...from previous article
In your own case,were you still in that scanty house dress you were wearing when you were seized [arrested]? Of course. And I almost froze to death but later they issued us military blankets and sweaters which I later started to wear over my khaftan night dress.The effect of the harmattan was horrible. My lips were cracking, my ankle and backheel were lacerated and were as hard asyangi [laterite] because,all along I was bare footed. The Mustapha boys did not allow me to wear even slippers when they came to seize [arrest] me.But I devised a means of all eviating the effect of the cold harmattan on my feet. Anytime we were supplied eba or anyother food item in cellophane bag, I made sure I retained the bag, which I later used to wrap round my naked feet.And, of course, I used the cellophanebags for other purposes which I don'twant to tell you. (Cuts in) For doing No. 1 and No2? You are right [laughs].remember I told you that we had restrictions on when to go to the toilet but man must just survive by any means. Back to the PIP story. When wewerefinally called to enter the room, immediately you reach the pavement,they would remove the chains on your legs and the handcuffs. Finally I got in after so many hours in the open, that was around 6.p.m. The head of the panel [Omenka] said, "Ehnn,Professor, I used to know you in the 80s when you used to come from ABU to deliver lectures and there was an occasion you delivered a lecture on security and development, I think that was around 1989. I knew you at that time and I respected you but now look at you, you are like a wreck ... Now, tell us all you know about why you are here." I said, "But I don't know why I am here." He cut in. "Don't tell me that, don't tell me you don't know why you are here.You mean you want to tell me as educated as you are, that you don't know why you are here?"I told him all I knew was that they said I wrote a speech and that I wanted to be foreign [affairs] minister and that I was sent on some errands.Then he started insulting me. In the end,he said, "Anyway, you may not know what you were doing because you are a civilian, so go and write everything down and we will use you as a state witness." I said, "Goodness!" Can you see the offer there? They wanted me to incriminate myself. Well, I went to the statement room and, despite the damage to my head, my thinking faculty was still intact but you have to be careful what you are doing because you are already tired and exhausted. I had been out for more than six hours and I was in front of this man for one hour during which I was scandalized and verbally abused only to be confronted by another man saying, "Oya [now],write your statement." But I wrote the statement all the same. I had no choice but to state exactly what I had told the panel that I knew nothing about anything at all. I made one categorical statement that though mylife was at stake, I was not ready to tell lies against myself or anybody for that matter. I also said that even if they perceived me wrongly, I was even ready to take the blame for being so perceived orbe punished.They could doanything but they should notrope me into what I did not know anything about. That was the meat of the statement I made and I had to do it three times after each interrogation by the Omenka panel.Was there anytime he expanded his offer that you should become a state witness?No. But a week later,they brought me to the panel again for another round of interrogation.But the discussion appeared more respectable. It centred on my discipline,my philosophy, how I was employed, my relationship with General Diya,my job specification and so on. I told them I was the chairman of the Advisory Committee to the CGS on socio-Political and economic matters. After the discussion, I was again asked to go and write a statement. I did.
How many officers interrogated you? They were between eight and 10. All of them firing questions at you? Ehnn ... No, 95percent of the questions and the dialogue was done by Omenka. he was, like I told you, lord and master of the interrogation team. The others just say one or two things which are of no consequence. He was the alpha and the omega, the decider of what happens to you.On January 15, in the afternoon,I was picked for the third time again for the PIP. When I got there, I was outside till 12midnight before I was called in.I was totally exhausted,famished and gaunt. The man started as usual. "Professor ..."Before he could begin I just remembered what he said to me during the first interrogation. He had said, "Professor, I'm going to shoot you. I'm going to eliminate you. I'm going to waste you." I remembered and shivered. He added,"Professor,you may say you are a good person. Have you read a book called 'WhyBad Things Happen to Good People'?" I said I had not. He said,"Well the man who wrote it is dead. when I finish with you, you'll meet him in the [Great] Beyond and discuss the book with him." I said, "My God!"So,during this third interrogation: the man started, "Professor, you said we would not find anything in your house if we go there. What about this? "Indeed, it was my handwriting. Then he read a portion out. He took another and read another portion out of context. Some of the documents were written while I was in ABU, others [were] written in 1994. Those of 1994 were in my official capacity as chairman of the Advisory Committee to the CGS.It appeared they were just trying all means to deflate my life jacket and get me drowned in the alleged coup plot. I blurted out: "No, no, this is not fair. how can you take adocument of 1994 and say it has to do with what you say has happened/" The man said, "No,you are going before the tribunal." and passed the file over to somebody. Again I was asked to go and write a statement which I did at about 3a.m. I must have apparently delayed the movement of the convoy back to prison. After I came out, we were all put in the black Marias, locked us up and left there till 7a.m.when they came back and ordered us to come out and sit on the ground again to await further interrogations.
...to be continued
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