GNM FRESH: Matador the Best Drops Song on Drake's Headliner Cover

MATADOR THE BEST DELIVERS SWEET AND HOT PUNCHLINE ON DRAKE'S HEADLINER COVER. GNM  ENTERTAINMENT  ARTISTE  IS SO FRESH.
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Photos: Peter Okoye Shows 2Shotz His Shoes Closet! 2shotz Brings Photos On Instagram

Lol@ my headline. Yea but a lot of people have been saying it like Peter actually posted it, he didn't, 2shotz did. Omo this guy has it.

NIGERIAN PLAYERS EURO ROUND UP

ENGLAND
Mikel Obi played only 45 minutes in Chelsea’s 1-1 away draw against Tottenham on Saturday. Mikel scored last weekend against Fulham but was sacrificed at the beginning of the second half as Chelsea chased an equalizer, which they got through John Terry in the 65th minute. Mikel had 88% pass accuracy from 37 touches on the ball. He also committed one foul.


Victor Anichebe and his West Brom teammates surprised many by beating reigning champions Manchester United 2-1 at Old Trafford on Saturday. Anichebe was a bother all afternoon to Rio Ferdinand and Jonny Evans. The Nigerian had 61% pass accuracy from 47 touches on the ball. He also committed one foul.

Victor Moses was also part of the Liverpool team that won 3-1 away at Sunderland to go up to second position. Moses played all 90 minutes as the Reds heaped further misery on the manager-less Black Cats on Sunday at the Stadium of Light.

Peter Odemwingie started his first league game for Cardiff City away to Fulham on Saturday and the newly promoted side won 2-1 to bolster their position on the league table. Odemwingie who scored his first Cardiff goal against West Ham in the English League Cup lasted 81 minutes before Craig Bellamy replaced him. Odemwingie had 80% pass accuracy from 53 touches of the ball. He successfully completed three dribbles and had two goal attempts.

Sone Aluko was also on for 90 minutes as Hull City gained a 1-0 victory over West Ham on Saturday as the Tigers notched up a second consecutive league victory. Aluko had another impressive afternoon, making 89% of his passes from 41 touches on the ball. He also put in some defensive work by committing two fouls though he had two attempts on goal.
FRANCE
Vincent Enyeama kept another clean sheet for Lille to make it six clean sheets in eight league appearances. Lille were held to a 0-0 draw away to Lyon on Saturday.


The Super Eagles number one made only one save in the match. Lille are now up to fourth in Ligue 1.
BELGIUM




Imoh Ezekiel(pictured) scored his fourth league goal on Sunday as Standard Liege crushed Cercle Brugge 5-0 away. Ezekiel as is now his custom scored his side’s first goal in the ninth minute through an acrobatic scissor kick. Michy Batshuayi added two goals towards the end of the second half.

Standard Liege are flying at the moment with nine wins out of nine with just two goals conceded.

Michael Uchebo started the match for Cercle but was replaced in the 68th minute by Luis Van Eeno.
UKRAINE




Brown Ideye saw a red card in the 51st minute for Dynamo Kiev in their 2-2 away draw with Vorskla. At the time of Ideye’s red card, Kiev were down 2-1.

Lukman Haruna was called off the bench in the 71st minute and got the much needed equaliser in the 91st minute. The Nigerian swiveled in the box and hit a left-footed half volley that crept in off the post to give his team a share of the points. Dynamo Kiev are fifth on the league table with 18 points from 11 matches.

Michael Babatunde played all 90 minutes for Volyn but could not add to his two league goals as they lost 2-0 away to Zorya. Volyn remain in 12th position.
TURKEY


John Utaka scored his second league goal and helped Sivasspor to a 4-2 away win over Elazigspor on Sunday. Utaka scored in the 17th minute to make it 2-0 to the away side and record his second league goal after his transfer from Montpellier.

Emmanuel Emenike came on as an 82nd minute substitute for Pierre Webo but the Nigerian’s wait for a league goal continues. Joseph Yobo is still absent due to an injury.

