Posted by By OLA AGBAJE on
Former Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Ishaya Bamaiyi, on Tuesday at Ikeja High Court, opened his defence in the on-going trial for conspiracy and attempt on the life of The Guardian publisher, Mr Alex Ibru and Mr Isaac Porbeni, blaming his travails on refusal to endorse the candidature of General Olusegun Obasanjo for the presidency in 1999.
Former Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Ishaya Bamaiyi, on Tuesday at Ikeja High Court, opened his defence in the on-going trial for conspiracy and attempt on the life of The Guardian publisher, Mr Alex Ibru and Mr Isaac Porbeni, blaming his travails on refusal to endorse the candidature of General Olusegun Obasanjo for the presidency in 1999.
Bamaiyi has been in confinement since October 1999, when he, along with four others, were arrested.
The former army chief, who was led in evidence by his counsel, Osahon Idemudia, explained the circumstances of his alleged involvement in the crime, revealing that he vehemently opposed the emergence of any retired General as civilian president at the height of the 1999 transition programme.
According to the accused, his view on the matter was well known to his fellow colleagues in the military, which equally brought him into the bad book of some powerful people.
'General Abdulsalami Abubakar (the then military head of state) called me into his office and told me that we were looking for a retired soldier to become the next President of Nigeria. At that time, he did not mention a name, I told him that I would not be a party to that because the international community was against military rule in any form, and if we had to be involved, we should look for someone without military background," he said.
On the emergence of Obasanjo as president, he disclosed: 'It was retired General T. Y. Danjuma and the then Director of Military Intelligence, Brigadier Muhammed Gwarzo, who told me they were thinking of Obasanjo.
'I said I will not support it and that even if it is you (referring to Danjuma), I would not support it, Walahi. Thank God, he has changed his mind wherever he is now."
Bamaiyi, however, told the court that prior to the issue of Abdulsalami's successor, he had a running battle with the late head of state, General Sani Abacha's security think-tank over his perceived opposition to Abacha's self-succession.
'I ran into trouble with the Commander-in-Chief (Abacha) over a report I submitted to him over the stand of the Nigerian Army on his self-succession bid," he said.
Testifying further, Bamaiyi said that when he confronted Abacha for the second time on the same issue, he (the late head of state) tied his fate in the matter to the wish of God.
Denying any complicity in the several atrocities linked to the Abacha regime, including the instant case, Bamaiyi said he was roped into the charge because of his insistence on due process, in accordance with the military laws and ethos.
Bamaiyi further explained that there was no basis for the alleged conspiracy between him and the Chief Security Officer to Abacha, Major Hamza Al-Mustapha, whose elevation to the rank of Major from Captain he allegedly opposed, just as he had suggested his removal from the Office of CSO over his alleged excesses in handling issues.
Consequently, Bamaiyi said he was a constant target of negative security report, the height of which, according to him, was being labelled a NADECO agent.
He also debunked the testimonies of all the prosecution, including Sergeant Rogers, which had earlier linked him with the crime.
According to him, as a senior, high-ranking military officer, there was no way he could be involved in dealing, whether overtly or covertly, with them.
Specifically, Bamaiyi said: 'Rogers was not my staff. He never came to my house in Lagos. There is no commanding officer that has control over soldiers in the presidential villa.
'They have their own weapons, and they are only answerable to the C-in-C. The only relationship they have with the core Army is that they collect their salaries through the Brigade of Guards."
The trial judge, Justice Joseph Oyewole has fixed further hearing in the matter for Friday.