"How Bamaiyi misplaced facts" – General Olanrewaju

If you missed previous report click here. In a quick rebuttal, former Minister of Communications, Major-General Tajudeen Olanrewaju, who was also implicated in the coup, said Bamaiyi misplaced facts in his new book regarding what he said transpired in the 1995 and 1997 attempted coups.

General Olanrewaju, a former General Officer Commanding (GOC) Third Armoured Division of the Nigerian Army, Jos, stated this in a release he personally signed in Lagos, yesterday. He said: “The point to note is that students of history must know what transpired in the 1995 and 1997 coup saga for posterity’s sake as against the misplacement of facts contained in the excerpts reported from Bamaiyi’s new book.

Olanrewaju said: “The new book can open the eyes of all Nigerians to see the footprints 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 (Director 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 was also given in the meeting. Fortunately, General Kazir and General Mukthar are alive today to testify to the truth of this matter.’’ ‘

’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.’ 

Insisting that he was not at the said meeting, Olanrewaju said: “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,” Olanrewaju lamented.