that was exterminated by a letter bomb or the killing of Maman Vasta his best friend,the list is endless.
From your memo sir,it is even now more obvious that it was Yoruba elites that worked with IBB to make sure that MKO Abiola was never allowed to become the president.Events that later unfolded showed how Yoruba Obas and elites were putting pressure on IBB never to relinquish his position to MKO.I can now deduce that Adenuga also made his wealth from the rot of a military junta whom ruled with impunity and reckless abandon and shared our common patrimony to his allies，to which i guess,Adenuga is one of them.

So you’re suggesting he joined in stealing through Babangida?

sleek214:
Adenuga, a friend and associate of IBB, now I know why is has so much money. He benefited a lot from the corrupt military regime

If all the Igbo who benefited from the IBB & Abacha Military Administrations are listed now, you & your hate-filled people will begin to cry foul.

Your vacuous people are experts at removing the speck in their neighbours eyes while leaving the log in their own eyes intact.

Yankee101:
So you’re suggesting he joined in stealing through Babangida?

Mrs Alakija was Maryam Babangida fashion designer

Cc Nlfpmod

Pls tell ur friend to do more on deir glo network,deir service is very poor.