Bursaspor with Taye Taiwo were held 0-0 at home by Akhisar Belediyespor last Friday while Godfrey Oboabona continued his wait for his debut as his team, Caykur Rizespor held Galatasaray 1-1 to continue their impressive start to the season. Uche Kalu was not listed for the encounter.
SPAIN



Nosa Igiebor's first league goal was the winner on Sunday for Real Betis as they beat high-flying Villarreal 1-0. Igiebor scored the only goal of the encounter in the 36th minute when he shot past Guillermo Sara, after the goalkeeper had parried Joan Verdu’s shot.

Ikechukwu Uche started for the Yellow Submarine for the first time and was replaced in the 69th minute by Jeremy Perbet. Uche has scored one goal this season.

Uche had a left-footed shot attempt from a difficult angle which was saved in the 10th minute and two minutes afterwards, Igiebor had his first attempt at goal which missed the target.

Igiebor had another chance in the 49th minute but his shot from outside the box was blocked.

Villarreal are fourth with 14 points from seven games while Betis are up to 11th position with eight points.

Ramon Azeez made his second substitute appearance for Almeria as he came on for Soriano in the 62nd minute in their 2-0 home loss to Barcelona. The former U-21 captain had played just 17 minutes previously.
DENMARK


Izunna Uzochukwu scored for FC Midtjylland in their 1-1 away draw against OB Odense on Sunday. It was Uzochukwu’s first league goal in eight league appearances.

Midtjylland finished the match with four Nigerians on the pitch – Uzochukwu, Sylvester Igboun, Ebere Onuachu and Rilwan Hassan, who made his first appearance for the club.
NORWAY




Daniel Chima (pictured) scored for Molde in their 1-1 away draw to Haugesund on Sunday to record his eighth league goal in 23 appearances. Emmanuel Ekpo also played for Molde and received a yellow card in the 75th minute.

Aaron Olanare also scored for Sarpsborg 08 in their 2-1 home defeat to Rosenborg for whom Daniel Chimascored. Olanare scored in the 43rd minute while Chibuike equalized in the 72nd. Pal Andre Helland got the winner for Rosenborg in the 74th minute.

Amazing Photos from the London Tattoo convention

I like to make all Miss Petite Readers happy ..so these are some interesting photos from the London Tattoo convention for those who love tattoos.Take your pick.... I think the likes of Lil Wayne and Sinzu are learning from these two

The first photo..so romantic

Boobs Wahala: Singer Munachi Abi Clashes With Her Fans

Struggling singer, Munachi Abi has been advised by her fans to focus less on showing her things in the media but rather develop herself if she really want to make it as a musician. But she didn't find the advise palatable as she lashed out at the fans, and insulted their ancestors.

One of her fan on twitter advised her to sit down and work hard so as not to end up broke, but she fired back, saying: "You and Your Ancestors Are Broke."

A lot of criticisms greeted her response from guys who took it upon themselves to caution her not to insult the ancestors of people who were trying to advise her for her own good.

At a point, the heat got too much that she had escape, that is sign off, from twitter.

Kate Henshaw Reveals Why She Dumped Her Oyibo Husband

She looks very young like a lady in her early 30s, but actress Kate Henshaw is 42 years old and she is single again after she was married for several years. Below is what she said about her collapsed marriage:
I just decided that, ok, it didn’t work. Next, I had to move on. There is no need holding on to the past – no need holding on to something if it’s not working any more. There is no need flogging a dead horse since it is already lifeless. And when you decide to bury the horse, would you not leave the grave site afterwards? You would go now.
Anything that happens to you now, that sun would still set, another day would come. So, it’s your choice to either be part of the living or be in the grave yard.

And I choose to be alive, enjoy my life and smile at everything that is happening – good or bad. As long as God is with you, things would always be fine with you.

I’m not thinking about anything. At the moment, I’m facing my career. If it comes, fine. If it doesn’t come, that’s okay. It’s not the end of the world because I’m convinced that God loves me. Love has given me more than enough. I have the most gorgeous daughter in the whole world. That’s enough for me.

