Rtd Col. Babatunde Fadile: If I had been ADC to Sonekan, Abacha might not have risen to power

Retired Nigerian Army Colonel Babatunde Bello-Fadile offered his thoughts on the events leading up to General Sani Abacha’s ascent to power in a ChannelsTV report. He feels that if he had been permitted to work as the aide-de-camp for Ernest Sonekan, the then-interim president, the military takeover would not have taken place.CONTINUE FULL READING>>>>>

Bello-Fadile was initially assigned to the position of aide-de-camp, but was prevented from resuming due to unspecified reasons. He expressed uncertainty as to why he did not take up the role, noting that the Chief of Army Staff instructed him to wait for Sonekan’s return from a Commonwealth meeting in Malta. This delay left him in a state of limbo, and, as he recounted, events unfolded rapidly upon Sonekan’s return.

His words,

“I was posted ADC to Sonekan. I don’t know why I was not allowed to resume. Still, if I had been ADC, it (the takeover) probably wouldn’t have happened.

Why didn’t I resume? The Chief of Army Staff said I should wait until he (Sonekan) comes back from Malta where he went for the Commonwealth Head of State meeting that year. So, I was hanging around. The whole thing happened by the time he came back.”CONTINUE FULL READING>>>>>