History
The History Of Borno State Governor Professor Babagana Umara Zulum
History
Tribute To General Shehu Musa Yar’adua -Shehu Sani
By Senator Shehu Sani
On the 8th of December 1997, Major General Shehu Musa Yar’adua died in Abakaliki Prison in Ebonyi State.He died while serving a life sentence after being convicted for treason by the late General Sani Abacha military tribunal in Lagos.
I was arrested in Kaduna in March 1995 and flown to Lagos where I met the late Yaradua who was also arrested and brought to Lagos.The late Tafidan Katsina and I were both taken directly to Kiri Kiri Maximum security prison and thrown into the cell with other inmates.We were kept in Block 2 of the awaiting trial section.The late Fela tried to visit me in the cell but was denied access and the late Gen Hassan Usman Katsina tried to intervene to secure our release but was rebuffed.
Police rescue 3-month-old baby, abducted by bandits in Zamfara
Falana and late Chief Gani tried to reach out to us but were also denied access. Local and international rights groups started campaigns and protests. Balarabe Musa, Col. Dangiwa Umar and late Dr. Bala Usman started agitations for our release.
After spending about three months in the cell, we were picked up from our cells and taken to a Special Military Investigation panel headed by Gen Felix Mujekpero. I was seriously grilled. Other young military officers were tortured by the panel.They were striped naked and beaten with iron cables. I can hear them screaming and screaming.
They wanted to torture me but changed their mind seeing how slim I was and I was just in my 20s. During the period of the interrogations, they brought Chief Olusegun Obasanjo who was earlier arrested. Obasanjo saw me and smiled.The likes of Col. Lawan Gwadabe and Col. Bello Fadile were all beaten and tortured in my presence.
Weeks later, Dr. Bako Ransome Kuti and some journalists like Kunle Ajibade of The News Magazine, George Mbah of Tell, Ben Charles Obi of Classique were all interrogated.
After the interrogation, I was arraigned before a military tribunal headed by Gen Patrick Aziza and sentenced to life imprisonment. Obasanjo, Bako and the Journalists were also convicted for life. Gen Yaradua and others were sentenced to death.The late President Umaru Musa used to visit us in prison and later stopped when the DSS started harassing him.
Some of the late Yaradua’s allies who remained in touch with us while we were in prison were Atiku Abubakar, Toni Aneneh, Yomi Edu. I will always thank my friends Comrade Suleiman Ahmed and Nasiru Abbas.
The late Shehu Musa Yaradua was a very courageous soldier. He never for once shown any sign of weakness or regrets throughout the period of his imprisonment up to his death. May Allah forgive his soul and grant him Aljanna firdausi. Amin.
History
Meet Late Major Adewale Ademoyega ,One Of The Architects Of 1966 Coup
He was one of the five mutinous Nigerian Army Majors who led the 1966 coup that ended the first democratic Nigerian government.
Adewale was born in Ode Remo in present-day Ogun State in southwestern Nigeria. He earned a degree in history from the University of London. He was one of the first graduates that enrolled as an officer in the Nigerian Army along with Lieutenant Colonels Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu and Victor Banjo, and Majors Olufemi Olutoye, Emmanuel Ifeajuna, and Oluwole Rotimi in the 1966 Nigerian army. Adewale Ademoyega was the last graduate to be commissioned directly into the Nigerian Army Infantry.
During the Biafran civil war, Adewale fought in the “Nigerian Liberation Army”, a part of the Biafran army led by Lieutenant Colonel Banjo.
My Independence Day Post, its Elaboration, BokoHaram and Minister Pantami’s Gigantic Example!
Major Ademoyega was released from detention by Biafran Head of State Colonel Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu, on August 13, 1966. He then formed the Biafran 19th Battalion and subsequently took over for Major Emmanuel Ifeajuna, who also helped with the 1966 coup as the chief of staff of the Liberation Army. Unfortunately for Major Ademoyega, His excellency Ojukwu received some intelligence that some officer would overthrow him. Major Ademoyega was detained along with several officers and comrades. Several of these officers would later be shot by Biafran forces. Maybe Ademoyega was spared however as he truly had nothing to do with this. He was detained for the remainder of the civil war.
Ademoyega was briefly ‘freed’ after the war. However, Federal forces put him right back in detention for his participation as part as the Liberation Army.
He was finally released along with twenty others during the 1974 Independence Day amnesty.
“Why We Struck”
Major Adewale Ademoyega’s book about the military coup d’état is regarded as one of the most controversial regarding the first Nigerian coup.
Adewale Ademoyega died on February 21, 2007 after being ill for sometime.
History
Ishola :The Story Of Nigeria’s Deadliest Armed Robber
Ishola Oyenusi, popularly known as Doctor Oyenusi, was a notorious armed robber who terrorized the people of Lagos and other neighbouring cities in the 1970s. Ishola Oyenusi and his gang of six were highly skilled in snatching cars, robbing banks, factories, stores and killing people like chickens.
