For his uncompromising stance against
indiscipline, incorrigible fight against corruption
and dying at a relatively young age under a most
mysterious circumstance, Major-General
BABATUNDE ABDULBAKI ‘Tunde’ IDIAGBON has
become a legend of sorts and some will say, a
martyr and true hero.
But who
was this
stern-
looking,
Ilorin-born
General
many said
never smiled? Was it true he never smiled? No.
He did smile. But why was he feared that much?
A lot of Nigerians hate him because he wanted
them to be more responsible, more disciplined
and more useful.
Many soldiers were totally terrified of him. Some
others were so petrified at his mere presence
that even Babangida, Abacha and his fellow coup
plotters could not execute a coup with Idiagbon
on Nigerian soil. They had to wait for him to
leave the country. Idiagbon was too disciplined,
too straight and too honest for corrupt
individuals. Today, the society has gone to the
dogs and it seems Nigerians are somewhat
comfortable with or adapting to, the rot in the
society. Or both. The story has started and it
was all about 30 years ago.
An extremely courageous man, Idiagbon did the
unthinkable: he came right back to the country
even when he knew clearly that his Commander-
in-Chief, Buhari had been deposed, and guns,
tanks and battle-ready soldiers would be waiting
for him at the airport. Against all advice, he
came back to Nigeria, not even an offer of living
in a palatial mansion for life of retirement in
comfort by the King of Saudi Arabia, Fahd ibn
‘Abd al-‘Azīz Āl Sa‘ūd, could make him stay. He
returned to face his enemies (even Gowon did
not come back to challenge his foes).
Idiagbon was a true General, a no-nonsense one
at that. A most loyal friend who made many
enemies. He said it would be a honour for him to
die beside Buhari, his boss, who saved his life
during the civil war. A most caring father.
Principled soldier. One never to abandon the
warfront in the heat of the battle. He loved
Nigeria, fought for Nigeria and today, he may
become unsung in the same nation he might
have paid the ultimate sacrifice for. Like
everyone of us, Idiagbon had his flaws and made
his mistakes but that he wanted to make Nigeria
a better place is what no one will deny. Not even
his sworn enemies. Are you ready to learn more
about this gallant soldier and unsung hero of
Nigeria? Let’s go!
BIRTH AND EARLY DAYS
He was born on the 14 of September, 1942
into a very modest Muslim home in Ilorin, Kwara
State. His father was Alhaji Hassan Dogo (now
of blessed memory) and his mother was Alhaja
Ayisatu (Aishat) Iyabeji Hassan Idiagbon.
GROWING UP AND EDUCATION
He attended United School, Ilorin (1950-1952)
and later proceeded to Okesuna Senior Primary
School, also in Ilorin between the years 1953 and
1957.
APPOINTMENTS AND MILITARY CAREER
In the year 1958, he launched his career in the
military when he was admitted into the Nigerian
Military School, NMS,, Zaria. Later, he attended
the Pakistan Military Academy, Kakul (PMA
Kakul) in Abbottabad, Pakistan from 1962-1965.
PMA Kakul is a two-year accredited federal
service military academy that provides for
officers of the Pakistan Army and allied nations.
Upon finishing, he went for a junior commander
course at the Nigerian Military Training College,
Kaduna in 1966. From there, he went thus:
-Junior Staff Course, Nigerian Army Brigade.
-Command and Staff College, Quetta, Pakistan,
1976.
-National Institute for Policy and Strategic
Studies, Kuru, Jos, 1981.
-International Defence Management Course,
Naval Postgraduate School, USA, 1982
A well-educated man who spoke refined English,
he also bagged a bachelors degree in Economics
from the Pakistani Military Academy. In addition
to this, he was an associate member of the
Nigerian Institute of Management and also had a
diploma in Senior International Defence
Management.
Although Idiagbon came to the height of national
prominence when Buhari became head of state,
he had actually being a member of military
governments (the regimes of Yakubu Gowon,
Murtala Muhammed and Olusegun Obasanjo).
Under General Obasanjo, Idiagbon was appointed
as the Military Administrator of Borno State. His
rise through the ranks in the military was as
follows:
-Enlisted as Officer Cadet, 1962
-Commissioned Second Lieutenant, April 1965
-Lieutenant, 1966
-Captain, 1968
-Major, 1970 (at the end of the Nigerian Civil
War)
-Lieutenant Colonel, 1974
-Colonel, July 1978
-Brigadier, May 1980
-Company Commander, 4 Battalion (August 1965-
February 1966)
-Intelligence Officer, 4 Battalion
-General Staff Officer, 3 Intelligence, 1 Sector
-Commanding Officer, 20 Battalion (October
1967-February 1968)
-Commanding Officer, 125 Battalion, 1968-1970
-Brigade Major and Deputy Commander, 33
Brigade (March 1970 – March 1971)
-Commander, 29 Brigade (March 1971 –
December 1972)
-General Staff Officer, Grade 1 & later, Principal
Staff Officer (PSO), Supreme Headquarters
(January 1973 – August 1975)
-Brigade Commander, 31 and 15 Brigades
(August 1975 – August 1978). As the
Commander of the 15 Brigade, he was also a
Member of the Governing Council, University of
Jos (UNIJOS), Plateau State.
-Appointed Military Governor of Borno State,
August 1978 – 1 October 1979 (during the
same period, he was also the Commander of the
33 Brigade and Member of the National Council
of State under the Obasanjo junta).
-Director of Manpower (Manning) and Planning,
Army Headquarters, October 1979 – February
1981
-Military Secretary, Nigerian Army, 1981-1983
-Appointed Chief of Staff, Supreme Headquarters
(de facto Vice President), 31 December, 1983 –
August 27 , 1985.