AWard Winning Group that rocked the 1990"s K-Ci & Jojo Returns – New Album + Tracklist

The award winning music veterans are coming back to give their fans a new feel to their new music. K-Ci & Jojo have been gone for so long but their fifth studio album, “My Brother’s Keeper” (Pic of album art below)will go online today September 30.

The singers had earlier released a summer jam, “Knock It Off” but this new album will set them either higher or as low as where they were after their earlier success.

Check out the track listing for the “My Brother’s Keeper” right here:

01. Back Again (Interlude)

02. Knock It Off

03. Middle of the Night

04. My Brother’s Keeper

05. Say Hello to Goodbye

06. Somebody Please

07. What Goes Around

08. Show & Prove

09. Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell

10. Happily Ever After

11. Lay You Down

12. Now That It’s Over (Interlude)


What do you think: Will they really Come-back with this especially with no collabos with the raves of the moment like Future, Drake, Nicki Minaj, Kenfrick Lamar etc?

Achievas Records leading man, Solid Star will be at the Ikeja City Mall tomorrow October 1st to sign out his latest album, “Grace and Glory” to all his fans. According to reports the “Skibo” crooner will also be dishing out other prices to his fans who get his brand new work of arts. The autograph session is set to kick off at 10:00am. You wanna see the star himself and get an autographed copy of his album, Be there!

Achievas Records leading man, Solid Star will be at the Ikeja City Mall tomorrow October 1st to sign out his latest album, “Grace and Glory” to all his fans. According to reports the “Skibo” crooner will also be dishing out other prices to his fans who get his brand new work of arts.

The autograph session is set to kick off at 10:00am. You wanna see the star himself and get an autographed copy of his album, Be there!

“Yes, We did It Again” – Tuface Confirms Annie’s Pregnancy

For those who doubted the story on Annie Macaulay Idibia’s pregnancy, the man himself, Tuface, has confirmed that his wife is really pregnant with their second baby.

The living music legend said the growing baby bump on his wife is not by accident but by his handwork and it is now official. He stressed the truth on his twitter handle and also posted a new picture of Annie which shows even a blind man that she is truly heavy.

TB Joshua's Church Confirms Jim Iyke's Deliverance On Twitter

Photo: Comedian Bovi And Wife Welcome Baby Girl

The comedian and his wife, welcomed a baby girl yesterday. Luckily, yesterday was also Bovi's birthday. They have a son before now and this will make their second child. Big congrats to them.

Photo: Comedian Bovi And Wife Welcome Baby Girl

The comedian and his wife, welcomed a baby girl yesterday. Luckily, yesterday was also Bovi's birthday. They have a son before now and this will make their second child. Big congrats to them.

Bishop David Oyedepo Clocks 59 Today

Nigeria’s biggest man of God and founder of Living Faith Church aka Winners’ Chapel, Bishop David O. Oyedepo is 59 years old today.

The powerful preacher who was born on September 27, 1954, is about the most respected gentleman of the cloak in the country today. The Presiding Pastor of Faith Tabernacle has touched many lives through various means including education, health care, SMEs and other ventures. He is the founder of one of Nigeria’s foremost private universities, Covenant University.

He has built the biggest church auditorium in the world with the completion of a 50,000 seat church in Ota area of Ogun State, Nigeria and it is reputed to be the largest church auditorium in the world by the Guinness Book of Records. Join us in wishing Papa Oyedepo a very happy birthday.

Read Olusegun Adeniyi's Exposé: SSS and The Apo Killings

By the time my wife came back from the market last Saturday, I had just finished discussions with a respected family residing within the Apo Legislative Quarters who told me categorically that the “Boko Haram insurgents” the State Security Service (SSS) claimed they engaged in a “shootout” were in fact harmless economic migrants known by people within the area.



Unfortunately, before I could even share the distressing story, my wife started her lamentation about a particular cart pusher at Garki market who was among the “Boko Haram” people gunned down in cold blood.
For instance, I have it on good authority that one of the reasons people within the Borno/Yobe axis hardly offer information to the security agencies about the activities of Boko Haram is because several families have lost relations to the operations of these same security agencies who kill innocent people and label them Boko Haram. Some of these cases have been documented by the United States-based Human Rights Watch reports, which the federal government was quick to dismiss and disparage early this year.
The story began in the early hours of last week Friday when soldiers and SSS operatives stormed an uncompleted building within Apo occupied illegally by some artisans and immediately began shooting sporadically. By the time they were done, no fewer than seven persons were killed on the spot (with another one dying a few days later) while 16 others sustained various degrees of injury.


