1995 Coup: Obasanjo, Yaradua, others were victims of military conspiracy, says investigative panel member

A Legal Team member, Farida Waziri who worked with the Special Investigative Panel (SIP) set up by late Military Dictator, General Sanni  Abacha  to investigate former President Olusegun Obasanjo and others over alleged  1995 coup  said the allegation was a conspiracy from the then  Federal  Military Government.

Penpushing reports that, Waziri, who was also former Chairman of the Economic Crimes and Financial Commission(EFCC), made this known in  her newly released memoir, Farida Waziri: One Step Ahead’, scheduled for launch on Tuesday, adding that Obasanjo, the late Shehu Yar’Adua, Lawan Gwadabe, Chris Anyanwu,  Niran Malaolua  were all framed up,

The former anti-graft boss described the alleged coup as ”dubious” ,adding that,” there was something dubious about it. Historians called it a phantom coup. In other words, a conspiracy by the powers-that-be against selected targets critical of the state of the nation. Well, I have no opinion about that,” .

“First, General Obasanjo was a superior military officer to all those at the helm of the current government. Second, most of the officers with whom he allegedly conspired were not even commissioned into the Nigerian Army when he was a ranking officer,“ she said.

“One evening after an interrogation session, it was getting late, and Obasanjo, a diabetic patient, was waiting for his meal of beans from his farm in Ota.There was a delay in getting the meal to him. He was in a great deal of discomfort as his blood sugar level began to drop. Feeling sorry for him, I approached the senior officer and offered to dash home, not far, to prepare a meal of beans for him. The officer smiled and said nothing’.

“I missed the message. Another officer pulled me aside and cautioned me about getting involved with the detainees, to avoid getting implicated. What if you prepare food for him and something happens?

“The legal team ultimately sentenced General Obasanjo to death; the sentence was commuted to 30 years in prison, and the transitional government of General Abdulsalami Abubakar pardoned and released him from jail.”

Penpushing also reports that, Waziri, on Yaradua wrote, “For example, the chief accuser who claimed he attended the coup meeting in Yar’Adua’s lkoyi home couldn’t identify the house when driven around the neighbourhood.

”Neither could he identify critical places where clandestine meetings allegedly occurred with the general in attendance. His claim that about fifty (50) guests attended a dinner in Yar’Adua’s sitting room was proven false.

“When taken into the general’s home, he found a living room that could barely accommodate twenty, not 50 visitors. He had lamely changed his statement to “I was standing by the window.Caught in a web of lies, he later confessed that an SSS operative gave him a written report, with the instruction to copy the information about Yar’Adua’s involvement in the coup.When completed, burn the book,” that was the instruction according to him. We found the book hidden in the ceiling of his home. The accuser was handcuffed and subsequently tried,” .

The former boss of the Economic Crimes and Financial Commission (EFCC) said after the conclusion of the investigation, the panel had agreed on treasonable felony as Yar’Adua’s indictment but was surprised this was changed to treason.

“After reviewing the evidence, the legal team agreed on treasonable felony for Yar’Adua. The basis was that he might have known about the coup, but it could not be proved. We drafted charges for a treasonable felony and closed for the day.

“The next morning began on a dramatic note. Others were seated by the time I arrived. I found them in a pensive mood. My jovial greeting drew solemn responses. My off-hand question ‘have we finished for the day’ drew murmurs. My file laid face down on the table. I turned it over and got a shock.

“General Yar’Adua’s indictment had changed to treason. I could hardly contain my anger: “What is this? Didn’t we all agree yesterday on treasonable felony?” “None of them replied. They sat in subdued silence. I was so upset for this blatant interference with judicial due process that I dropped the file and abandoned the morning session.

“I went home and told Ajuji, my husband, what happened. Just be careful was all he said. That was hardly satisfactory to me. I headed to the Force Headquarters to complain to the Inspector-General of Police, Alhaji Ibrahim Coomasie.

“We know what is happening,” he said. “Sometimes, there are things beyond our power to control or influence.So it was that General Shehu Musa Yar’Adua was sentenced for treason. Sadly, he died in prison.”

Penpushing also reports that Waziri said it was obvious something was not right in his case for two fundamental reasons, pointing out that, another colleague on the legal team agreed “this man (Obasanjo) is innocent” of the allegations against him by the end of his trial.

Meanwhile, at the end of the trial, the administration of the late dictator  jailed both Messrs Obasanjo and Yar’Adua for treason in March 1995, while Obasanjo spent three years in prison before his release in 1998, following the death of  Abacha, his Chief of Staff,  when he was Head of State between 1976 – 1979, Yaradua, who were both sentenced to death, lost his life in Abakaliki prison