RULING NIGERIA WITH BUHARI
Following the ouster of the Alhaji Shehu Shagari
government on the 31 December, 1983,
Idiagbon rose to the post of the Chief of Staff,
Supreme Headquarters and the defacto Vice
President (arguably, he held more power and
commanded more authority than any other
deputy in the history of Nigeria). He was
responsible for enforcing many of the
government policies and spearheaded the
national campaign called the War Against
Indiscipline (WAI), with WAI brigades all over the
country. Under his leadership, Nigerians were
forced to form queue at bus stops, clean and
maintain tidy environments, ensure public
decorum and exhibit various forms of discipline,
even if many of us still grumble at the policies
today, Idiagbon showed that with a strong and
decisive leader in charge, Nigerians will surely
fall in line. Under WAI, there was the
Environmental Sanitation Exercise, and on the
last Saturday of each month, you see cities
competing to do ‘environmental’ and get
Idiagbon’s commendations.
NIGERIA’S NO-NONSENSE VICE PRESIDENT
As the de facto Vice President of Nigeria,
Idiagbon spearheaded some policies that many
Nigerians have translated as some of the most
extreme and stringent in the nation’s history.
And they have their reasons. Idiagbon pursued
the policy of War Against Indiscipline with a
ruthless zeal and determination that will put
Turkmenistan’s Saparmurat Niyazov to shame.
Civil servants must be punctual, arriving work at
the strike of the clock and for those who were
unfortunate enough to arrive late, they were
made to do frog jumps by soldiers
wieldingkobokos (horsewhips). He also led by
example by being very punctual in office. Not a
few civil servants fainted, some out of sheer
exhaustion while others succumbed to the sheer
fear and terror of Idiagbon’s goons. It did not
end there. If you cheated in exams or cut power
cables and you were caught, consider yourself
corned beef. Under him, the law respected no
one. When Fela was caught at the airport with
more foreign cash than was stipulated by law,
he was promptly arrested and made to face the
music, just that it was not Afrobeat.
The military also decreed that any Nigerian that
was caught wandering could be thrown into jail
for one harrowing year. Nigerians were cowed
into meek surrender but can now ‘make mouth’
on social media…lol! Na joke I dey joke o but you
no fit try abuse the military rulers that time.
Today, the Internet has changed everything and
Nigerians say their minds on the cyberspace
even if some citizens are yet to understand the
freedom that comes with this information
superhighway, they believe that Nigerian leaders
have to be worshipped like a Kim Il-Sung, that is
the havoc wreaked upon the psyche of a nation
by years of perennial militarization. But as I
have said, the Internet is changing the whole
world and dictators are becoming endangered
species. Even Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey is
having a hard time controlling his frenzied
citizens from blasting him and his party online.
Enough distraction, let’s continue.
Nigerian market women who did not use the
dustbin or refuse dumps were automatically
ordered to do frog jumps or received lashes in
public. If you also failed to queue up at the bus
stops, be ready to face the wrath of Nigerian
soldiers. Many were fired from their jobs
because they could not recite the Nigerian
National Anthem and National Pledge. It was as
if the army generals were on steroids and many
Nigerians could not believe their own version of
government.
As expected, some of those that bore the biggest
brunt of the Buhari/Idiagbon regime were
politicians deemed corrupt. Many of them were
governors of the ousted Shagari regime. Special
tribunals were set up to try these politicians and
at the end, they were handed some really
incredible jail sentences. For instance, the late
Alhaji Barkin Zuwo, who had been elected the
Governor of Kano State, could not help burst out
laughing when the military tribunal sent him to
250 years in prison. He laughed really hard at the
idea that he would be leaving prison in 2234.
Many thought Idiagbon was joking but he was
dead serious.
Idiagbon would blast corrupt politicians on radio
and promised to smoke them out of their holes
and make them face justice. Little wonder he
made so many powerful enemies. On Radio
Nigeria, he addressed the nation in a programme
called Military In Action. Many of the indicted
politicians were banned from holding public
offices for life.
Idiagbon was the most visible figure of the
Supreme Military Council. When the Detention of
Persons Decree Number 2 of 1984 came up,
Idiagbon was the only person who appended his
signature. He was dreaded by many and it was
so serious that the Nigerian Bar Association
issued a communiqué on the 13 of August,
1984 stating that the Supreme Military Council
may very well take over the jurisdiction of the
courts with the way it was just firing decrees
upon decrees.
Idiagbon believed that Nigeria was strong
enough to develop from within and he believed
strongly that should Nigeria be focused, the
world’s most populous black nation would
become a creditor nation. At an African Regional
Conference of the International Bar Association
in Lagos, he blasted the International Monetary
Fund when he said: “International Monetary Fund
(IMF) cures no sick state, in most cases, they
worsen the ailment.” He was so sure and
confident of Nigeria’s inherent greatness that
when the Deputy Premier of the Democratic
People’s Republic of China paid him a courtesy
visit, Idiagbon declared: If China can feed herself
in spite of her large population, there is no
reason why Nigeria cannot be self reliant.”
When critics fired at him for jailing corrupt
Second Republic politicians, Idiagbon fired back:
“All these criminal racketeering and swindling
went on while the salaries of local government
employees and teachers were left unpaid for
months.’’ When he was also criticized for the
execution of the drug traffickers in April 1985, he
told the nation that “a uniquely Nigeria solution
is necessary to curtail the get-rich-quick mania
that encourages serious crime.”
During the Alhaji Umaru Dikko affair in which the
Buhari-Idiagbon junta unsuccessfully tried to
smuggle Dikko out of Britain to come and
account for the billions of dollars missing,
Idiagbon was angry that the British government
foiled the plan (the Nigerian government officially
denied involvement) and he stated that Nigeria
was not going to ask for restoring relations with
Britain, and that if anyone was to ask for
forgiveness, it should be Britain. When Britain
detained the Nigerian Airways plane sent to bring
Dikko with its crew, Idiagbon retaliated by
detaining a British Airways passenger plane at
the Murtala Muhammed International Airport.