By daybreak, SSS spokesperson, Marilyn Ogar, had issued a statement to the effect that their team had led an operation “to the uncompleted building where arms were purported to have been buried...No sooner had the team commenced digging for the arms than they came under heavy gunfire by other Boko Haram elements within the area.”

Even though the dead cannot speak, virtually all the injured people have disputed Ogar’s claim and their stories remain consistent: they were illegal occupants who were paying a rent of N200 per head to the security guard manning the uncompleted house but the real owner had given them an ultimatum to vacate his premises otherwise he would bring in soldiers to deal with them. That was the threat which was carried out last Thursday night to devastating effects.

Even before stories began to filter within Abuja last Friday about the real identities of the victims of the Apo violence, it was obvious that the SSS statement just did not add up, especially given the patently false claim that nobody died. I watched Ogar’s press conference and noticed how she was hesitant, tentative and edgy about the arms cache that were purportedly (her exact word) buried in the building where the gruesome execution was carried out. The fact that is coming to light, even from official quarters, is that the young men who were brutally gunned down were not Boko Haram members.

For the sake of argument, let us even agree with the SSS that those boys were Boko Haram insurgents who had taken abode within the uncompleted building in a section of Abuja where the Senate President and our lawmakers live. Given the gravity of such penetration, should it not be of interest to a serious security outfit to tail those boys, gather intelligence about them--who they meet with, where they meet and who their sponsors are, if any? The inference from the statement of the SSS is that rather than carry out even a simple operational investigation, they chose to confront these “Boko Haram” guys with some trigger-happy soldiers who mowed them down.


The other side to the story, however, is that those who carried out the execution reportedly on behalf of an aggrieved landlord (said to be a relation of a former president) perhaps went beyond their brief with the SSS now inventing stories to justify the extra-judicial execution. That has added a dangerous dimension to the challenge of security in our nation if officials of such a critical agency could operate almost like licensed thugs, or hired assassins.

Last Saturday, the United States Embassy in Abuja issued a terse security warning to American Citizens resident within the Federal Capital Territory that was pregnant with meaning. Barely 24 hours after the SSS claimed that the people killed at Apo were Boko Haram insurgents, the US embassy warned of “the potential for civil disturbances in and around Apo area, Wumba District, Abuja, throughout tonight and over the weekend…a violent incident in the early hours of September 20th involving squatters in Apo may be the trigger for such disturbances.”


It says so much about the credibility of the SSS that the Americans who ordinarily see terrorism in every violent act would believe that the people murdered in Apo were not Boko Haram adherents but innocent squatters.

Here I must state that given the enormity of the Boko Haram challenge to our national security, my sympathy has always been with our security authorities. But it is also obvious that their strategies not only alienate them from the communities they seek to help, they are also becoming part of the problem.


Perhaps time has come for the security authorities to reexamine their strategies because it is evident that while they may be winning some battles, they are gradually losing the war which would require the trust of the communities where Boko Haram have taken roots. For instance, I understand that those living in Maiduguri and environ have practically been cut off from civilization with serious consequences even for security. This was the import of a distressing mail sent out last Monday from his United States base by one of Nigeria’s most respected professionals in the Diaspora, Dr Zakari Tata, on an open forum.

According to Dr Tata, many of the people who were killed recently inside some buses by Boko Haram were actually travelling to Damaturu, the Yobe State capital to make telephone calls. Whatever may be the security justification, the absence of wireless lines presents hardships to the people of the state. “The few privileged that have access to telephone cannot help the poor to make calls as they fear the wrath of the army. Some of the people that go to Damaturu to make phone calls from Maiduguri etc send text messages to many of us asking for help”, said Dr Tata, who then went on to highlight the danger posed by the current strategy: “People cannot call if they are sick. They cannot call for money to help their families etc.


