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| MKO’s Scion, Lekan Abiola joined his brother and Author of the book, Jamiu Abiola to serch for Dad inside Abacha’s gulag |
That was it. It
was over. I had finally given up. There was no way I would ever see my father
again unless through a miracle, which was impossible because the age of
miracles was over. I was being cynical, the last thing that I wanted to be. But
in the meantime I was silently hoping for a miracle even though I had concluded
that it would likely never happen.
We did not go to
the officer’s office till late in the afternoon of the following day. He still
had a gloomy look on his face but he seemed much better than the last time we
saw him. He had news for us. “1 saw your
father yesterday. I told him that the both of you are here and gave him your
letters but he refused to accept them. I even pleaded with him but he did, not
yield. He said that I must bring the both of you so that you can give it to him
by yourselves”
the officer’s office till late in the afternoon of the following day. He still
had a gloomy look on his face but he seemed much better than the last time we
saw him. He had news for us. “1 saw your
father yesterday. I told him that the both of you are here and gave him your
letters but he refused to accept them. I even pleaded with him but he did, not
yield. He said that I must bring the both of you so that you can give it to him
by yourselves”
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| The Author, Jamiu Abiola with brother, Lekan (r) in a presidential encounter with President Yoweri Musoveni of Uganda |
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| General Sani Abacha…Played 419 on MKO Abiola |
After that he
handed the letters back to us. I was surprised by my father’s stance. He
probably still believed that he was dealing with human beings who still had a
bit of conscience, which was probably why he must have thought that his
approach would have forced them to bring us. I wanted to tear up the letters
out of anger but I ended up putting them in my pocket reluctantly. After
thanking the officer for his efforts, my brother and I turned around and walked
away. I was not as depressed as the previous day because I had already prepared
myself in advance for something like this.
handed the letters back to us. I was surprised by my father’s stance. He
probably still believed that he was dealing with human beings who still had a
bit of conscience, which was probably why he must have thought that his
approach would have forced them to bring us. I wanted to tear up the letters
out of anger but I ended up putting them in my pocket reluctantly. After
thanking the officer for his efforts, my brother and I turned around and walked
away. I was not as depressed as the previous day because I had already prepared
myself in advance for something like this.
“I saw your father yesterday. I told him that the
both of you are here and gave him your letters but he refused to accept them. I
even pleaded with him but he did, not yield. He said that I must bring the both
of you so that you can give it to him by yourselves”
 |
| Kudirat Abiola; The Woman who died for her husband in a Political Struggle |
But the
inspector came to us before we got to the door. He pulled out a tiny piece of
paper from his upper pocket and handed it over to me.
“I almost forgot to give this to you. It
is the number of one of General Abacha’s closest aides. He is always with the
general”. He paused then continued. “I told him what your father said and he
thinks that he can be of help. He will consult with the general from time to
time and at the appropriate time, the general will give the green light and you
will see your father. The general will grant your wish because he is kind”.
inspector came to us before we got to the door. He pulled out a tiny piece of
paper from his upper pocket and handed it over to me.
“I almost forgot to give this to you. It
is the number of one of General Abacha’s closest aides. He is always with the
general”. He paused then continued. “I told him what your father said and he
thinks that he can be of help. He will consult with the general from time to
time and at the appropriate time, the general will give the green light and you
will see your father. The general will grant your wish because he is kind”.
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| MKO & Kudirat Abiola; First Nigerian Couple to die for Democracy on a joint fate |
He
smiled broadly after he had finished but what drew my attention the most was
the way he uttered the word general. He made it sound as if he was talking
about a war hero. It was pronounced in the same way that a patriotic Frenchman in the fifties would have said
General
De Gaulle. Just yesterday, this same officer was ashamed of his
general but today he sounded like he worshipped him. I felt disgusted. I put
the paper in my pocket then gave him a piece of my mind. “Tell the general that only God gives anybody, including himself, the
green light to do and undo things”. Looking straight in his eyes I added, “The same way that God gives us a
conscience so that we always do the right thing and follow the right people”.
smiled broadly after he had finished but what drew my attention the most was
the way he uttered the word general. He made it sound as if he was talking
about a war hero. It was pronounced in the same way that a patriotic Frenchman in the fifties would have said
General
De Gaulle. Just yesterday, this same officer was ashamed of his
general but today he sounded like he worshipped him. I felt disgusted. I put
the paper in my pocket then gave him a piece of my mind. “Tell the general that only God gives anybody, including himself, the
green light to do and undo things”. Looking straight in his eyes I added, “The same way that God gives us a
conscience so that we always do the right thing and follow the right people”.
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| MKO Abiola…The Star Boy from Egba Land |
He did not
respond. I knew he would have gotten the message because he looked at the
ground to avoid my eyes. I left his office immediately and never returned there
again. By the time we reached the hotel, the old man looked worried. I was
certain that he was bitter about us not being able to see my father nor present
his clock to General Abacha, but he still had one more trick up his sleeve.
