Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has recounted how the late military Head of State, General Sani Abacha, allegedly plotted to eliminate him during his military administration.
Obasanjo disclosed that he ventured into farming after leaving government at the age of 42, believing he had retired from public service too early, before he was eventually arrested during Abacha’s regime.
“I took to farming after leaving government at 42 before Abacha arrested me,” the former president said.
He further alleged that Abacha was determined to have him killed, claiming that the former military ruler believed his objectives could not be achieved unless he was eliminated.
Obasanjo made the revelations during a recent appearance at a book event held at the University of Ibadan, where he reflected on his experiences under Abacha’s military government.
Abacha ruled Nigeria from 1993 until his death in June 1998. During his administration, Obasanjo was arrested in 1995 over an alleged coup plot involving several individuals.
The former president was subsequently tried by a military tribunal and sentenced to life imprisonment. The sentence was later commuted to 15 years.
Obasanjo regained his freedom in June 1998 following Abacha’s death in office.
Before his arrest, Obasanjo had served as Nigeria’s military Head of State from 1976 to 1979, having assumed leadership after the assassination of General Murtala Mohammed.
His latest account offers a fresh reflection on one of the most turbulent periods in Nigeria’s political history and his personal experience under military rule.
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