Former President Olusegun Obasanjo would have died 44 years ago but for the mighty hand of God that saved him from the arrowhead of the February 13, 1976 military coup that claimed the life of the then Head of State, General Murtala Ramat Mohammed.
Obasanjo, a major beneficiary of the abortive but bloody coup, disclosed this, Sunday, during the 80th birthday celebration of General Olu Bajowa.
Bajowa, said Obasanjo, saved him from being assassinated by coup leader, Lieutenant Colonel Buka Dimka.
The former President, who spoke at Igbotako, Okitipupa Local Government Area of Ondo State, succeeded General Murtala Mohammed who was assassinated near the Federal Secretariat at Ikoyi, Lagos, on his way to the office by Col. Dimka.
“I want to say something about Olu either he knew it or he did not know,” Obasanjo began as he mounted the podium. “When Dimka coup came, if Olu had not been what he is, I would have gone with the coup. Let me tell you the story.
“Olu is very respectful. He is very conscious of our culture. He had a child, a boy, and wanted to name the child after me. He had to call me early in the morning, that morning that Dimka struck.
“And because Olu said he was coming, I had to wait a little bit. I waited beyond the time I would have gone out.
“Olu then came, he made the request and I granted the request.
“So, I was a little bit late in going on the route that I normally took to work. And Dumuje (who resembled Obasanjo) went ahead of me and they thought it was me and they shot his car. They shot his car, Murtala was shot.
“Indirectly, that was how Olu Bajowa saved my life.”
Obasanjo eulogized Bajowa who, he said, performed very well when he (Obasanjo) drafted him to go and lead 11 Battalion during the Nigerian civil war.
