Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has recounted how he ventured into farming after leaving the Nigerian Army and was later arrested and imprisoned under the regime of the late military Head of State, General Sani Abacha.
Obasanjo also disclosed that he rejected an offer of political asylum from the United States, despite being warned that he would be arrested if he returned to Nigeria.
The former president spoke in an interview published by BBC News Pidgin on Tuesday.
Obasanjo became Nigeria’s military Head of State on February 13, 1976, following the assassination of General Murtala Muhammed. He was 38 at the time and served until October 1, 1979, when he handed over power to Shehu Shagari.
Recounting his decision to leave the army, Obasanjo said he had attained the rank of a four-star general and occupied the highest position available to him in the military and government.
He said, “When I was leaving government as military Head of State, I was leaving too early. I didn’t join the army to retire at the age of 42.
“At the age of 42, I had become a four-star general. There was nothing else I could do in the army. I had become the military Head of State, which was the highest political office I could attain.
“So, what could I do? I decided I would go into farming. It was going well until I was arrested.”
Obasanjo said he was unaware that Abacha had allegedly decided to arrest him when he returned from a trip.
He recalled that the United States ambassador to Nigeria informed him that the American government had offered him political asylum because it believed he would be arrested if he returned home.
“This was difficult for me. I haven’t done anything. What did they want to arrest me for? I didn’t want political asylum,” he said.
According to him, upon his return, a security officer informed him that his farm had been surrounded by government forces.
He said a policeman dressed in civilian clothes later approached him, claiming that an Assistant Inspector-General of Police had invited him.
Obasanjo said he rejected the invitation, insisting that if the AIG wanted to see him, he should come to the farm.
He eventually drove himself to the police station, where the AIG informed him that he had been instructed to arrest him.
Obasanjo also recalled that former United States President Jimmy Carter intervened on his behalf and pleaded with Abacha.
He said he was initially held at an undisclosed location before being placed under house arrest. He was later taken away in the middle of the night and transferred to prison.
“President Jimmy Carter came and pleaded. They then placed me under house arrest. One day, at about 1am, while I was playing squash, they came and said they were taking me away.
They took me away, and from there I went to prison,” he said.
Abacha seized power on November 17, 1993, in a bloodless coup that ousted the Interim National Government led by Ernest Shonekan. He remained in power until his death on June 8, 1998.
Following his release from prison, Obasanjo contested and won the 1999 presidential election. He was inaugurated on May 29, 1999, as the first president of Nigeria’s Fourth Republic.
He served two terms and handed over power in May 2007.
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