In that state of confusion, I couldn’t ask him any questions. I decided to act. I ran outside. By then, the story had spread like wildfire. Everybody was afraid and confused
By Fred Chukwuelobe
The story will be rather too long if I would do justice to it. So, forgive me for writing “so long” an article.
It was the day that changed my life, not just as a journalist, but as a special assistant (media and publicity) to the then governor Chris Ngige of Anambra State. It was also the first time a sitting governor was abducted from office by non-State actors using policemen. I still recall the role I played in thwarting the abduction, which not only earned me a beating but also a promotion to Senior Special Assistant (Media and Publicity).
I have been asked several times by friends and colleagues to write a book on my experience in that government, particularly on the July 10, 2003 abduction of Gov. Ngige. I have given reasons why I may not write ‘that book’. I have equally promised to keep folks informed about what transpired that day, especially as some politicians have attempted to diminish or undermine my role either for selfish reasons or out of jealousy. Therefore, I take the liberty once again 20 years after to briefly write on it and keep the memory alive.
On July 9, 2003, the penultimate day, a transporter who resided in Onitsha came to my office with a letter addressed to Chief Chris Ubah, then Ngige’s godfather. He asked that the chief wanted me to deliver it to his house in Enugu. I asked him, “Why me?” to which he replied that he didn’t know. I immediately went to see the governor with the letter. He asked me if I was “Eselu’s despatch man. Why you? How did you know the man?” I answered in the negative. This was happening a few days after I had gone to see Eselu in Enugu in the company of the press secretary, Chuks Akunna. Eselu was insisting I must be sacked for an interview he granted me while I was News Editor, Daily Champion, in which he boasted to have singlehandedly installed the governor and 30 members of the State House of Assembly. That interview was cited as evidence that the election was rigged against Mr. Peter Obi of APGA and Eselu was livid. He accused me of intentionally publishing the interview and demanded that I must be removed. So, with the permission of the governor, I went to Enugu to see him and ‘massage his ego’ so that he’d soften. I did, and it worked. I promised him that I’d work for him too and told him the governor informed me he was responsible for my appointment, a believable lie.
So, when this letter was handed to me, I didn’t want to refuse it in order not to incur his wrath again. I then called him, and he confirmed that he had asked that I bring the letter to him by 9 am the following day being July 10. By 8:55 a.m., I was in his house in Enugu only to be told he had travelled to Awka. The security men took the letter from me, opened it, searched it, searched me. It was the days of anthrax, and they wanted to be sure it didn’t contain that deadly powder. After dropping the letter, I went to town to buy the computer set for my office use.
Returning to Awka, I noticed an unusual presence of policemen. On inquiry, I was told there was an incident in the governor’s office. I made it straight to his office and was blocked by the scores of policemen. I called the governor’s cell number, and it was switched off. I called another number known to very few of his aides, and the lady in charge of the office picked it. It was a landline, and I introduced myself. “Fred, drop. They don’t know this number is on. If they know, they will seize it. They’re holding oga in his office at Gunpoint. Drop, drop,” came Julie’s voice.
I panicked. Not knowing what to do, I came outside only to be rushed back inside by one Hausa tailor we were using to make our clothes. “They are debating a letter in the House. They said oga resigned.” “Resigned? How? When?” I asked, confused.
Soon after that, a member of the House, late Tony Igboka (Mmili), rushed to my office with ‘the news’ I dreaded. “Oga is gone. We have approved his resignation. The deputy (Dr. Okey Udeh) is to be sworn in immediately.” In that state of confusion, I couldn’t ask him any questions. I decided to act. I ran outside. By then, the story had spread like wildfire. Everybody was afraid and confused. I decided to put my journalism training into use. I dashed to the governor’s office to dare the security man. Behold, see the governor being driven out. He sat at the so-called owner’s corner in his private green 406 Peugeot driven by his cousin, Otingbodogbo. Beside him was late AIG Raphael Ige who led the police team. In front was a police sergeant.
I immediately beckoned to my driver, Alex, and asked him to bring my official car. With the car, I went after the departing Peugeot 406.
Once inside my official vehicle, an old 504 station wagon ash colour, I reasoned that if truly the governor resigned, the policemen would either take him to Choice Hotel,Awka, where he was staying or to his village house in Alor, Idemili South Local Government. I decided that since Awka was closer, I’d go to Choice Hotel first. At the hotel, I met the governor seated in a courtyard secured by black burgarly proofs and on a white rubber chair and leaning on an equally white plastic table. Beside him was AIG Ige. Manning the entry into the courtyard was the police sergeant.
