EXCLUSIVE: How I escaped abroad over Abacha’s phantom coup, says Bode Mustapha

The Osi of Egbaland and former member of Federal House of Representatives, Chief Bode Mustapha has narrated how he escaped from awaiting death planned for him by the administration of the late military dictator, General Sanni Abacha over a phantom coup.

Penpushing reports that, Mustapha in an exclusive interview disclosed that, he was safe by a police sergeant who hinted him of plot to get him arrested and implicated him in the coup alleged  to have been spearheaded by General Dipo Diya.

The politician recalled that during the turbulent period, he got information from one of the sergeants he had earlier assisted, that he was on the wanted list of coup plotters, and advised him to leave the country without further delay

‘It was one of those corporals or sergeants who called me at 2pm, and said Oga, I have seen your name in the security watch list, you have to get out of Nigeria today but don’t go through NADECO route. Our people are waiting for you on that route’, he recalled

Penpushing further reports that, going memory lane, Mustapha said following this information, he hurriedly booked a ticket through Lufthansa airline, adding that this was made easier for him, being  Lutfhansa card holder and his card was a credit card.

‘Fortunately, at that time, I was a Lufthansa card holder and my card was also a credit card. So, I called Lufthansa in Germany, I booked a ticket and I took a flight that night. Interestingly, that night the guys who called me, four of them were at the airport, because at that night, they were going to arrest General Diya’, he recalled

The Egba High Chief said, at the airport, soldiers were all over, adding that he saw all those sergeants he had earlier helped, and on sighting him they saw him off to the plane, disclosing that that was how he found his way outside the country, and the rest was history

‘So, as we walked pass, you see all those soldiers, they check your passport and I saw those guys that I have helped and they saw me off to the plane. Myself and Raymond Dokpesi were the last set of people to board the flight’.

‘Infact, Raymond may not remember this, when we stood at the immigration counter, his passport was on top of mine and so I said,(to the immigration officers) “you mean you, you don’t  know Ray Power”?.You know he was new then, the guy just said “Oh! Oga RayPower”, he just pushed the two passports and he didn’t bother to check my own and the computer’.

Penpushing reports that, Mustapha said to his amazement, the following day, he got a call from one of his brother, back in Nigeria, to inform him that, there was a coup in the country and that Diya had been arrested

‘So, the next morning one Aburo of mine, Dele Balogun called me and said Uncle Bode, have you heard there is coup in Nigeria and General Diya has been arrested. You will be shocked that the first person I called was Prof. Odekunle, I didn’t know he too had been arrested. But Ruka, his wife picked the call’.

‘Apparently, the security agents were with her, and they told her to be talking to me naturally. And I said these people are mad o, where is Bros, and she said bros is sleeping, that he is not feeling too well. And I said Ruka, tell me the truth. I hope he is not in danger in any way. It was two days later that I read that he had been arrested. The rest is history!.’, he emphasised

Watch out for full interview soon…..

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