We are raising a generation of disaffected youth who will develop a deep sense of grievance against the government later. Two or three call centers were allowing the public to make calls and the soldiers closed them down. The government could at least allow the operation of call centers where calls could easily be monitored by the authorities. I know the security challenge we face as a nation is not peculiar to us but it cannot be right that many of our citizens are shut out from the world and living a very primitive pre 1950s experiences with no landlines or cell phones.


Yet we have become so numbed to injustice and poor governance that this effective act of making Nigerians aliens and refugees in their own homes by cutting them off from society has become acceptable. How does a citizen report suspicious activity? How does a citizen get simple help? So many questions for which nobody is providing any answers…”

Dr Tata has raised a very fundamental issue about the danger of completely alienating millions of people in the name of fighting terrorism which requires their cooperation and collaboration. I hope the authorities concerned would see the need for a rethink on some of the strategies that could in fact become a breeding ground for young people who could, out of anger or desperation turn against the state. On the specific case of the Apo killings, I believe that President Goodluck Jonathan has to wade in because a society where the lives of innocent citizens could be taken in such a cynical manner, and with official imprimatur, is in serious danger.

There is a critical and frightening underpinning to it all. Official hysteria about Boko Haram has led to a heightened militarization of the national space with active military operations involving the massive use of weapons going on in at least 29 of our 36 states. But on the specific Apo tragedy, if the state insists those killed were indeed Boko Haram members, it should do simple things to prove it: show us their weapons caches, provide reconnaissance tapes of the movements of the group before their execution, indicate how difficult it was to arrest them etc.


But if otherwise, not only should the perpetrators of this most heinous crime be brought to book, there should be hefty compensation for the victims and their families. It cannot be the duty of the Nigerian state to mastermind the progressive erosion of the bonds of citizenship by allowing brazen deeds of madness by the very agencies set up to protect the people.

God will judge Kollington Ayila_ Salewa Abeni

After 23years of living separately from the father of three of her children, Queen Salawa Abeni has said, God should be the judge of whatever bad Kollington Ayinla has done to her. She made the statement recently at the Annual London African Music Festival.


In her words “Even though Kollington and I have gone our separate ways 23 years ago, I still consider him a big part of my life because I bore him children who bear his name. His name will forever be written in the history of my life. Though we do not have a smooth relationship, and I have been solely responsible for the upbringing of my children up to university level, I still maintain the fact that he is part of me. Let God be the judge of whatever bad Kollington has done me.”

She is gradually bouncing back to the music industry after years of taking a break due to a throat ailment. She also said she is thankful to God because she did not believe she could get a cleaning job, not to talk of becoming a celebrity due to her poor educational background.

FULL VIDEO: Nigerian Girls Act Pornography Film In Lagos (18+ Download)

This is an x-rated video of a group of female lesbo's indulging in sexual relations. It is by far one of the most shameless but yet popular trend in Nigeria at the moment!

Download MP4

Download 3gp

I Just Want To Be With My Soulmate Forever! Tiwa Savage Tells TeeBillz On Birthday

Today is Teebillz, Tiwa Savage's fiance's birthday. She went on instagram a couple of minutes ago and said this; 'I am not asking for too much just a 'Couple of Forevers' with my soulmate, my best friend, HAPPY BIRTHDAY Balogs'. Now if you don't have a boyfriend or fiance, go and hide your face lol #jokes.

SEX POSITIONS AND WHAT THEY REVEAL ABOUT YOU

Most people like to get experimental in the bedroom. Experts have decoded what your favourite position says about you.
A look at the choice of manoeuvres between the sheets is a great tell-tale sign about personality traits, preferences and quirks in an individual. So here is what your favourite position says about you:


Doggy style: As much fun as this is for the man, it sends out a fairly strong message to his partner. While she may not particularly dislike it, busting this move over and over will eventually distance you from her. The position hands over controls entirely to the man, leaving the woman literally at his mercy.


