I Prevented Kirikiri Inmates From Attacking Obasanjo In 1995 – Shehu Sani

• Shehu Sani recounted his intervention in 1995 to prevent inmates at Kirikiri prison from attacking former President Olusegun Obasanjo
• Reflecting on Nigeria’s struggle for democracy, Sani described his imprisonment alongside Shehu Musa Yar’Adua during Sani Abacha’s regime

Shehu Sani, a prominent civil rights activist and social critic, recounted a significant incident from 1995 when he prevented inmates at Kirikiri Maximum Security prison from attacking former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

Speaking at an event in Abuja themed “25 Years of Unbroken Democracy: Challenges, Prospects, and Possibilities,” Sani detailed his experience during the military regime of Sani Abacha from 1993 to 1998. Along with Shehu Musa Yar’Adua, another activist, both were arrested and imprisoned alongside Obasanjo, who had been accused of plotting a coup.

Sani recalled how, upon their arrival at Kirikiri prison, armed robbers among the inmates reacted strongly upon seeing Obasanjo, shouting insults at him. Sani intervened, urging the inmates to calm down and respect Obasanjo despite their grievances against him.

“In 1995, I was arrested in Kaduna and transported to Lagos with General Shehu Musa Yar’Adua. We met with President Olusegun Obasanjo at the DSS headquarters upon arrival,” Sani recounted. “We were later taken to Kirikiri Maximum Prison, where tensions rose briefly among the inmates upon encountering Obasanjo. As human rights activists, we intervened to maintain order, reminding the inmates that within the prison, everyone, including Obasanjo, was subject to the same conditions.”

Reflecting on the harsh conditions they faced, Sani described their separate imprisonments across different regions of Nigeria—northern activists sent to southern prisons and southern activists to northern prisons. He recounted his time at Port Harcourt prison during the period when Ken Saro-Wiwa was also incarcerated and later executed.

The event highlighted the challenges and experiences endured during Nigeria’s struggle for democracy, illustrating the resilience and solidarity among activists during turbulent times in the country’s history.