1995/97 attempted coups: Misplacement of facts in Bamaiyi’s book, By Gen. Olanrewaju

Former Minister of Communications, Major-General Tajudeen Olanrewaju, has said that the former Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Ishaya Bamaiyi, misplaced facts in his new book titled, “Vindication of a General,” regarding what he said about what transpired in the 1995 and 1997 attempted coups.

General Olanrewaju, who is also a former General Officer Commanding (GOC) Third Armoured Division of the Nigerian Army, Jos, stated this in a release he personally signed in Lagos on Sunday.

The former Minister said, “The point to note is that student of history must know what transpired in the 1995 and 1997 coup saga for posterity sake as against the misplacement of facts contained in the excerpts reported from the Bamaiyi’s new book.

“Ironically”, General Olanrewaju said, “the new book can open the eyes of all Nigerians to see the footprint of an ambitious soldier that Bamaiyi epitomises as detailed in every account of power play which appears unfavourable to him but favourable to both General Abdulsalaam Abubakar as Abacha’s successor and General Olusegun Obasanjo as 1999 civilian President. He lost out in the power play.”

He continued, “There are two main issues I want to correct the first of which was the arrest of Gwadabe.  In his book Bamaiyi stated that General Olanrewaju briefed the meeting called by the then Chief of Army Staff General Alwali Kazir (rtd), which was factually incorrect.  What is correct is that the only person who briefed the meeting was the DMI (Directorate of Military Intelligence), General Sarki Mukthar, whose duty it was to brief the meeting about security situation in the country.

“Following this I was instructed by the meeting to facilitate the arrest of Gwadabe, whose brigade in Yola was under my command, while other commanders were similarly instructed to effect the arrests of others under their own commands.  The instruction to arrest Colonel Bello Fadile also given in the meeting.

“Fortunately General Kazir and General Mukthar are alive today to testify to the truth of this matter,” Olanrewaju said.

The second issue to be cleared is on the 1997 Diya’s coup where Bamaiyi said, “Other meetings took place at a guest house with Gen. Diya, Gen. Olanrewaju, CO 7 Gds Bn, Gen. Diya’s security officer Major Fadipe and me.  Of course, General Abacha was always briefed after the meetings.”

But Olanrewaju, in his reaction, emphatically said that he was not in the said meeting.  He explained that, “The said CO 7 Gds Bn and Major Fadipe, if called upon, will testify to the truth.

“I met Ishaya on two occasions; he met me in my house and I met him in his house, both times in Abuja.

“For avoidance of doubt and for students of history, the first time I heard about the Diya’s coup was when Bamaiyi told me and Aziza confirmed it.  This is how my name was dragged into the coup and it has affected my distinguished career in the Army.

“The rest of this narrative will be told later,” Olanrewaju submitted.