The cowgirl: With the woman on top, it’s a telling sign of a man who has had it easy in life, is arrogant and as the name suggests, Lazy. He wants things handed to him on a silver platter, including a girl who’ll do all the hard work. There is a deeper strain of lack of motivation and ambition that runs through here.

Spoon Swoon: Spooning, with him enveloping you from behind in bed with or without the s*x indicates a deep sense of comfort with your partner. It could also point to a need for reassurance, security and pampering. While it takes a confident man to spoon and caress a woman he loves, it is also an indicator for a possessive personality. If, on the other hand, he likes to be spooned instead, it indicates a needy personality that wants to be taken care of.

Missionary: Good old traditional s*x at its “submissive” best. However, this doesn’t have to mean you’re a wallflower in the bedroom; au contraire, milady. The fact that you let him control you proves who’s the real boss.


Woman on Top: You’re sexy and you know it; there’s nothing keeping you back in the inhibitions department. You enjoy having the reins in your hands; you’re quite a physical person with commendable stamina, chances are you love sport or dance and have a teeny tiny exhibitionist side to your personality.

Reverse Cowgirl: You’re quite in touch with your inner animal. While those who associate emotional intimacy with s*x usually prefer positions that allow eye contact and mouth kissing, you’re more carnal than sentimental. And yes, full marks in the no-inhibitions department.

Bendy Wendy: Are you the kind that goes absolutely weak in the knees with passion when he surprises you from behind, bends you over hips down and gets set for a quickie or more? You’re a super blend of Ms Spontaneous, Ms Flexible and Ms No-Inhibitions.

Wall flower: Standing-up s*x against the wall isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. But if this position does rock your world, unconventional could well be your middle name. And yes, if this one’s a regular, you sure don’t have a single lazy bone in your body.

69: If you’re the kind that aims at having your cake and eating it too, it could either indicate a serious/long-term relationship or a deep comfort level with your partner, or simply a deep comfort level with se*uality and your body. For you, there’s no such thing as taboo between two (or more) consenting adults.