The aircraft was on routine flight to London.
Another decision that made many to hurl
vituperations at him was the expulsion of illegal
aliens and immigrants in the country even if
Idiagbon repeatedly made it abundantly clear
that those who had the valid papers were not
disturbed. He clearly tried his best to bring some
sanity into the system. On foreign policy, he
adopted the pan-African legacy of the Murtala
regime and was opposed to the South African
apartheid government while also supporting
Namibia, which was not yet an independent
nation.
THE WAR AGAINST INDISCIPLINE
On the 20 of March, 1984, Idiagbon launched
what many has correctly termed his pet project,
War Against Indiscipline (WAI). It was launched
with a lot of fanfare and the policy was
aggressively pursued with teams sent out to
various parts of the country to educate the
people. The programme was launched in five
phases and was directly supervised by Idiagbon
while the day-to-day running of the policy was
the responsibility of the Information Minister. An
array of measures were rolled out and drummed
into the people’s ears. Any form of indiscipline
would not be tolerated by the new regime. As a
matter of fact, as far as Idiagbon was
concerned, one of the greatest forms of
indiscipline was ‘ cartooning of the head of state ’.
Artists flatly disagreed but there was little they
could do.
-CLOSING DOWN STATIONS
In October 1984, he set up a committee that
rationalized the services of the Nigerian
Television Authority. This was in relation to the
duties of NTA as stated in the Decree of 1977
that established the authority. He announced
that the various ‘mushroom’ radio stations of the
Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN) will
be closed down and in addition to that, the radio
stations located at the Kaduna, Lagos, Ibadan,
Enugu and the new Federal Capital Territory
would be provided with new equipment so as to
be able to provide better services for the nation.
He observed that:
‘…in the prevailing madness, the basic patriotic
objectives of setting up stations to inform, entertain
and educate were lost as the various political
parties ensured that the government under their
control engaged in the proliferation of television and
radio stations throughout the country. The stations,
without exception, became megaphones of political
parties in power, suppressing or grossly distorting
information to suit the whims and caprices of
politicians and consequently fanning the embers of
disunity, disaffection and disorder. They succeeded
to such an extent that law and order broke down in
many states of the federation. The present
administration owed it a duty to provide a virile,
functional and effective broadcasting system to the
nation and could not sit idly and watch the sector
decay. ’
Just two months after this speech, FRCN
stations in places like Ilorin, Calabar, Akure,
Ibadan, Calabar and many others were closed
down. About 2,000 people lost their jobs in one
fell swoop and to forestall any riot, looting,
sabotage or protests, armed policemen were
drafted to the concerned stations.
OVERTHROW AND ARREST
As hinted earlier on, Idiagbon’s style of
leadership earned him a long line of powerful
enemies and they devised a way to get rid of
him. However, they knew that the combination of
Buhari and Idiagbon would be very difficult to
dislodge. To neutralize the regime, Idiagbon had
to be removed from the scene first before any
attempt can be made to topple Buhari. So in
1985 the plan was hatched by Babangida, MKO
Abiola and his ilk to lure Idiagbon to travel out
of Nigeria to attend the pilgrimage in Saudi
Arabia. Abiola also gladly provided the money for
the coup. But wetin be Abiola own? The Buhari/
Idiagbon regime had seized a huge consignment
of Abiola’s imported newsprint, which was on
the government contraband list and they refused
to release it to the Ogun State business mogul.
Idiagbon had barely started his rites in the oil-
rich desert kingdom when news reached him that
his boss had been overthrown and detained. He
was given clear warnings to stay away from the
country or he would be dealt with.
At that point, the billionaire Saudi monarch, the
late King Fahd Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud called
Idiagbon and made an offer. The Saudi King told
Idiagbon that he would get a palatial mansion
and stay for his retirement for life and forget
about the idea of returning to Nigeria. Idiagbon
politely declined the offer and told King Fahd
that he had to return to Nigeria for two good
reasons, one of which was to make a statement
that he was not a coward so his family will later
walk proud and that it would also be a great
honour for him to die beside his boss, General
Buhari, who saved his life during the Nigerian
Civil War. Few days later, he entered the
Nigerian airspace. Armed soldiers and all kinds
of weapons waited for him at the airport but he
did not budge.
For daring to enter the Nigerian territory and
having the guts to challenge a corrupt system,
Idiagbon was placed under house arrest in Benin
City and Bauchi State. He was locked up with his
boss for 40 horrible months. He and Buhari had
ruled Nigeria for 20 months before IBB and his
boys came in and embarked on their coup. When
IBB overthrew his boss, he lashed out at their
regime for being ‘rigid and uncompromising’.
Special venom was reserved by IBB for Idiagbon
as he descended on him with scathing criticism
(IBB was later accused of mischievously carving
out parts of Kwara State like Kainji and adding
to his own Niger State out of his disdain for
Idiagbon). When Idiagbon returned, he was put
under house arrest by the IBB regime for three
years. When he was released, he returned as a
civilian to his hometown of Ilorin where he was
received and hailed as a hero.
IDIAGBON’S RETIREMENT
After his release, he took to farming and almost
completely slipped out of public glare. He
refused to speak to any journalist or reporter,
even on very crucial national issues. Even when
General Sani Abacha invited him to head the
Failed Contracts Tribunal, he simply refused and
brushed aside the Khalifa’s invitation. For almost
15 years, he did not talk to the public and faced
his business. It was only on very rare occasions
that he attended public events, like that of the
coronation of his good friend, Major-General
Mohammed Sani Sami (rtd) (Sani Gomo II) as
the Emir of Zuru, Kebbi State in 1996 (Sami was
the Bauchi State (now Bauchi and Gombe
States) Governor under Buhari). It was not until
after Abacha’s sudden demise in June 1998 that
Idiagbon decided to embrace the limelight once
again and contribute his own quota to national
development. Interestingly, he was dead 10
months later.
