Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has revealed that he rejected an offer of political asylum from the United States despite warnings that he would be arrested if he returned to Nigeria during the regime of the late Head of State, General Sani Abacha.
Obasanjo also recounted how he ventured into farming after retiring from the Nigerian Army at the age of 42, saying the business was progressing well before the Abacha administration moved against him.
The former president disclosed this in an interview published by BBC News Pidgin on Tuesday, where he reflected on his experiences under military rule.
Recalling his retirement from the Army, Obasanjo said he had not planned to leave the military at such an early age.
“When I was leaving government as military Head of State, I was leaving too early. I didn’t join the army to retire at the age of 42,” he said.
He explained that having attained the rank of a four-star general and served as military Head of State, he had reached the highest positions available to him in the military.
Obasanjo said he subsequently decided to venture into farming, which he described as a successful business until Abacha’s government began targeting him.
“So what can I do? I decided I would go into farming. It really was going well, and it went well until I was arrested,” he said.
According to him, the American ambassador to Nigeria contacted him while he was travelling and informed him that the United States had offered him political asylum because of concerns that he would be arrested if he returned home.
Obasanjo, however, said he rejected the offer because he believed he had committed no offence.
“This was difficult for me. I haven’t done anything. What do they want to arrest me for? Um, I don’t want political asylum,” he recalled saying.
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He alleged that Abacha had ordered his elimination, adding that he was unaware of the plan when he initially received the warning from the American ambassador.
Obasanjo said his passport was later seized upon his return to Nigeria, after which he proceeded to his farm.
On arriving at the premises, one of his security personnel informed him that government security operatives had surrounded the property.
He said a police officer dressed in civilian clothes subsequently approached him, claiming that an Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG) had invited him.
Obasanjo said he rejected the approach, insisting that the AIG should come personally if he needed his assistance.
“I said, ‘You are a fool.’ If the AIG wants me to help him, he will not be inviting me. He will come here,” he said.
He added that he eventually used his personal vehicle to drive himself to the police station, where the AIG informed him that he had been instructed to arrest him.
The former president further disclosed that former United States President Jimmy Carter intervened on his behalf by appealing to Abacha.
According to him, the intervention initially resulted in his being placed under house arrest after he had been held at an undisclosed location.
Obasanjo said security operatives later arrived at his residence around 1am while he was playing squash and informed him that he was being taken away.
“They came and said they were taking me away. And they took me away, and from there, I went to prison,” he said.