Source: Times of India

EXPOSED "Why We Killed Ironsi And Installed Gowon" By LT USENI

Lt. General Jeremiah Useni needs no introduction. The prominent role he played during the reign of late Head of State, Sani Abacha, as Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, is well known.
However, there are two things about Jeremiah Useni, who was referred to as ‘Jerry Boy’ at the time. He was indeed a Boy, because he joined the Army at the age of 14. Firstly, he was one of the soldiers who fired shots during the coup against General Ironsi in which the General was killed in Ibadan. Mr. Useni was also the closest person to General Abacha up to his last moments.
This interview, conducted in Hausa by the Hausa language newspaper, Rariya, and translated to English, reveals a lot of things many of us didn’t know, including the conspiracies that denied him the opportunity of succeeding Mr. Abacha after he died.
Excerpts:
You joined the Army as a fourteen year old, and you were posted to England for a Course at sixteen, how did you feel at the time?
Honestly, it was like a dream to me because I broke my left leg during a game of football, just one year after I joined the Army. As a young footballer, I had very strong shooting ability with my left leg. Anyone who was unfortunate to be hit with my shots really suffered no matter their size. I spent about four months at the hospital In Kaduna. Most of the hospital staffs at the time were Europeans, and they were very efficient. They joked a lot with their patients and they related with you as if you had known them for ages. One day, they decided to come and test all of us and see those who had made progress, so that they would be discharged. When they came to me, they asked; ‘can you stand up?’ And I said, ‘yes’. Then I was asked to stand up and walk. The whiteman said, ‘this one is ok now, he can be discharged’.
Later, they said there would be exams to select those who would go to England, and I had spent four years without studies or anything. However, there was a senior officer who was teaching me, and I went to write the exams, and I passed. I was not even sure we were really going to Europe until one day when they came to the dining room and called out our names, five of us; they asked us to go to a particular building, that our attention was needed there. On getting there, we saw that they had prepared omelet and other kinds of delicacies of the Europeans. At the time, we were used to eating Garri only, we either soak or prepare Eba with one green soup like that. We realised that we might really be going to Europe. That was how I went as a very young boy, and I thank God for that because before we left Nigeria, they were paying us one naira, in fact, we were first paid seventy kobo, until after one year, when they increased it to one naira.
When I went to England, under the Boys Company battalion, they started paying us four pounds after only two months. I wrote to my father to tell him that we were now receiving four pounds as pay, and I asked him to pay any tax he was asked to pay because I was also enjoying. I told him that just to show him how happy I was.
When Ironsi was arrested, T.Y. Danjuma was said to be in Ibadan, and there were reports that you, Duba and Remawa were the ones who arrested him?
It was Garba Dada, the guy from Niger state, the one I was telling you was a Senator recently. He was the Adjutant General at the time, and he was our co-ordinator. We did not stay in one place to meet. We used to drive up to beyond Ijebu-Ode meeting inside the car and then turn back.
Why was Gowon selected after the coup?
He was the most senior officer at the time. But there was another reason too. There were people like T.Y. Danjuma and Murtala. But Murtala was a bit less than Gowon in rank, and was too close to us.
After Ironsi was killed, the country was plunged into a civil war. You were heading the logistics and in charge of most war equipment. What were the challenges you faced during the war?
At times, it is good to be in the forefront in battle, instead of nominating someone. Facing the enemy is a difficult task that requires effective strategy. You need to put in place how to effectively block the supply of enough ammunitions and back up to them. If you do that, it will not be difficult to finish them off. That is the role I played, I ensured that our troops get enough ammunitions and logistic support all the time.
We started with General Danjuma, he was the C.O. and then Mamman Shuwa, who was later transferred to Kaduna as the GOC. So also was Martins Adamu. Adamu was leading Ogoja troop, Danjuma was in Nsukka, and I was in Abakaliki.
What do you think were the reasons Gowon was removed?
People began to feel he was distancing himself from them. He was unreachable. The top officers of the time felt he was building a wall between them, and so they felt there was need for change. But he was not killed, they waited until he was out of the country to Kampala, Uganda before they toppled him, and asked him not to return. Murtala was then made his successor.
How did you meet Abacha, because you were the closest person to him?
All I can say is that it was God who crossed our path together. Firstly, I am a Tarok man, and he was not. He was a Muslim, and I am not. I was also much closed to Garba Duba. What happened was that even while we were young officers after the civil war, when a small town near Enugu was captured, then a message came that I was needed in Lagos. They told me I would be going to Europe. At the time, there was no daily flight to Lagos. So I took a Land Rover, and by 9am the following day, I was at the office. However, I was told I still had three weeks before I departed. So I went back to Enugu. We were all Lieutenants then and they said we should be changed because people in Kaduna were afraid. They said the 4th battalion should move to Kaduna, while the 3rd Battalion in Kaduna should move to Ibadan.
It so happened Abacha was the officer responsible for the movements of the Battalion from Kaduna to Ibadan, and I was in charge of those moving from Ibadan to Kaduna. They were the first to arrive, so I went to receive them at the train station and show them were to eat and sleep. But Abacha waited at the train station so that any train that brought soldiers from Kaduna, he would make sure soldiers from Ibadan followed the train back to Kaduna. We continued to do that until all the soldiers were successfully ferried. We then joined the remaining vehicles back to Kaduna, and I left him at Ibadan. That was how we became friends. And we then went on to meet at 2nd Division Ibadan.