PERSONAL STYLE AND INTERESTING THINGS
ABOUT HIM
-He is best remembered as Nigeria’s author of
the War Against Indiscipline (WAI) programme.
-His simple and humble lifestyle reflected in all
he did. Even when he could have easily sent a
junior officer, General Idiagbon would drive
himself all the way to his children’s school to
pick them up after lectures. He was also
principled, almost to a fault. There was a time
when a guest came visiting the Idiagbons and
upon seeing Kunle, his son, the guest was so
excited that he had grown so big, and like it’s
the ‘tradition’ in many parts of Nigeria, the guest
gifted Kunle with some substantial amount of
money, and the little dude was elated. The guest
left, only for Idiagbon to burst the child’s bubble.
He called Kunle and told him that he should use
the money to pay his school fees, and that was
it…lol!
-The late General Idiagbon is one of the painfully
few Nigerians that can be truly described as
incorruptible. Even while an army general and
the number two man in the world’s most
populous black nation in the 1980s, his wife,
Biodun, maintained a small ice cream shop at his
Ilorin residence (interestingly Dame Patience
Jonathan too was once into the sale of ice
cream before her husband hit it big in national
politics. Then, she had a rather ‘enchanting’
nickname: Mama Ice Cream). Idiagbon had no
millions of dollars, eye-popping mansions,
private jets or mind-blowing automobiles even if
he had the opportunity to the steal the nation
blind. Even his home today at Ilorin is an
attestation to his high moral standards. That
stands out him in a nation that has become one
vast Pacific Ocean of corruption and filthy lucre.
Many Nigerians accuse him of being too strict,
unnecessarily iron-fisted but definitely not
corrupt.
-When he was in power, Idiagbon put everybody
in their place. He did not patronize anyone and
he did not allow anyone to patronize him. For
many northern traditional rulers who felt two
Muslims of northern extraction were in power
and it was time for them to jolly like ants inside
a pack of St.Louis, they met the shock of their
robed lives. Anytime a northern emir or
traditional ruler approached Buhari for any favour
or ‘connection’, Buhari always directed them to
his trusted deputy, Idiagbon. Upon getting to
Idiagbon, the answer was always a very cold no,
and the monarchs knew better not to press
further because it will not be funny for a revered
monarch to be koboko-ed. It was so serious that
even when the monarch of Buhari’s own
hometown, Alhaji Muhammed Bashaar, the Emir
of Daura approached Buhari to see if there was
any possibility of ‘connection’, he was promptly
rebuffed. Embarrassed and disappointed by the
rigid stance of Idiagbon and his equally strict
boss, the emirs headed back to the north, full of
fury and anger. They then rallied round the
religious leaders and the masses and narrated
the ‘hell’ they went through in the hands of the
Buhari and his unappeasable deputy. Before you
could spell Nigeria, Islamic clerics all across the
north, especially in Sokoto, Kano and Kaduna
prayed to Allah during congregational prayers to
catalyze the removal of Buhari and Idiagbon,
both of whom they referred to as ruthless
tyrants.
Allah would later answer their prayers in a most
spectacular manner with a gap-toothed dude
called Babangida who fried the nation for almost
a decade. It must be noted that the Buhari/
Idiagbon regime thoroughly ‘showed pepper’ to
the traditional rulers, many of whom they saw as
equally corrupt like the detained politicians. The
Emir of Kano, Alhaji Dr. Ado Bayero, and his
bestie of life, the Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade
Sijuade, Olubuse II, were handed suspension
letters and also told not to make the mistake of
venturing out of their respective domains. Why?
Their crime was that they had travelled to Israel
without obtaining government approvals. Nigeria
did not have any diplomatic ties with Israel
during that period. General Ahmed Gusau was
also said to have been penned down for
investigation over his alleged involvement in a
drug scandal. Day by day, the list of Idiagbon’s
enemies kept growing. Idiagbon was in his early
40s at that time but he was already terror to
many of the most influential figures in Nigeria.
-One other thing about him was that he
maintained a very strong sense of independence
and no one could buy him over. For example,
after his release and upon his retirement quietly
to his Ilorin hometown, none of the subsequent
governments (IBB, Shonekan, Abacha and
Abubakar) were successful in baiting him with
government appointments (not even when his
boss, Buhari agreed to serve under an Abacha
junta as the Petroleum Special Trust Fund
chairman, even if he did so with a stellar
performance). Yes, he was that principled. You
will appreciate that better when you realize the
fact that many Nigerians will not think twice if
the Presidency should dangle a government
appointment before their very eyes.
-His fearlessness was also legendary. He had no
qualms in flinging to into jails anyone found
guilty of embezzlement of public funds, financial
misappropriation and other corrupt practices.
-Like every man, he had his soft side too. He
was a wonderful father to his children and a very
caring husband. He was said to be a fan of jazz
musicians like Herbie Hancock and of course,
Miles Davis, both black Americans and leading
voices in the jazz world. He loved music a lot
and patronized Nigerian artistes and even
recruited some of them like the talented
drummer, Eddie “Soul” Offeyi. Ed Keazor of the
Nigerian Nostalgia Project said of Idiagbon and
one of the bands: Nothing, he just stopped smiling
so much. He was almost like Larry Koldsweat’s
Godfather. The band actually used to hang out at
his house and as they said “we dey go him kitchen
go take food”. They looked at him like a generous
uncle and he was exceedingly kind to them.
-He was disappointed at the manner at which
they lost power and he was even further
embittered by the fact that those that came after
him messed up the entire system.
-In October 1998, he set the Gateway Stadium,
Abeokuta, Ogun State ablaze with excitement
when he and former Head of State, Olusegun
Obasanjo arrived to watch the South Africa –
Ghana match at the African Women Soccer
Championships. The Ghanaians thrashed their
South African mates 4-0.
