How I Saved Obasanjo From Being Killed By Abacha Regime; Gowon Reveals
A former Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon (retd.), has revealed how he saved Olusegun Obasanjo from being killed by late Military dictator, Sani Abacha.
According to him, he had pleaded with late General Sani Abacha not to execute former President Olusegun Obasanjo for an alleged coup plot in 1995.
Gowon’s revelation came at the maiden edition of the Interdenominational Unity Christmas Carol and Praise Festival organised by the Plateau State Government.
It would be recalled that Obasanjo was arrested in 1995.
“I wrote a letter to Abacha; I pleaded with him that God made him a leader to do good and not evil. I sent my wife with the letter in the middle of the night to Abacha in Abuja; I pleaded with him that such a thing should not happen.
“I’m glad that soon after that, things changed, and not only that Obasanjo left prison, he became our president in 1999.
“This is something that only prayers and sincerity can do; I’m happy that today myself and Obasanjo are here to celebrate the unity of Plateau State,” he said, according to the News Agency of Nigeria.
Obasanjo was accused by the later Major General Sani Abacha of being part of a planned coup to overthrow his government.
Obasanjo had denied any involvement then.
Despite denying any involvement and in spite of pleading innocent to the coup, Obasanjo was not spared as he was sentenced to death.
He went on to spend three years in prison before he was released in 1998 following the death of Abacha on June 8 of that year.
Obasanjo would go on to become Nigeria’s first civilian President after return to democracy in 1999, he led Nigeria for eight years, that is two consecutive terms of four years each.
