Major General Muhammadu Buhari
Thepresident of Nigeria Muhammadu Buhari and his errand boys, the DSS, accused the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Director of Radio Biafra and Biafra TV Nnamdi Kanu of treasonable felony when in the actually it's Muhammadu Buhari who committed treason
In July 1966, Lieutenant Muhammadu Buhari was one of the participants in a coup, led by Lt-Col Murtala Muhammed, that overthrew and assassinated Nigeria's first military Head of State General Aguiyi Ironsi.
Nine years later, in 1975, Lieutenant Colonel Muhammadu Buhari was among a group of officers (led by Colonels Ibrahim Taiwo, Joseph Garba, Abdulahi Mohammed, Anthony Ochefu, Lieutenant Colonels Shehu Musa Yar'Adua, Ibrahim Babangida and Alfred Aduloju) who overthrew the Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon. Col. Buhari was appointed a military governor of the North Eastern State after the successful execution of the coup.
Yet again, Major-General Buhari led the military coup of December 31st, 1983 that overthrew the democratically elected government of President Shehu Shagari. At the time of the coup plot, Buhari was the General Officer Commanding (GOC), Third Armored Division of Jos. With the successful execution of the coup by General Buhari, Tunde Idiagbon was appointed Chief of General Staff (the de facto No. 2 in the administration). The coup ended Nigeria's short-lived Second Republic, a period of multi-party democracy started in 1979. According to The New York Times, the officers who took power argued that "a flawed democracy was worse than no democracy at all". Buhari justified the military's seizure of power by castigating the civilian government as hopelessly corrupt and promptly suspended Nigeria’s 1979 Constitution.
Muhammadu Buhari denied his role in the December 1983 coup; however, the example of Major Bamidele betrays Buhari's complicity in the December 1983 coup. Nigerian military historians Max Siollun and Nowa Omoigui note that when Major Bamidele got wind of the coup to oust Shagari, Bamidele reported the issue up the chain of command to his GOC 3rd Armored Division (Major General Buhari) who was allegedly in on the plot. To prevent Bamidele from leaking the plot, Buhari ordered the arrest and detention of Bamidele for two weeks. Bamidele was not released until the successful execution of the coup.
Learning from this unfortunate experience, Bamidele did not report any rumours of the so-called Vatsa coup (between 1985 and 1986) and was executed for it. Bamidele's words to the Special Military Tribunal that tried and convicted him are:
"I heard of the 1983 coup planning, told my GOC General Buhari who detained me for two weeks in Lagos. Instead of a pat on the back, I received a stab. How then do you expect me to report this one? This trial marks the eclipse of my brilliant and unblemished career of 19 years. I fought in the civil war with the ability it pleased God to give me. It is unfortunate that I'm being convicted for something which I have had to stop on two occasions. This is not self-adulation but a sincere summary of the qualities inherent in me. It is an irony of fate that the president of the tribunal who in 1964 felt that I was good enough to take training in the UK is now saddled with the duty of showing me the exit from the force and the world."
If a military officer who heard of a coup plot and failed to report it could be tried and executed, can any sane person tell me why the military officer who actually executed a coup should be walking free today as a President of same nation which government he once toppled?
It is clear to the world now that Muhammadu Buhari is a treasonable felon. It is also worth noting, that Muhammadu Buhari has not been tried for these crimes, rather, this tyrant has been allowed to go scot-free. This man should be in jail not in the seat of the presidency. He has nothing good to offer as a president. With Muhammadu Buhari as the president of Nigeria, Nigeria, as a country and, in fact, the likes of Obama of America and David Cameron of Britain have lent their support to the predicted demise of the great edifice of evil, Nigeria.
I will hereby call on the men and women of goodwill, governments of the world, US, UN, EU and the international communities to speak up for the release of Nnamdi Kanu and peaceful exit of Biafrans from Nigeria through a transparent referendum.
Written By Chijindu Benjamin Ukah
Editor: Ikechukwu NwaorisaBy BIAFRA WRITERS