-In 1998, when General Olusegun Obasanjo
finally decided after dodging the question that he
would actually be running for the presidential
elections, Major-General Tunde Idiagbon was one
of the retired army generals that were reported
to have supported him. Others that also gave
Obasanjo his support included former Head of
State, General Muhammadu Buhari, former
military president General Lieutenant General
Aliyu Gusau (now Nigeria’s minister of defence),
Major-General Mohammed Magoro (Buhari’s
internal minister and now a Senator representing
Kebbi State), Air Vice Marshal Mohammed
Mukhtar (one of Buhari’s generals that flung
politicians into long-term prisons), Lieutenant
General Domkat Bali (former Minister of Defence
and Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff during
Babangida’s regime), Lieutenant General
Mohammed Inuwa Wushishi (former Chief of
Army Staff), Lieutenant General Garba Duba and
many others. Some other generals did not want
their name mentioned and preferred to work in
the background.
-In November 1998, there were reports that
Idiagbon would declare for the All People’s Party
(APP) and gun for the presidency. Idiagbon’s
membership was expected to boost the chances
of the party, face Obasanjo, who was set to be
anointed as the candidate for the Peoples
Democratic Party (PDP) and at the same time
brighten the profile of a party that had already
been derided as ‘Abacha People’s Party’. Senator
Bola Ahmed Tinubu said that time that
Idiagbon’s decision to join any political party
was his personal decision and that they were not
threatened at the Alliance for Democracy (AD).
Idiagbon’s decision to join the party was
confirmed by his Special Assistant, Alhaji Ameen
A. Akoshile. Some analysts say that although
General Buhari loved and respected Obasanjo, he
never trusted Babangida’s involvement in the
whole affair and might have even encouraged his
former deputy to join an opposition party.
However, there was something really exciting at
that time because another Ilorin strongman and
politician, the late Olusola Saraki, was already in
the APP and it was expected that should
Idiagbon join the APP to pursue his political
ambitions, it would be an inevitable clash of
titans. Both Ilorin strongmen are now dead but
they are still highly venerated in the Kwara State
capital. However, it must be stated that some
other observers reported that it was all rumours
as Idiagbon remained as uninterested in politics
as ever. He himself would later say that no one
had approached him with such an idea.
-He was reported to have died at the intensive
care unit (ICU) of the UITH which was funded by
the Petroleum Trust Fund headed by his boss,
Buhari.
-General Idiagbon also said his mind no matter
whose ox was gored. In February 1999, before
the presidential elections, at a book launch (the
book was on General Buhari and was titled
‘Buhari: The PTF Years’), he called on the military
government led by General Abdulsalami
Abubakar to carry out a genuine transition to
democracy and advised Nigerians to vote for a
true democrat, a direct tackle against many of
his corrupt former military colleagues (you know
them na…lol!) were bent on hijacking the entire
democratic process (we now know whatsup…
lol!). The next month, he was dead.
LOVE, ROMANCE AND MARRIAGE
He was married to Mrs. Biodun Idiagbon in
August 1970 and their marriage produced five
children (two boys and three girls). His wife is a
Christian and member of the Redeemed Christian
Church of God. Following his death, there was
some fracas when in April 1999, Dr. Najimdeen
Ishola Raji, the deputy imam at the University of
Ilorin Mini Campus said she could not inherit any
of her husband’s property because of her
religious affiliation.
FAMILY AND CHILDREN
General Tunde Idiagbon left behind five children
who took after him, as far as discipline,
reclusiveness and humility are concerned. His
children include:
-KUNLE MOHAMMED IDIAGBON: He attended the
Nigerian Military School, Zaria and studied
English at the University of Ilorin.
-RONKE IDIAGBON, was an MBA student in
Cardiff, Wales as at the time he died.
-NADIAT MOPELOLA IDIAGBON: She got married
in September 1997 to Alhaji Sani Mohammed of
the Nigeria Liquified Natural Gas Project (NLNG),
and even at the occasion, according to some,
Idiagbon did not smile.
CRITICISM
-For his unbridled manner of clamping down on
press freedom, Idiagbon was widely vilified by
many Nigerian journalists. The government had
the Public Officers (Protection) Against False
Accusation Decree which stipulated some really
unpleasant penalties for Nigerian reporters who
wrote articles or press reports that cast
aspersions on the integrity on members of the
military junta. Idiagbon did not blink twice before
approving the detention of members of the pen-
wielding and ever-effervescent Nigerian mass
media. Two journalists, Nduka Irabor and Tunde
Thompson, both of The Guardian witnessed the
seriousness of Idiagbon first hand when they
were detained for one year for publishing a story
that the regime saw as ‘embarrassing’.
-The retroactive application of the death penalty
on drug traffickers was also seen as one of the
most detestable acts of the Idiagbon regime.
Armed robbers were also executed.
-In 1981, when he was still a brigadier, he wrote
a book titled ‘Strategies for Liberating Southern
Africa ’ and he was also a member of the
National Institute for Policy and Strategic
Studies (NIPSS), Kuru, near Jos in Plateau State.
He loved writing and he finished a manuscript of
book that those who read it described as very
enchanting. He also loved reading and playing
squash. What is it with Nigerian leaders and this
squash sef? Abacha. Squash. Yar’adua. Squash.
Idiagbon. Squash. Obasanjo. Squash.
Abdulsalam. Squash. Jonathan too, squash.
Anyways, the economy is still squashing us.
-For a man like Idiagbon living a corruption-
infested nation like Nigeria, it is quite
understandable that he made enemies, lots of
them, and very powerful ones too. Idiagbon and
his boss, Buhari remain mainly criticized not
because they embezzled billions of naira but
because of the iron-fisted and dictatorial nature
of their authoritarian regime under which
punishments such as long-term imprisonment,
death penalty for drug trafficking and other
methods were instituted and codified in military
edicts. For many Nigerians, this seems to be the
only, or main grouse they have against the late
general. Then there was the repression and
oppression of the media, with journalists and
press houses bearing a big part of the military
brunt.
