The wife of the late Chief Victor Olabisi Onabanjo,
Lucy Onabanjo has narrated how General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida helped
her husband back to England for medical treatment after his release
from prison.
Olabisi Onabanjo was the executive governor of Ogun state from 1979 to 1983 during the second republic but was jailed by the then General Muhammadu Buhari. He was later released by General Babangida in 1985 who toppled the military government of Buhari.
In an interview with The News, Mrs Onabanjo who celebrated her 90th birthday days ago recounted that after Babangida released her husband alongside other prisoners, she and her husband traveled to England for treatment but when they returned, BabangidA insisted that they go back for further treatment and even paid for the trip.
“When he came out of prison in 1985 General Ibrahim Babangida pardoned him alongside others, we all travelled out to England to look after his health. After a while, we came back home when the then Ogun State University wanted to give him an honorary degree. Days after the award, Babangida saw his pictures in the newspapers and television looking emaciated and pale.
“Babangida then sent three gentlemen to my husband. They are Olusegun Osoba, Felix Adenaike and late Peter Ajayi. Babangida called these gentlemen who were all journalists and said to them: ‘I saw your oga in the newspapers and television. Go and tell him to go back to England to look after his health and I will be responsible for the bill.’ He instructed these men to tell my husband that he wouldn’t want a ‘No’ for an answer.”
“When we were about to go then, the then Central Bank of Nigeria’s Governor brought to us money for our tickets, myself, our daughter Toun and my husband. There were other two top government officials who also brought money for us. But due to our usual way of life, we told them that someone had already paid for our tickets.
“But these men insisted that we should take the money. They told us that it was the same IBB who sent them to come and give us money and they could not take the money back to him. That was how we went back to England. It was Babangida who helped us back to England, with government money of course. That instance could best explain part of your question.”
President Buhari and General Babangida seemed to have mend their relationship as the two enjoyed a good laugh during the council of states meeting on October 21 at the presidential villa in Abuja.
Olabisi Onabanjo was the executive governor of Ogun state from 1979 to 1983 during the second republic but was jailed by the then General Muhammadu Buhari. He was later released by General Babangida in 1985 who toppled the military government of Buhari.
In an interview with The News, Mrs Onabanjo who celebrated her 90th birthday days ago recounted that after Babangida released her husband alongside other prisoners, she and her husband traveled to England for treatment but when they returned, BabangidA insisted that they go back for further treatment and even paid for the trip.
“When he came out of prison in 1985 General Ibrahim Babangida pardoned him alongside others, we all travelled out to England to look after his health. After a while, we came back home when the then Ogun State University wanted to give him an honorary degree. Days after the award, Babangida saw his pictures in the newspapers and television looking emaciated and pale.
“Babangida then sent three gentlemen to my husband. They are Olusegun Osoba, Felix Adenaike and late Peter Ajayi. Babangida called these gentlemen who were all journalists and said to them: ‘I saw your oga in the newspapers and television. Go and tell him to go back to England to look after his health and I will be responsible for the bill.’ He instructed these men to tell my husband that he wouldn’t want a ‘No’ for an answer.”
“When we were about to go then, the then Central Bank of Nigeria’s Governor brought to us money for our tickets, myself, our daughter Toun and my husband. There were other two top government officials who also brought money for us. But due to our usual way of life, we told them that someone had already paid for our tickets.
“But these men insisted that we should take the money. They told us that it was the same IBB who sent them to come and give us money and they could not take the money back to him. That was how we went back to England. It was Babangida who helped us back to England, with government money of course. That instance could best explain part of your question.”
President Buhari and General Babangida seemed to have mend their relationship as the two enjoyed a good laugh during the council of states meeting on October 21 at the presidential villa in Abuja.
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