Posted by By CHRISTIAN ITA (okpa40@yahoo.com) on
Nine years after the assassination of Kudirat Abiola and barely a week to the anniversary of the annulment of the June 12, 1993 presidential election, it has been revealed how the government of late General Sani Abacha implanted bugging devices in the home of the Abiolas.
Nine years after the assassination of Kudirat Abiola and barely a week to the anniversary of the annulment of the June 12, 1993 presidential election, it has been revealed how the government of late General Sani Abacha implanted bugging devices in the home of the Abiolas.
Kudirat was killed on June 4, 1996 by suspected agents of the state in Lagos near the old tollgate along the Lagos/Ibadan expressway.
Speaking exclusively with Sunday Sun on the anniversary of Kudirat's murder, the personal physician to Abiola, Dr. Ore Falomo said the government of late General Sani Abacha went as far as bugging his (Abiola's) home, including telephone lines.
Abiola, who died in detention in 1998, was then engaged in the struggle to revalidate the results of the presidential election that he won but was annulled by General Ibrahim Babangida.
Falomo said General Abacha was determined to keep a close eye on Abiola, thus implanting the devices which, the Abiolas did not immediately know about.
They tricked Abiola to flee Nigeria
He said with the aide of the bugging devices, in addition to using spies, government knew every move of the Abiolas. Famolo gave an instance that government used the devices to advantage over Abiola.
According to him, " Abiola fled the country because they tricked him that somebody wanted to kill him. They bugged his house, including his phones. They knew all his plans.
"As a leader, he was running up and down, looking for a way to settle the matter. Somebody who pretended to be helpful to him, phoned and told him they were planning to kill him, that they knew his plans for the next one week and that if he failed to leave the country immediately, he will end up dead."
Falomo also revealed how agents of a foreign government had forewarned Kudirat that a contract has been placed on her head, days before she was fell by assassin's bullet.
Decrying government's reluctance to immortalise Abiola and Kudirat, Falomo disclosed that Kudirat was aware that her life was in danger following a tip off by a foreign government.
"She was not afraid of death because she knew it was lurking. She knew her life was in danger. Even when Aso Rock bugged the house, we told her because we were told that her house was bugged.
"Events have proved us right. The man who gave her out that day, who is still in detention, was a very frequent caller at the house, who will eat with Kudi and identified himself with the cause we were fighting for, will go to Ibadan, get some pittance and sold Kudi," he stated.
Falomo said apart from events proving them right, "a foreign government told us they were asked to kill Kudi. Kudirat's death was done by people under Abacha without his knowledge."
Kudirat would have sacrificed his son
Despite the warning that her life was in danger and the fact that her husband was hounded into jail, he said Kudirat remained unwavering in the struggle to actualise her husband's mandate.
She, he said, was ready to stake everything including her life and those of her children if necessary, to achieve the objective.
" Kudirat paid the ultimate sacrifice. It is something that must not be forgotten, especially by those who now sit in Aso Rock.
Kudirat did it on her own volition. She was not pushed to do it. She believed in that course. I had a very good opportunity of being with her, related closely with her in the last six months of her life.
"Kudi told me once they arrested Abiola that she was committed. Some people said she wanted to be First Lady but it was not true. You don't want to be First Lady and yet lay down your life. She said it was a fight we must not give in, that she would rather pay with her life.
"She told me that she was ready to give up everything for the struggle, that if Abiola was given his mandate, then the struggle was ended. Any settlement short of that, to her was surrender.
"She said even if her own son should stand in her way, she would crush him. She was ready to remove any obstacle, hindrance; human or material to achieve the goal."
She sold property to fund struggle
Before paying the ultimate price, Falomo said the family and the movement experienced serious cash crunch as government did everything to stifle the Abiolas economically.
This, according to Falomo, compelled Kudirat to sell prime property located in various states of the federation.
"She was ready to spend everything she had to the last penny. Abiola was not allowed to sign paper, cheque, anything. Kudi raised money on her own, so also the other wives. But being the first wife, she raised most of the money that was used in the campaign for either the release of Abiola or validation of his mandate. She was not ready to let Abiola surrender. She knew Abiola would not surrender.
"The government thought if they pressured her, she will capitulate and then they would go to Abiola and tell him that his first wife has abandoned the fight so what are you waiting for? That was their initial plan.
"She was fighting against government that was putting difficulty on her way. She sold property in Sokoto, Ilorin, and Lagos to raise money. One of Abiola's friend who was in oil speculation, he is a foreigner from one of our neighbouring West African country, also helped out."
Friends failed the family
"Some Nigerians who owed Abiola money, the so-called millionaires or billionaires, decided to run away from us. They did not have the courtesy of paying back what they owed Abiola. Some of these people are still in the banking business, insurance, and stock exchange. Abiola gave us a list of his debtors and this I will publish later.
"Abiola asked us to go after them. Kola Abiola told me we should not waste our time, as if he know. But he said I should still try, as Abiola would ask if I did. I can tell you only two of them paid and even volunteered to help in any way and yet I have fourteen names. I still see them and they still know I am around."
Hypocrisy
"Majority of Nigerians, especially the Yoruba can be found in that group. They did not go along with them (Abiolas) because of ideology. They were going after them for what they could get. That is why it is not difficult to see people who betrayed them holding top positions in government. There was one who was on the board of the University of Lagos, he is now late. A lot of these people have abandoned the family and gone their separate ways. Only very few are left, people like Alex Ekwueme, Anthony Enahoro."
How Kudirat drew battle-line with Abacha
"Kudirat was the only woman, apart from Abiola, who stood against Abacha. Adamu Ciroma would bear me out. Abacha asked Ciroma to call Kudi to Abuja following her interview on British Broadcasting Service (BBC) Hausa service. Abacha was angry.
"Adamu Ciroma was asked to tell her to stop her interviews, in which she derided Abacha, that in fact, she should even apologize. Abacha was looking for a way out and as such promised to make peace if she apologized.
Kudi told me about that invitation, I told her to go.
'At the meeting, Ciroma apologized to her, that he was only conveying a message to her from Abacha; that it had nothing to do with whether he agreed with the message or not. He begged Kudi not to take offence. This earned him Kudi's respect and this she told me.
"Kudi asked him to tell Abacha that only God she feared and not any man. She said she would not apologize and that she was ready for anything. It was after this that the die was cast."
Salute to Tinubu
"Everything still looks as if it happened yesterday, it only shows you the type of country Nigeria is. Those who laid down their lives for democracy have been pushed aside, forgetting even their memory. We are not paying them any attention. It is very sad.
"I salute Bola Tinubu for what he singularly did to keep us constantly reminded of Kudirat. He alone in the whole federation has immortalized her.
A lot people pretended to be in love with the Abiolas when in truth they were after what they could get. They ran after them, tried to be seen with them because of what they were gaining."