-During their regime, some of the governors jailed
died in detention, and these included Professor
Ambrose Alli of Bendel State, Aper Aku of Benue
State, Alhaji Busari Adelakun, Tatari Ali and Zabo
Barkin Zuwo. Olabisi Onabanjo, former Governor
of Ogun State, was also jailed in May 1984 for
corruptly enriching his party, the UPN, until IBB
pardoned him. Sule Katagum, a former chairman
of public service commission for 15 years who
had the ‘grace’ of spending one month in
Idiagbon’s detention dismissed him as an
arrogant man who let power enter his head.
-Vituperations and caustic attacks have been
directed the late Idiagbon for taking his 14-year-
old son, Kunle, on holy pilgrimage to Saudi
Arabia in 1985. He was accused of flouting the
same laws that his were enacted by his own
government.
-Idiagbon was also criticized that it was under
his government that 53 suitcases were smuggled
inside the country unchecked.
-In July 1997, Ibrahim Salman had helped
Comfort Obi of Lagos-based The Source
magazine to gain access to Idiagbon’s Ilorin
residence for a very rare interview which turned
out to be very refreshing. However, after the
journalist was gone and the interview published,
Salman was reportedly lured into Idiagbon’s GRA
residence and mercilessly beaten by irate
soldiers who kept shouting na you bring reporter
come dey disturb and snap Oga ba . When Comfort
Obi tried to get Idiagbon’s side of the story and
why he did not call his soldiers to order, he
neither confirmed nor denied the fracas. He was
silent.
-It was not too clear whether Idiagbon later
made up with those who overthrew him before
his death, like his boss, Buhari, did. What was
known was that he fiercely maintained his
independence and aloofness.
-He was also criticized for not saying a word
during the whole Abacha junta. Akin Adebisi, a
former student union leader said in 1998 when
reports were flying around of an Idiagbon
presidency: “Let us even start from the
annulment of the June 12 presidential election,
the whole rot Abacha unleashed on this country,
the eventual death of Abiola in jail. So many
things have happened and all these while
somebody like Idiagbon sat cowardly in Ilorin
and did nothing. He should not just bother to
leave Ilorin because Nigerians will stone him.”
Some even criticized making allegations that
some members of his family benefitted from
massive Petroleum Trust Fund contracts even if
he personally distanced himself from plum
government contracts.
-Idiagbon was criticized that as the number two
man in Nigeria, his regime was not too
accommodating of criticism or calls for
correction. When the National Association of
Nigeria Students (NANS) launched protests
against the planned hike in tuition fees, they
were jailed and same with the members of the
Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) when they
demanded better welfare packages (and I don’t
mean special number plates…lol! Na joke o!).
-When Dr. Beko Ransome-Kuti, a pro-democracy
activist was asked to assess Idiagbon following
the announcement of his death, Beko stated that
he is a very useless man, he was a terrible man
who visited a lot of hardship on many people but
that has nothing to do with his death because we
are all going to die. But he was a harsh and terrible
being who was almost the equivalent to Abacha,
they are all terrible people. Beko had just been
released from prison when PM News reached him
on phone for his comments on Idiagbon’s
demise.
DEATH & BURIAL
Idiagbon’s death was dramatic, sudden and
utterly shocking. Many of his hometown folks
still shiver today any time they remember the
late general. The brief illness that later took his
life started on Sunday, the 21 of March but he
braved it and travelled to Abuja on Monday,
22 March. By the time he returned to Ilorin on
Tuesday, the stomach upset was still there. On
the evening of Tuesday 23 of March, 1999, the
stomach upset became so severe that he could
not hold it anymore even after taking some
medications. He was prostrate and could not
breath properly, covered with sweat, the agony
was visible. Alarmed family members rushed him
to the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital
(then located at the University Mini Campus site)
and doctors flew into action, battling to save the
general’s life (an emergency surgery was said to
have been carried out at first). But all efforts to
save him were in vain.
By 4.35 pm the next day, Wednesday, he was
gone after bouts of convulsion. He had been
admitted at the hospital for just 18 hours and as
at the time he died, the doctors were making
plans to operate him. The surgical operation had
been approved by Lt. Colonel Rasheed Shekoni,
the Military Administrator of Kwara State but
before any scalpel could be used, Idiagbon was
dead. Ilorin was thrown into mourning like no
other with wailings echoing from Adangba to
Abayawo. According to the Chief Medical
Director of the teaching hospital, Rotimi Fakeye,
a professor of obstetrics and gynaecology,
Idiagbon’s condition was very serious as at the
time he was brought to the hospital. Another
son of the soil, the late Major-General
Abdulkarim Adisa, the Kwara State Government
and the Christian Association of Nigeria mourned
him. Tears flowed freely at his Idiagbon family
compound and his kinsmen were inconsolable.
His 90-year-old mother, Alhaja Ayisat said:
“What is life to me now without Tunde? Who have I
offended that could not have taken me away instead
of my son? God, this is a great burden and sorrow
for me at my old age to bear.”
To them, their pillar of support and source of
pride was gone, all too soon. Adisa, who had
just been released from Abacha’s Guantanamo
Bay less than a month earlier was totally
devastated. He said: His death is a big loss to
Ilorin people especially those of us close to him
and as a former number two he had achieved a
lot. He wanted Nigeria to be a better place to
live in” Idiagbon’s last public outing was a
special prayer session on 14 March that was
held to mark Adisa’s release from Nigeria’s
Gitmo.
On the 24 of March, 1999, death came calling.
