By Wasila Yakubu
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has disclosed how his refusal to accept political asylum in the United States left him exposed to arrest and imprisonment during the military dictatorship of the late General Sani Abacha.
The former Nigerian leader said he turned down the offer because he believed he had committed no offence that warranted fleeing his country, despite warnings from American officials that his return to Nigeria could lead to his arrest.
Obasanjo shared the experience while reflecting on his transition from military service to agriculture and the political persecution he faced under Abacha.
He explained that after becoming a four-star general and serving as Nigeria’s military Head of State, he felt he had reached the highest point possible in his military career. That realisation influenced his decision to leave the Army and concentrate on farming.
Obasanjo became Head of State on February 13, 1976, following the assassination of General Murtala Muhammed. He governed until October 1, 1979, when he handed over power to the civilian administration of Shehu Shagari.
According to the former president, although he had initially considered his retirement from the military too early, farming provided a new direction and was progressing successfully until the Abacha government moved against him.
He recalled that the American ambassador to Nigeria contacted him while he was travelling and informed him that the United States had offered him asylum because of concerns that he would be arrested if he returned home.
Obasanjo, however, said he could not understand why he should seek refuge abroad when he believed he had done nothing wrong.
His difficulties escalated after his passport was confiscated. He subsequently headed to his farm, where his security personnel informed him that government forces had surrounded the property.
He said a police officer in plain clothes later approached him, claiming that an Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG) wanted him to report for a meeting.
Suspicious of the invitation, Obasanjo challenged the officer, insisting that if the senior police official wanted to see him, he should come personally rather than send someone to summon him.
He eventually drove himself to the police station, where the AIG informed him that he had received instructions to arrest him.
Obasanjo also recounted how former United States President Jimmy Carter intervened on his behalf by appealing to Abacha.
Following Carter's intervention, he was moved from an undisclosed place of confinement and placed under house arrest. However, the reprieve did not last.
The former president said security operatives arrived at about 1 a.m. while he was playing squash and took him away to prison.
Abacha ruled Nigeria from November 17, 1993, until his death on June 8, 1998, after overthrowing the Interim National Government led by Ernest Shonekan in a military takeover.
Obasanjo regained his freedom following Abacha's death and returned to the political scene. He contested the 1999 presidential election, won, and was inaugurated on May 29, 1999, as the first president of Nigeria's Fourth Republic.
He served two terms, leaving office in May 2007.
Wasila Yakubu
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