Obasanjo Reveals How Abacha Allegedly Planned to Kill Him After 1995 Arrest

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has recounted how late military Head of State, General Sani Abacha, allegedly planned to eliminate him following his arrest during the military regime.

Obasanjo made the revelation while speaking at a recent book event at the University of Ibadan, where he reflected on his experience under Abacha’s government.

The former president said he turned to farming after leaving government at the age of 42, believing he had retired from public service too early.

He recalled that his decision to pursue agriculture came before his arrest in 1995, following an alleged coup plot against Abacha’s government.

“I took to farming after leaving government at 42 before Abacha arrested me,” Obasanjo said.

He further alleged that Abacha had resolved to have him killed, claiming that the former military ruler believed his objectives could not be achieved without eliminating him.

Obasanjo was arrested in 1995 alongside several others over an alleged coup plot against the military government. He was subsequently tried by a military tribunal and sentenced to life imprisonment.

The sentence was later commuted to 15 years, but Obasanjo regained his freedom in June 1998 following Abacha’s death.

Abacha ruled Nigeria from November 1993 until his death in June 1998, during a period marked by military rule and political repression.

Obasanjo, who previously served as Nigeria’s military Head of State from 1976 to 1979, later returned to power as an elected civilian president in 1999 and served two terms until 2007.

His latest recollection offers another account of his experience during one of the most turbulent periods in Nigeria’s political history.