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Obasanjo: Jimmy Carter visited Abacha to seek my release from prison

Our Reporters3 months ago3 months ago05 mins

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo said Jimmy Carter was the only leader outside Africa who visited Sani Abacha, the late military dictator, solely to plead for his release from prison. Obasanjo stated this in a tribute to Carter, the late American president, who passed on December 29, 2024, aged 100. The tribute, titled “Jimmy Carter: The Departure of a Titan”, was read during a memorial service held on Sunday at the Chapel of Christ the Glorious King, Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library (OOPL), Abeokuta, Ogun state. Obasanjo was arrested, tried, and sentenced to prison by the Abacha junta in 1995 over alleged involvement in a failed military coup. Obasanjo narrated how Carter visited Nigeria and got Abacha to release him (Obasanjo) from prison, and he was placed on house arrest. He said that although many others intervened to seek his release, Carter was the only one who had visited Nigeria solely for that purpose. “President Carter was one of my foreign friends who stuck their necks out to save my life and to seek my release from prison. On President Carter’s visit to Nigeria, he got Abacha to agree to take me from detention to house arrest on my farm. But that did not last for too long,” Obasanjo said. “Many other friends and leaders intervened, but President Carter was the only non-African leader, according to my information, that paid a visit to Abacha solely to plead for my release. “I would remain ever grateful to all who worked for my release from Abacha’s gulag. Abacha ensured that I would not be released. Within a week of his death, though, I was released by his successor, General Abdulsalami Abubakar, who also facilitated my going around Africa and the rest of the world to thank all those who worked for my release.” Obasanjo further said he was surprised when Carter told him that Ted Turner, CNN founder, had offered to take care of him and his family upon his release. “I was touched and moved to tears. I immediately went to Ted, who expressed to me the same sentiment that President Carter expressed,” Obasanjo said. The elder statesman said he and Carter shared some similarities, including their military backgrounds and being born into farming families that instilled discipline in them. “He beat me though in one respect; there was a road to his settlement, and there was no road to my village. We walked to every place or, at best, we were carried on bicycles,” he said. Obasanjo said he would miss Carter, “a great and true friend but I know we shall meet again in paradise”. Speaking during an interactive session with young African leaders at the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library OOPL during the weekend, Obasanjo said his refusal to keep quiet on national and international issues landed him in detention during Abacha’s tenure.

Obasanjo was behind my impeachment -Ladoja reveals

Our Reporters6 months ago6 months ago05 mins

The former Oyo State Governor, Rashidi Ladoja, has revealed that former President Olusegun Obasanjo masterminded his removal from office. In a recent interview on Fresh FM to celebrate his 80th birthday, Ladoja revealed that Obasanjo was the powerful force responsible for his impeachment, contrary to popular belief that it was orchestrated by the late Alhaji Lamidi Adedibu and his then-deputy, late Adebayo Alao-Akala. “You see, some people said it was Akala, it was Adedibu. No, it was not any of them. It was Obasanjo. “It was during the time of Ileya (Muslim festival Eid-el-Kabi). We went to see Baba Obasanjo. I think it was on a Friday or Saturday that we went to see him in Abeokuta. I was there with Oyinlola, Daniel and Agagu. Ladoja said he, along with other Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governors, including Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, and Dr. Segun Agagu, had pleaded with Obasanjo in Abeokuta to halt the impeachment plans. This revelation sheds new light on the events surrounding Ladoja’s impeachment in 2006. “We did not call Fayose, because we knew that Fayose was Baba’s son. So they knelt down and I knelt down with them. They were begging him, ‘Baba, please, let Ladoja be.’ “Baba then said ‘Rashidi, go and resign!’ I said ‘No, I won’t resign!’ He said, ‘If you don’t resign, you would be removed’. “I said ‘No, they cannot do it.’ He asked ‘why?’ I said ‘because you cannot get two-thirds. He said ‘two-thirds my foot’ and then he left the place in fury. Daniel ran after him.” Oba Ladoja added: ”While we were reflecting on what we were going to do, myself, Agagu and Oyinlola, a man came in, it was the former World Court Justice Bola Ajibola. “He said ‘what is wrong with you?’’ He said: “I know your problem. Your problem is that you don’t want Ladoja to be impeached. They, Oyinlola, Agagau and Daniel said yes. Justice Ajibola said ‘well, I’ve talked about it to Segun, he’s just adamant. He said ‘but you’re leaders in your own rights. There comes a time when you must have to stand up and fight.” Oba Ladoja maintained: “ Then he told us the story of ‘Jafitafita.’ The story of ‘Jafitafita’ is simple. It is about tortoise and his wife, yannibo.” “I must put it on record that Prince Ajibola did wonderfully for us because he told us exactly what to do and we “jafitafita. When eventually we got the judgement of the Appeal Court. Baba said no. People said this is a declarative judgement, he said they are going to stay its execution. And eventually, it stayed until the Supreme Court confirmed the judgement of the Court of Appeal.” It’s worth noting that Ladoja’s impeachment was a contentious issue, with the Oyo State legislators voting him out of office on January 12, 2006. However, the Appeal Court later declared the impeachment null and illegal, and Ladoja was reinstated on December 7, 2006.

Lion kills 35-year-old worker in Obasanjo library’s zoo

Our Reporters6 months ago6 months ago01 mins

The Ogun State Police Command on Sunday confirmed that a 35-year-old zoo worker at Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library, Abeokuta, Babaji Daule, was on Saturday killed by a lion. The spokesman for the state police command, Omolola Odutola, disclosed this in a statement sent to journalists on Sunday. The Bauch State born lion handler was said to have forgotten to secure the locks and barricade the lion’s enclosure before approaching the cage to feed the animal. This reportedly allowed the lion to escape and attack the handler, resulting in injuries to his neck and eventual death. The victim’s body was said to have been removed and taken to the mortuary at Ijaye General Hospital, while the wild lion was shot to release its grip on the handler.