Nigeria - Retired Colonel
Abdulmumini Aminu, Borno state
military governor during
President Ibrahim Babangida’s
regime has narrated how he
picked up President Muhammadu
Buhari during the 1985 coup.
Aminu had been asked to arrest
the then Head of State at the
Dodan Barracks in Lagos.
"I must confess that I led that
operation," he said in an
interview published by Daily
Trust.
"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.
He quashed reports saying he
handcuffed Buhari, saying it was
a blattant 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.
"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
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