Was Ishola Oyenusi Really A Medical Doctor?
Dr Oyenusi, as he was called, was not a doctor by profession but adopted the title for the fun of it. The evidence lies in a confession he made few minutes before his execution.
He confessed that his parents were not capable of furthering his secondary school education and that was what forced him into robbery. So without having a secondary school education, Oyenusi by no way could have been a medical doctor.
Oyenusi’s Robbery Exploits
Oyenusi started off his robbery career by snatching a car (whose owner died in the process) just because his (Oyenusi) girlfriend needed some money. It was claimed by some sources that Oyenusi was romantic.
He sold the car at the price of N400 and gave the money to his girlfriend. It was also said that Oyenusi was hot-tempered and quite arrogant. During his arrest, he thundered down on a police officer who was ushering him around. He said, “people like you don’t talk to me like that when I’m armed, I gun them down!”
Doctor Ishola Oyenusi came into the limelight after the Nigerian civil war ended in 1970. He robbed banks and people in both daylight and night, and he never let any of his victims live to see another day; he killed them all! This earned him the name “Doctor rob and kill“.
The Rise And Fall Of Anini ,The Taxi Driver Turn Armed Robber
At the height of his horrific reign, Ishola Oyenusi bragged that “the bullet has no power“. He probably forgot that he who live by the sword will surely die by the sword. Oyenusi was so infamous that he was regarded by some people as the “first celebrated armed robber in Nigeria“, and after him was Lawrence Anini, Babatunde Folorunsho (Baba oni lace), Shina Rambo, Buraimo Jimoh and others.
Ishola Oyenusi’s Arrest
However, nothing lasts forever, and as the Yoruba adage says, everyday belongs to the thief while a day belongs to the owner.
On the 27th of March, 1971, Oyenusi was nabbed by the police during one of his robbery operations in which he and his notorious gang killed a police constable named Mr. Nwi and stole $28,000 as at then. Cloud of shame hovered above Doctor Ishola Oyenusi as he was casted before the law and found guilty then sentenced to death by firing squad.
Ishola on his way to the execution ground
Oyenusi confessed that he was not to die alone because he did not commit the crimes alone.
He vomited the names of other members of the gang which included: Joseph Osamedike, Ambrose Nwokobia, Joel Amamieye, Philip Ogbolumain, Ademola Adegbitan and Stephen Ndubuokwu.
Back then, public execution was the order of the day, so when Oyenusi was ushered to the popular Bar Beach in Lagos where he was to be executed, over 30,000 Nigerians were happily and excitedly waiting to see the man who had terrorized them get riddled by hot bullets.
It was said that some civil servants even brought a coffin to the execution ground to mock the once mighty robber kingpin who was now nothing but a scapegoat whose breath would be exhausted in any moment.
Trucks carrying Oyenusi and his executors arrived at the execution ground around 10:am. Doctor Oyenusi, his gang members and one other criminal got down slowly.
People jeered and booed them, especially Oyenusi who they had really trooped out to watch die. Oyenusi donned a dark long-sleeve shirt and had his hands tied behind him.
He was sweating profusely but managed to smile all the way to the stakes. He kept smiling, smiling and smiling but could still not hide the agony and terror written boldly on his face.
Few minutes before he was shot, Oyenusi told journalists that he would not have ventured into armed robbery if his parents were capable of sending him to secondary school.
He also said, “I am dying for the offence I have committed“. Oyenusi and other criminals were fastened to the stakes. The soldiers lined in front of them and aimed their ever-ready guns. Some of the criminals yelled their last words of protest at the cameras. Then a loud voice let out the word “fire”! Oyenusi and other criminals’ bodies were sprayed with bullets.
That was the bitter end of Ishola Oyenusi who lived by the bullets and died by the bullets. The execution of Doctor Ishola Oyenusi sent the streets of Lagos deserted at night. Families locked themselves behind doors for the fear that some of Oyenusi’s boys might retaliate.
The name Ishola Oyenusi will forever be remembered in the history of crime in Nigeria.
Credit :Esan People Blog
-
News1 year agoBreaking:Boko Haram Releases Video Of Kankara School Boys
-
News1 year agoProf. Pate Emerges VC Federal University Kashere
-
Opinion12 months agoKano As future Headquarters Of Poverty In Nigeria
-
News12 months agoProfessor Salisu Shehu Emerges Pioneer Vice -Chancellor Al-Istiqamah University
-
Opinion10 months agoKhalifa Muhammadu Sanusi II, A Phoenix Rises
-
History9 months agoSheikh Adam Abdullahi Al-Ilory (1917-1992):Nigeria’s Islamic Scholar Who Wrote Over 100 Books And Journals
-
History10 months agoThe Origin Of “Mammy Market” In Army Barracks (Mammy Ochefu)
-
Features11 months agoMy Best Ambition Is To Get A Husband-Fati Muhammad