He called me aside once again and said,
“The problem between your father and Abacha seems unsolvable but yesterday
someone suggested a solution that might work”. I gave him a blank look that
he ignored before he continued. “I know
someone who knows some of Abacha’s children. He does not mind introducing you
to them and by the time you guys become friends then they can help you soften
their father’s …”
respond. I knew he would have gotten the message because he looked at the
ground to avoid my eyes. I left his office immediately and never returned there
again. By the time we reached the hotel, the old man looked worried. I was
certain that he was bitter about us not being able to see my father nor present
his clock to General Abacha, but he still had one more trick up his sleeve.
He called me aside once again and said,
“The problem between your father and Abacha seems unsolvable but yesterday
someone suggested a solution that might work”. I gave him a blank look that
he ignored before he continued. “I know
someone who knows some of Abacha’s children. He does not mind introducing you
to them and by the time you guys become friends then they can help you soften
their father’s …”
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| MKO Abiola the Enigma |
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| Jamiu Abiola wants the World to read about the true story of his dad |
I stood up and
walked away from him. He did not bother bringing up the matter again. The
following day we left Abuja but did
not return to Lagos for several days
because we visited someone in another state. By the time we got back to Lagos, I was glad to be far away from
the general. I looked forward to returning to the United States. I made up my mind never to return to Nigeria again
unless my father was released. But on a boring day, almost a month after I had
returned from Abuja, I opened my
travel bag, pulled out the number that the officer had given me and dialed it.
A man answered immediately as if he had been expecting my call. After I had
revealed my identity and the reason behind my call to him, he said sternly, “As I am talking to you now, a foreign
leader is about to arrive in Nigeria and he has insisted that the general receive
him personally at the airport. Such things happen all the time, which makes it
impossible for me to bring up matters such as yours to the general’s
attention”.
walked away from him. He did not bother bringing up the matter again. The
following day we left Abuja but did
not return to Lagos for several days
because we visited someone in another state. By the time we got back to Lagos, I was glad to be far away from
the general. I looked forward to returning to the United States. I made up my mind never to return to Nigeria again
unless my father was released. But on a boring day, almost a month after I had
returned from Abuja, I opened my
travel bag, pulled out the number that the officer had given me and dialed it.
A man answered immediately as if he had been expecting my call. After I had
revealed my identity and the reason behind my call to him, he said sternly, “As I am talking to you now, a foreign
leader is about to arrive in Nigeria and he has insisted that the general receive
him personally at the airport. Such things happen all the time, which makes it
impossible for me to bring up matters such as yours to the general’s
attention”.
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| The Author; ‘The President Who Never Ruled’ Jamiu Abiola says ‘The Best legacy i owe my father is to write this book’ |
 |
| The Book of MKO according to Jamiu Abiola |
He went on to
give me a lecture on the state engagements that the general had to cope with.
Then he promised to call me when he has processed my request. After that he
hung up. I was not disappointed at all because I knew that he would say
something like that. But I was surprised that he and the inspector pronounced
the word general with the same tone. It was obvious that the general had
brainwashed a lot of his lieutenants.
give me a lecture on the state engagements that the general had to cope with.
Then he promised to call me when he has processed my request. After that he
hung up. I was not disappointed at all because I knew that he would say
something like that. But I was surprised that he and the inspector pronounced
the word general with the same tone. It was obvious that the general had
brainwashed a lot of his lieutenants.
 |
| General Abacha’s 2nd in command, Genere Oladipupo Diya (His Hands were tight on MKO Abiola’s Case) |
I threw away the
number after that conversation and made arrangements to leave for the United
number after that conversation and made arrangements to leave for the United
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States
in a few days. But I decided to leave earlier when I got a strange phone call
from a caller who refused to tell me his name. All he said was, “You will know who we are when we get to
you”.
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| Dignatories @ the Launching of ‘The President who Never Ruled’ |
That was how my
trip ended. I learned a lot from that experience. Perhaps, more than from any
other trip that I had ever taken. But the most painful lesson I learned was
that criminals in third world countries can get away with their crimes even if
they commit them in broad daylight. General Abacha had claimed that he
was not the one who annulled my father’s elections and should therefore not be
held responsible for what had happened. But what if the general’s only car was
stolen from him by someone and given to another person? Would the general allow
the beneficiary of his car to enjoy driving it while he moved around on his
feet, even if the beneficiary was not the one who stole the car?
trip ended. I learned a lot from that experience. Perhaps, more than from any
other trip that I had ever taken. But the most painful lesson I learned was
that criminals in third world countries can get away with their crimes even if
they commit them in broad daylight. General Abacha had claimed that he
was not the one who annulled my father’s elections and should therefore not be
held responsible for what had happened. But what if the general’s only car was
stolen from him by someone and given to another person? Would the general allow
the beneficiary of his car to enjoy driving it while he moved around on his
feet, even if the beneficiary was not the one who stole the car?
 |
| The Author Jamiu Abiodun Abiola & Sister, Hafsat during Launching of ‘The President Who Never Ruled’ |
(Excerpts from the book, The President Who Never Ruled
by Jamiu Abiola; get copies in any book shop across the world or write Jamiu
Abiola
through jamiulinguist@yahoo.com. Read Meet the Real Man Who Killed MKO Abiola in our next post on this blog)
by Jamiu Abiola; get copies in any book shop across the world or write Jamiu
Abiola
through jamiulinguist@yahoo.com. Read Meet the Real Man Who Killed MKO Abiola in our next post on this blog)
