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NIGERIA’S WHITEWASHED HEADS OF STATE — THE KANO EMPERORS (3)
By: Akinyemi, Muhammed Adedeji
Phantom Coup
The coup trial of 1995 was a farce, with over 300 military personnel and civilians arrested and tortured to admit to committing a non-existent coup (1). The coup was tagged a phantom coup, and journalists who reported that it was a ruse were equally arrested. Chris Anyanwu, a popular Nigerian journalist working with The Sunday Magazine was arrested and sentenced to life imprisonment, which was commuted to 15 years, for reporting on a failed coup d’état (2). Anyanwu’s was a spectacular case because before she published the existence of a supposedly failed-coup, the director of defence information denied the existence of such, only for Abdusalam Abubakar, Chief of Defence Staff to announce 3 days later that there had been a coup (3).
The Special Investigation Panel (SIP) claimed to have found evidence for 3 different but overlapping coup plots, one allegedly headed by Colonels Gwadabe and Bello-Fadile, a second led by Major Akinloye Akinyemi and a third led by Yar’Adua. It recommended a trial (4). During the coup trial, Obasanjo objected to being tried by a junior officer as a retired 4-star-General, with the only officer with enough rank to try him being Abacha, his objection was overruled. These are the alleged plots:
Plot One: Yar’Adua
Yar’Adua was charged with conspiracy to commit treason, concealment of treason, illegal possession of firearms, and stealing. The prosecution alleged that Yar’Adua instigated another plot by inciting Babangida’s former ADC, Lt-Colonel Sambo Dasuki, who had been a key member of the Babangida Government, and who was also the son of the Sultan of Sokoto, Ibrahim Dasuki (5). Dasuki was out of Nigeria, and unlike Obasanjo, he did not return to face trial. He was declared a political fugitive.
Plot two: Gwadabe and Bello-Fadile
Although away from Nigeria, Dasuki was accused of involving another military man, Bello-Fadile to recruit other soldiers for a coup. After being interrogated by the SIP, Bello-Fadile said he was instructed by Dasuki to meet Yar’Adua who financially sponsored the said coup. According to the prosecution, Dasuki also asked Bello-Fadile to recruit Gwadabe. Bello and Gwadabe…
