So, how long did the trial last? Just
between two and three hours. On April 30, we went back to court for the summary
when the judge advocate was to summarise the whole trial; and from there, you can
know how the judgment would go. My own summary was that the prosecution did not
produce any witness, just a document which was not even admissible as exhibit.
On judgment day, they came as usual with barbers to cut our hair and shave our
heads to make us look presentable.They bought new jeans and shirts for those who
needed new dresses. They were brand new second hand clothings, ofcourse. we went
in a convoy tothe venue, this time,Rukuba Barracks, and I sat close to General
Diya. I told him that in ally my dreams I never saw him killed, that he should
rest assured that he would not be killed. That whatever the out come of the
judgment that day that would not be the end of the matter. I had also prepared
my own allocutus because I thought after the verdict, as is customary, they would
allow us to talk before sentence. I had planned to say I was not seeking mercy of
General Abacha but justice because I did not commit any crime. I intended to
use the opportunity to tell my wife and children that I was innocent and that
the reason why they were trying me and had found me guilty was because I am
a Yoruba man who refused to accept second class citizenship in his country. I
told Diya all these and he said, "You mean you'll say all these?" I
said yes. He said it was okay. So, when they called my name and they said,
"Treason, not guilty," my mind told me they were going to get me on
the second charge, I was holding my breath. SO, when they said,"Conspiracy
to commit treason, not guilty" I said, "Ha a!" People thought I
was collapsing or I was about to faint. No, no, no. It's like saying,"Oh,
at last!!" But I felt for those who had been found guilty, particularly Diya.
Unfortunately,they did not allow them to say anything. At the end,we were all
taken back to prison. I thought it was because it was getting late that we were
not released. SO, I was hoping to be released the following day, but that night
I suspected some foul play because suddenly at night I started stooling. It was
almost non-stop; and within two days, I became like a broomstick and for four
days I did not urinate. I was dehydrated thus I insisted that I should be taken
to the infirmary but I was not taken there and all the medicine in this world
could not help me.They gave me Talazole, they gave me Flagyl, they gave me another
kind of antibiotics,they did not work. They even gave me Kaolin, it did not
work. Then I started praying to God that, "God, you who made sure I was released
miraculously,please, if there was any foul play to make sure that I don't get
out of this prison, please, God release me."After about four days, I
started getting better but I couldn't believe what happened to me in those three
to four days. It was like I was going to die. Surprisingly, those of us who had
been discharged and acquitted by the tribunal were still being held and
suddenly there was this rumour that they were waiting for the PRC to confirm
the sentences. But I said, "I was not sentenced, what concerns PRC with me
again?" I could not understand this.However, something of interest happened
on June 3, a Wednesday. We had slept, it was between 10 p.m and 11 p.m. In fact
they had opened my door before I woke up.Then I saw Major Mumuni and two others
saying, "Pack, pack, pack." They said,"We don't like the services
in this prison again, we are going to relocate."Of course,that sounds
insane to me. We had been there for six months,the trial had just ended. Why should
I relocate? And if you want to relocate why at 11 p.m?Anyway, within 10
minutes, we were all out with our loads on our heads like refugees. Every detainee,
including the generals,were brought out. One of the guards moved nearer to us
and said we were going to the airport. Our own reading of the situation was
that they were taking us to Abuja. It was like we were going to be released or they
were going to take us to Abuja, address us, to forgive and forget. That was our
hope.So,when we got out, we were made to find somewhere to sit. I went to sit near
Diya. Later he and the other convicted people were packed into the big
black Maria and those of us discharged and acquitted were packed in two other
smaller black Marias. We were in this position up till 12.30a.m. when suddenly
they said we were not going again. So, we were returned to our various cells frustrated.
The next day,everybody's blood pressure shot up when they took the measurement.
Why this kind of frustration? As it turned out, it was not going to be the last
attempt to take us out.Barely a week later, precisely on June 8,we had just
finished eating,at about 3 p.m., I just heard some people moving. They were opening
doors,then I was able to see through my hole Major Fadipe and Niran
Malaolu,those were two of the other four people with me on my floor,others were Engineer
Adebanjo who seemed not to be himself again and Colonel Bako who was also sick
but not as serious as Adebanjo. Major Fadipe was escorted outside by the
guards.Later, we discovered that some people had been taken away and these included
some of the convicted people. Those of us discharged and acquitted were left
behind and later brought together to stay on only one floor. It was here that I
was relocated to Diya's former cell.They left some convicted people behind.
These include Alhaji Maidabino who was convicted of receiving stolen goods, he was
director of finance, State House. Then Demola Ojeniyi, a driver convicted for
stealing; Colonel Bako who was in the infirmary because he was vomiting and
stooling at the same time, and the fourth person, Galadima. I think he is a private
or corporal who was also accused of stealing, he is the son of the batman to
the C-in-C.These four were left with us who were discharged and acquitted. All those
convicted for treason, conspiracy or concealment were taken away,including Engineer
Adebanjo,who was yanked off his sick bed.
You mean all those sentenced to death were
taken away? Yes, all of them. After this incident, we started our own waiting
game. When were they going to release
us? There were all sorts of rumours. By this time, we had heard that a new
head of state had been sworn in after Abacha had suddenly died.We want to confirm
from you whether those taken out on that June 8 were actually kidnapped or was
it a normal movement? We understand that the GOC (inJos) said he did not know anything
about it. I say we understand because I am not in the position to say yes or no
but in prison there is a way information flows and remember that some of our fellow
detainees are military personnel too and they know how to get information from the
military guards. For example, it was one of the guards who,on June 8,informed
one of the detainees through the window that the C-in-C had died.I was told
that he just peeped in and asked the detainee to come closer and whispered to
him, "Abachaya mutu." And demonstrated by simulating the slaughtering
of a ram with his palm flashing past the neck firm like that [demonstrates].
So,they said that on the first day [June 3],the intention was to take those
people to where they would be executed immediately the PRC confirmed the
sentences and that a bomb was to be put on the other plane conveying those of
us who had been discharged and acquitted.That was the speculation. It was like there
was no way they would let us go because they would not want all what we are
saying now to be out and that's why they didn't want the discharged and
acquitted to be released,particularly somebody like me.Let's be a little bit
analytical now.
...to be continued
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