But what killed him? Doctors said that he might
have died from complications of gastroenteritis
caused by cholera (from contaminated food or
water). He showed the symptoms such as
stooling and vomiting. Unsubstantiated claims of
poisoning have trailed his death (like that of
Tafawa Balewa too, circumstances around the
death of Nigeria’s first and only Prime Minister
remain unsolved) but you know, Nigeria is a very
peculiar place, forensic medicine is next to
nothing, that’s one and we do not bother to
investigate the deaths or killings of our leaders.
Two, the Muslim burial rites leave little or no
time for any useful autopsy or any relevant
forensic examination, even if toxicologists were
to be present. We need to work on stuffs like
these, so many unresolved murders, deaths and
assassinations in our nation.
The burial prayers for the late General Idiagbon
were held at the Main Bowl of the Kwara State
Stadium and those in attendance were former
military rulers Muhammadu Buhari and Ibrahim
Babangida, Vice Admiral Mike Okhai Akhigbe
(now late), the Chief of General Staff of the
Abubakar regime, Alhaji Sulu Gambari, the Emir
of Ilorin, Lt. Col. Rasheed Shekoni, the Military
Governor of Kwara State, Major-General
Mohammadu Magoro, Major-General Abdullahi
Mohammed and Chief Olusegun Osoba, former
Ogun State Governor who could not control his
tears. His body, still wrapped in a white UITH
fabric and strapped onto a stretcher was
conveyed to the venue in a white Peugeot 504
Estate (Station Wagon). The body was removed
from the vehicle and a team of security officials
and Islamic clerics unclasped the belt clamped
over his corpse.
Placed on the ground, the body was then turned
on its right side to the face the East. After the
prayers, his body was transported to his
residence. At 11.10am, the chief cleric started
the funeral prayers (called janazah in Islam)
which took just 10 minutes. The body was then
lifted and placed into the vehicle which drove
off. The prayers had ended when General
Babangida walked into the stadium and he took
turn to shake hands with the seated guests. Vice
Admiral Akhigbe (led the Federal Government
delegation as the CGS) stood up to salute him.
Buhari stayed glued to his seat and reluctantly
shook IBB’s hand. By 11.45, Idiagbon’s body
had reached his GRA residence for the very final
burial rites with the prayers led by Imam Isale
Imale, Alhaji Abdulhameed Abdulahi.
Six smartly-dressed soldiers standing at
attention mounted a short parade of honour for
the late general. As the body was driven out of
the stadium, two shots were fired by the soldiers
and at his GRA residence. Men and officers from
the 4 Mechanized Brigade, Sobi, Ilorin had a
march past for him. Another short prayer was
offered as the body was taken out of the car.
General Idiagbon was buried on Thursday, 25
March, 1999 at his No. 5, Aderemi Adeleye
residence, GRA, Ilorin. Burial was swift. He was
interred at about 12.00 noon. His wife was clad
in black and she wept profusely. General Buhari
could not hold back his tears. When a journalist
asked the devastated Buhari to comment, he
said:
‘I can’t say anything. What can I say?’
On his demise, former Nigerian aviation minister,
Femi Fani-Kayode has some interesting things to
say:
General Tunde Idiagbon was to be appointed
Chief of Staff in the Presidency in President
Obasanjo’s government. He was invited to Abuja
by the President, offered the job and he accepted
it. He went back to his hotel on the night he was
made that offer after seeing the President, had
some food and some ”Abuja tea” and he
immediately fell gravely ill. He never recovered
from that illness and he in fact died from it. He
was not suffering from any known illness prior
to taking the tea. Up until that time he had
enjoyed excellent health and I was reliably
informed that he was in very high spirits after
leaving the Presidential villa that night. As a
matter of fact Obasanjo was looking forward to
working closely with him. The fact that the man
died in such a mysterious way is yet another
inexplicable tragedy in our history. General
Abacha also drank some Abuja tea and he died
in the same mysterious way (though he did
suffer from ill health prior to that). The same
thing happened to Chief Moshood Abiola and in
his case the tead was prepared for him during a
meeting with Susan Rice (who was then the
American Undersecretary of State for Africa) and
a few other American officials including
Carrington the then American Ambassador. The
irony is that there are some poisons and toxins
that the CIA, MOSSAD and other intelligence
agencies have always used that cannot be
detected by even the most sophisticated
autopsies. So I guess that even an autopsy could
not have really told us much (as was shown
after the autopsy that was done on Abiola after
he perished). I pray that one day we will get to
know the truth about what really happened to
this great man called General Tunde Idiagbon,
who killed him (assuming that he was in fact
killed), why they did so and just how it was
done. –April 23, 2011
HONOURS, AWARDS AND LEGACIES
Although his reign was a short one, he left
behind a legacy of discipline (which is totally
lacking in the Nigerian society today). Great
historians like Max Siollun (a legendary authority
on Nigeria’s military politics) consider the Buhari-
Idiagbon era as a lost opportunity to be on the
path to greatness. Analysts like Chido Nwangwu,
the Founder and Publisher of USAfricaonline.com
imagine what would have happened to Nigeria if
they were allowed to rule for a longer period
(even if some people felt they would turn Nigeria
into a North Korea…lol!). Upon his death, the
Ilorin Descendant Progressive Union (IDPU)
submitted a proposal to Lt. Col. Shekoni that the
state stadium be named after him but that plan
never materialized. Recently, there have been
calls that the name of the Kwara State
University be changed to Babatunde Idiagbon
University. Although he spent decades in
government, at various levels, the late General
Tunde Idiagbon cannot be accused of stealing a
single kobo, and that in itself, in my opinion, is a
wonderful legacy and a towering achievement
not easily matched by other mortals.
HIS WORDS
“As Nigerians decide who is to be their president
in the next republic, they need to produce an
honest leadership willing to champion and
govern the nation with accountability as its
watchword.”
-General Tunde Idiagbon addressing Nigerians,
during a book launch on the 24 of February,
1999.
