Thursday, 28th March 2024
To guardian.ng
Search

General Olanrewaju wants pardon

By Eric Teniola
17 November 2017   |   1:29 am
Sir: Of all the people arrested and found guilty of General Oladipo Diya led-coup plot in December 1997 under late General Sani Abacha, only three have not been given Presidential pardon.

Lt. General Oladipo Diya

Sir: Of all the people arrested and found guilty of General Oladipo Diya led-coup plot in December 1997 under late General Sani Abacha, only three have not been given Presidential pardon. They are Major General Adeniyi Tajudeen Olanrewaju (rtd.) (N/817), Colonel Edwin Jando (N/3400) and late Colonel O.O. Akiyode (N/5852) . If granted, the pardon will close the final chapter of the 20-year old saga and speed up the needed reconciliation.

On March 4, 1999, in an extra ordinary gazette Number 33 of government Number 78, the then Head of State, General Abdusalami Alhaji Abubakar, granted the following clemency: Lt-Gen. D.O. Diya (N/617), Maj-Gen A.T. Olanrewaju (N/817), Maj-Gen A.K. Adisa (N/1367), Col. E. I. Jando (N/3400), Col. Y. Bako (N/5527), Lt. Col. O.O. Akiyode (N/5852)-posthumously, Major A.A. Fadipe (N/7664), Major B.M. Mohammed (N/7962), L/Cpl Galadima Tanko (79NA/35/1725).

Others are Mr. Niran Malaolu, former Editor of the Diet Newspaper, Mr. Ojeniyi Ademola, Mr. Isaiah Adebowale, Mr. Muktar Maidabino, Engineer A. A. Adebanjo and Mrs. Sola Soile.

In the same gazette, General Abubakar pardoned the following ex-Major Akinloye Akinyemi, Col. Lawan Gwadabe (N/2665), Col. O.Oloruntoba, Col. R.S. B. Bello- Fadile (N/3137), Col. R.N. Emokpae (N/3139), Col. E. I. Ndubueze(N/2705), Col. G. A. Ajayi(N/3018),Lt. Col K.H. Bulus (N/3399), Lt.Col. S.E. Oyewole (N/5413), Lt.Col. M. A. M. A. Igwe (N/2879), Lt. Col M.A. Ajayi (rtd.), Lt.Col. R.D. Obiki (N/3396), Cdr. L.M.O. Fabiyi (NN/430), Major E.O. Obalisa (N/6111), Capt. M.A. Ibrahim (N/8815), Lt. A. Olowookere (NN/1330), Second Lieutenant R. Emouvhe (N/9515), 63NA/196806 Sagt. Patrick Usikpeko and Mrs. Chris Anyanwu, who was later, elected a Senator from Imo state. General Abdusalam also pardoned the following: Lt. Col. O.E. Nyong (N/5454), Lt.Col. C.P. Izourgu (N/2935), Lt. Col. V.O. Bamgbose (N/5931),Lt. Col. S.B. Mepaiyeda (N/5840), Major I.O. Edeh (N/3406), Ex-Major N.U. Okoro (N/6906), Capt. A. A. Ogunsuyi, 63NA/313099 Cpl Godspower Ogbionouvia,79NA/22520 Lcpl Joseph Onwe and Miss Quienette Lewis Allagoa.

General Abubakar, in addition, ruled that charges levelled against the following be dropped and their names removed from the Nigeria Police list of wanted persons. They are Col. Sabo Dasuki (rtd.), who later became National Security Adviser under President Goodluck Jonathan, Lt.Col. G.A.A. Nyiam (rtd.), Chief Great Ogboru, Mr. Benson Ikpe and Mr. Anthony Awoluyi.

On April 29 2015, in a government gazette No 33 of government notice 44, President Goodluck Jonathan, GCFR, gave the following Presidential pardon: Ex Major Bello Muhammed Magaji (NN/6604), Muhammed Abba Liman Biu, Shettima Muhammed Bulama, Diepreye Alamieyesiegha (former Governor of Bayelsa State), Lt. General Oladipo Diya (rtd.), Major General Abdulkareem Adisa (Post-Humous) and Major Segun Fadipe (rtd). Omitted on the list of those pardoned were General Olanrewaju, Col. Jando and Late Col. Akinyode.

General Olarenwaju, who entered the Nigerian Army in 1967 had earlier served as 2nd Field Artillery Battery, Nigerian Army Corps of Artillery (During the Nigerian Civil War), Deputy Defence Adviser, Nigerian Embassy, Moscow, Commander, 3rd Division Artillery, Jos, Principal Staff Officer, HQ Corps of Artillery, Directing Staff, Army Command and Staff College, Kaduna, Commandant (Colonel), Nigerian Army School of Artillery, Kachia, Kaduna, Commandment (Brig-General), 35 Air Defence Artiller Brigade, Akure, Corps Commander, Nigerian Army Corps of Artillery, Bonny Camp and Kontagora and General Officer Commanding (GOC), 3rd Armored Division, Nigeria Army. He became a member of Nigeria’s highest Military Ruling Body, the Provisional Military Council.
Eric Teniola.

In addition, he was the Chairman of States Asset Sharing Committee and also Chairman on the Review Committee of the report on Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation

I was with him at his Ikoyi residence last week during which he explained to me the difference between pardon and clemency. ‘‘There were two sets of amnesty granted, one amnesty is ‘‘pardon” while the other is “clemency” and yet both were allegedly committed under the same set of circumstances. This clearly runs against the then governments’ so-called policy of national reconciliation.” General Olanrewaju explained that only President Buhari has the power to grant him Presidential pardon.
Eric Teniola.

0 Comments