That was also where we met with Duba. He was at Asaba with his Armoured Division, and I was at the Headquarters at Benin. Abacha was at Tom Ikimi’s town. We went out together anytime we met, and we even used to sleep in the same house. Our friendship became so strong that every weekend we visited each other’s houses and spend the weekend together. We were going to the Houses on turn-by-turn basis, up until the time Duba left the Army because of an ailment that was disturbing him. He went to a hospital in Saudi Arabia three times before he said he was tired and would simply retire. The three of us were very much close. Nothing came in between us, and people were even calling us ‘triplets’. That is God you know. That is why I always tell people that fighting is not good. If there were tribal clashes, the three of us would not have been friends.
During the time of Abacha was Head of State, people were saying you were in fact the President, because Abacha was not even seen in public much, and he was not close to his deputy. Others were saying the coup allegations against Obasanjo and Yaradu’a was just fabricated to break them down. What is the truth of the matter?
I have been asked this question several times, and my answer always was that the coup attempt was real. Even if I don’t like you, would I just pick you up and lock you up? There was a coup attempt, and I said this even while Obasanjo was president. When General Diya was being tried, you saw how he was kneeling down to beg Major Al-Mustapha who was not in anywhere close to him in rank. Definitely there was a coup attempt, but because Abacha was a good man, he did not kill them. When Obasanjo was a military Head of state, there was a coup attempt, and he enacted a law that killed the perpetrators.
But he was not killed, he was only jailed for life, and they said when another government comes, they can decide to release him. He was in jail when Abacha died, politics returned and so there was selfishness and all sort of conspiracies. He knows he was the one who signed the law that said even if you did not participate in a coup, and that you only heard of it but decided to keep quiet, you are culpable, and you face the same penalty as those who planned to execute the coup. He made that law.
When Abdulsalam assumed leadership, there was a debate whether he should be released or not, but eventually they decided to release him.
After Abacha’s death, many thought you would be the next Head of State, and there were some arguments. Why did you not succeed him?
There was politics in the whole thing. There were several meetings, but no unified decision was reached despite the fact that I was the most senior officer of the lot. In the end, they said Abdulsalami had been selected, because he was the most senior in terms of office. I left without taking any appointment that is why up till today, no one is accusing me of anything. That was what happened.
How did you feel when that happened? Did you feel cheated or not?
As a Christian, I believe in destiny
In the past, northerners are ahead of the South in terms of governance and administration, but today, the north has been relegated to the background, no one is talking about a unified north anymore, just a community divided along ethnic and religious loyalties. The Southerners also have differences of religion and ethnicity, but it is not a source of conflict there. How did the north get here?
Even you journalists know the kind of cordial relationships that existed in the past. Truth is both sides are at fault. We northerners have our own fault, and those opposing the north also have their own fault. Did the Southerners plunge us into the crises we are witnessing today? Many innocent people have been killed today, to the extent that there was an attempt to kill the emir of Kano, just due to lack of security. Not to talk of the Plateau. One cannot say these crises are as a result of religious differences because it appears to surpass that.
But I believe we found ourselves in this mess because we have turned our backs on God, and we are mostly selfish in our affairs. We have hardened our hearts and are cheating each other, which will not take us anywhere. Everything now is based on religious on ethnic affiliations. Why won’t we continue to suffer? If we had not united ourselves as northerners in the past when some Southerners killed our leaders we would not have overcome. But today, this one will say I am a Muslim, while the other one will say, I am a Christian. How can we make progress? We cannot make progress by calling each other despicable names. Our leaders in the past did not do that.
How can relationships among northern people be improved?
Honestly, enough is enough. Emirs should be visiting each other. We can solve this problem, if we sit down and talk to each other. Emirs have stopped visiting each other. If you are angry with someone, and then he visits you, I am sure you will forgive him. Our governors too have a problem. We organised a meeting in Kaduna, the governors came and everything was so good, then the following day, only Governor Yakowa turned up, maybe he himself came because he was the host. They don’t co-operate. We have to sit and love one another, cry and laugh together. Otherwise, the upcoming generation will not inherit the right things from us.
From the time he was the head of state up till today, many people have different interpretations of who Abacha was. Some see him as a hero, while others see him as a dictator who trampled on peoples’ right especially those opposed to him. Can you briefly describe him?
Many people misunderstood who Abacha was. He was very honest and well mannered. Whenever we sat together, everyone would give their opinion, but whenever he decided, that was all. He knew how to run the economy of a nation despite the fact that he did not train as an economist. When he was the Head of State, he refused to take any loan from the World Bank, so no one dared undermine his authority. But today, you can say all sorts of things against the president and sleep peacefully in your house. So Abacha was a man who believed in law and order. He was also a man who believed in giving everyone their due. He used to listen to any complaint brought to him that concerned matters of state, and he always made sure he solved the problem. I knew him very well -