“Under the new dispensation there would be no
place for unproductive dead-woods nor for
mindless plunderers of our national resources.”
‘…the need to emphasize self-discipline and
leadership by good example. Again, by drawing
public attention to little but important
manifestations of indiscipline such as rushing into
buses, driving on the wrong side of the road,
littering the streets, parks and dwelling compounds,
cheating, taking undue advantage of scarcity to
inflate prices for quick monetary gains, constituting
ourselves into public nuisances, working without
commitment, and devoting little or no time to the
upbringing of our children. Up till this moment,
there has been no formal declaration of war against
indiscipline. It is my pleasure therefore to declare
today the launching day of the war against
indiscipline…’
You can enjoy the video and see him speak here in
the video below:
WHAT OTHERS SAID ABOUT HIM
Let’s place the man within a historical context to
achieve a better meaning regarding what I
believe was a very remarkable and consequential
life. First, Idiagbon, famous for his stern attitude,
morose demeanor and iron-fist approach to
governing had a love-hate relationship with his
countrymen. Initially, many felt he was too
dictatorial and left no room for compassion for
errant fellows. Some, at the time, also felt his
approach was right for Nigerians, an unusually
boisterous group of people in their country.
Second, I believe that Nigeria benefitted and
learned major lessons from the firm hands and
watchful eyes of Idiagbon. Why? However
shortlived, he contributed immensely to clean the
mess and stinking indiscipline which continues to
eat deep like a cancerous growth in the country’s
social, organizational, governmental and
individual fabric…..
Third, his efforts imposed some sense of
orderliness to most aspects of public life in
Nigeria. In many ways, he improved Nigerians’
attitude to work, sanitation and ethics. He led
the national campaign known as War Against
Indiscipline, WAI. Streets, public and private
buildings and other dirty areas and corners of
every major city started to shine in the wake of
WAI. WAI’s mechanism rested on command,
threat and actual use of force and sanctions by
Idiagbon’s team. With WAI under his watch,
Nigeria was cleaner, although some buildings
owned by many poor folks were callously
smashed by bulldozers. After less than 5 months
of being replaced by Babangida, Nigeria relapsed
to dirt as usual. Ever since, mountains of rubbish
struggle for attention with imported vehicles….
-Chido Nwangwu, Founder & Publisher,
USAfricaonline
‘ Tunde, no doubt, meant well for Nigeria but
conquered by the fate of the inevitable and
supremacy of the new order.
Exactly six years after his death, the man has
been accorded by the nation he served well with
stoic capacity in a logic force with the
contradictions of silence. There is hardly any
remembrance moment and national edifice
conscripted to show that General Idiagbon ever
sojourned in the Nigerian world. This shows that
either the Nation in its grotto interpretations felt
insecure with the ailing native tinkering of the
likes of ‘Tunde Idiagbon or that the General was
mistakenly sent with grotesque deal of
misunderstanding minds contrived and conjured
as a nation to channel a new course in a time
begging for radical changes. I am tempted to
believe that the former had been responsible for
Idiagbon’s lack of immortalization. Astonishingly,
persons at low leadership position that assisted
in the wreck of the nation’s resources and
posterity are remembered yearly on Newspaper
pages or with monumental edifices but not
General ‘Tunde Idiagbon of the worthy legacy
that exhibited loyalty to the cause of his
fatherland and portrayed a zeal to positive
changes at the nation’s horizon.
A man that had an option to stay back in Saudi
Arabia when General Muhammadu Buhari-led
regime was overthrown in which he was the
Second-in-command but to show loyalty to his
erstwhile Commander-in-Chief by volunteering for
surrender along with General Buhari. General
‘Tunde Idiagbon was a role model not highly
appreciated in a parochialist-nation like Nigeria.
This is Major-General Babatunde Idiagbon of
blessed memory.
-Paul Mamza, Columnist, Leadership Newspapers,
July 30, 2005.
I remember meeting him once at my father’s
office (GHQ) and he said to me “Young man,
remain steadfast in your faith in God. Be
disciplined and accommodating with others,
accept your interactions (good or bad) with
others as lessons and work hard at everything
you do. These are the true meanings of living.
We’ll pray your life will be blessed.” –Abubakar
Jimeta.
I recall my dad driving along the street the
General lives when one of his dogs ran across
the road and was unfortunately hit and killed. We
were quite frightened of what his reactions
might be, but to our surprise, he met with us,
accepted our version of the incident and even
chided his security system which might have
allowed the dog to be on the road, he was very
calm and respectful of our concern over the
incident. the incident reaffirmed my respect for
him as a leader and his military might instead of
making him a stiff-necked fool I think made him
a very very the General who we all know him to
be. R.I.P General Babatunde Idiagbon. –
Olatunde Akanbi, March 2011.
The disciplinarian stance of the government at
that time won for it accolades and Idiagbon was
indeed the power behind the throne,the
conductor that led the orchestra the one who
earned tons of credibility for the administration
by virtue of his unsmiling and calculating mien.
He typified the nationalist in military uniform
who was genuinely convinced that a recourse to
discipline will go a long way in solving many of
the problems plaguing the Nigerian nation at the
time. – Babajide Kolade-Otitoju, Nigerian
journalist upon Idiagbon’s death.
‘An illustrious and highly principled patriot.
An epitome of discipline has gone into glory.’
–Former Chief Judge of Kwara State, Justice
Timothy Oyeyipo, in the condolence register.
‘…He was a great officer, a gentleman officer,
a man who led by example, a man who
believed in whatever he preached, a first
class officer. He, together with General
Buhari created a new Nigeria for us. At that
time we were proud to be Nigerians. He was
a very likeable person.’ –Chief Olusegun
Osoba, former Governor of Ogun State.
Idiagbon was a statesman, a disciplined man
who will surely be missed by Nigerians. –
Vice Admiral Mike Akhigbe, in his condolence
register.
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