In a recent interview, Retired Colonel Abdulmumini Aminu, Borno state
military governor during President Ibrahim Babangida’s regime, narrates, among
other things, how he led other officers to pick up current president Muhammadu
Bahuri from Dodan Barracks in Lagos where he was as military head of state. check the excerpts from the interview below..
What have you been doing after your retirement from
military service?
If you may recall, I retired from the military in
1993. Since then life has been very challenging. I won’t say it has been very
bad, but manageable. I was opportuned in 1986 to be appointed as chairman of
Nigeria Football Association (NFA) and I became President, West Africa Football
Union (WAFU). I was also a member of CAF, FIFA and the rest of them. You know I
am a lover of football. Well, sports generally but football in particular. Up
till now I am a stakeholder in football affairs, because I cherish it. I follow
football with passion. I always contribute my quota in many ways.
At a point in your military career, you were asked
to arrest your superior officer, former head of state, General Muhammadu
Buhari, the present president. During the IBB coup you were asked to arrest him
and you did. What happened and how do you relate with each other now?
I must confess that I led that operation. I went to
Dodan Barracks that time in company of two other officers - then Major John
Madaki and Lawan Gwadabe. Three of us went, but specifically I was the one that
went upstairs to bring Buhari. With due respect, I have been reading in the
papers and listening to radio, people saying that we manhandled him, we
disrespected him. That was not true. I and General Buhari are the only two who
knew what transpired upstairs and there was nothing like that. We gave him his
absolute respect as a superior, because even before that time, we had absolute
respect for him, because of whom and what he was. We respected him a lot till
today and there is no animosity between us and he knew it was a military
assignment that we were carrying out from our superior. He even told me at one
time. So for us, it is just like the other way round of when he came to power
during the anti-Shagari coup. I was among those who played a major role in
getting him to power. So, he knew the role I played. And even Buhari knew in
2003, I was arrested because of him. That time, I supported him. I worked for
him at that time, without even him knowing anyway, but he later knew.You see,
once you believe in somebody and you know he has the capability, you can do
anything for him without even him knowing.
But, is it true that you handcuffed Buhari?
It is a blatant lie. In an operation of that nature, we
don’t carry handcuffs. I did not salute him because according to military
tradition and norms when the flag is lowered, you can only pay compliments the
way you deem fit, not salutation. We met at 2 a.m. and at that time, we don’t
salute because the flag is down, until 6 am again when the flag is up. To
insinuate that he was handcuffed, that is far from the truth. We only accorded
him all the respects he deserved. I still hold him in very high esteem.
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