Seeing me, Governor Ngige stood up, met me by the foot of the gate, and said to me, “it is not true. I didn’t resign. It is Eselu who is doing this. He asked me to pay him N3b, claiming it was the money he spent on my election, and I refused. Go to the press. Tell them that.”
Curiously, both AIG Ige and the sergeant didn’t intervene to stop him from talking to me. But I feared they could come after me and arrest me, and if they did, the governor’s account would die with me not being able to tell it. So, instead of returning to my office in Government House to type a press statement or address the press, I dashed into the Choice Hotel manager’s office. He quickly allowed me to use his computer with which I typed the statement that saved Chris Ngige’s governorship.
I printed 20 copies of the statement, gave my driver 19, asked him to take one to the local Anambra Broadcasting Service (ABS), and to tell the MD, Ikechukwu Abana, that I said it should be read immediately as breaking news. I instructed him to take the other copies to Government House Press Corps and share it with them.
Armed with that one copy, I returned to the governor. The moment he saw me, he beckoned on me to come in. Miraculously, neither AIG Ige nor the police sergeant stopped me. I got to his seat and knelt down to be able to level to his ears to give an account of what he had asked me to do.
As it turned out later, the letter I was asked to take to Enugu was to lure me out and stripe the governor bare of a spokesman. Imagine if I hadn’t returned on time!
I respect Ngige for his stoicism because despite being under siege and in captivity, he remained calm. His voice was strong when I told him I had issued the statement. “I hope you wrote everything I told you?” He asked in Igbo. To which I replied an emphatic ‘yes’. “Do you want to see a copy?” I asked equally in Igbo. “No. Don’t. They will seize it. Go and talk to the press. I’d contact you later.” And I left. He saw the statement in 2005, two years later, and he had goose bumps.
My phone was ringing repeatedly. I was talking to journalists, Newspaper Chief Executives. And I must pay Tributes to all of them. They were very helpful. They were our strongest backbone. All of them too numerous to mention.
Meanwhile, a team of coup plotters was already in Nnewi, home of the Chief Justice of Anambra State, Rt. Hon. Justice CJ Okoli. Armed with the forged resignation letter and the House resolution, they tried to convince him to return to Awka and swear in Dr. Udeh as governor. While the CJ was getting ready, his secretary approached him and excused him. She told him about an announcement going on on ABS radio, that the governor said he had not resigned. With that, the CJ made himself unavailable.
Disappointed, the team returned to Awka in ‘search of the press secretary who issued that statement.’ A member of the team told them that ‘it is not the press secretary who issued it, but that tall one.’ I was then summoned into the governor’s courtyard, beaten and asked to write a rebuttal. I did in a manner that indicted them. Because they were busy shredding some documents, they didn’t read the rebuttal until one of them read it at the point it was being sent to the ABS and screamed. “Are you people crazy!?” This idiot has indicted you!” He tore the letter, took a pen, wrote it as he thought wise, and asked me to sign it. I did, rather reluctantly. I had no choice.
At this point, they were arranging a press briefing. I was given two policemen to guard me. One an ASP, the other a sergeant. Interestingly, the ASP asked me for my position in government, and I told him. “So, why are they beating you? You were doing your job. Sit down here!”
Long story short. I was asked to go to the ABS to read the rebuttal. I refused, insisting that since I didn’t read the one I issued, they should take it to the ABS. I was marched into the executive chambers where the press briefing was taking place. A member of the team was sent to approach me with an offer to switch camp. The initial offer was N5m, and the other was to retain me. He said to me, “Ngige is a wicked man. Dont die for him. He’s gone and won’t return as governor.” By this time, I had been briefed by two security agents who were familiar to me, to find my way out of the chambers “before harm befalls you.” So, I asked the emissary to allow me to get my file so that they can sign that they would give me the money and retain me. “I dont trust politicians,” I told him. He agreed. And I was released.
Outside the courtyard, on the way to my office, a red Mercedes Benze V-Boot pulled up. “Get in. Get in. Go straight to your hotel (Ikenga hotel), pick up your clothes!” It was Hon. Ben Chuks-Nwosu in a chartered taxi. That guy is another tough human being, and he saved me in a manner that gives me goose bumps each time I remember that incident.
We drove straight to my hotel. I picked one shirt, one pair of trousers, and we drove straight to a hotel in Enugu. Till today, I can’t remember the name nor address of the hotel unless I ask Ben Chuks. But at the hotel, I deposited N10k for them to allow me exclusive access to their land phone.
Then cell phone signals were not strong, and calls were limited. With the phone, I spoke to anybody that mattered. I spoke to the press. I spoke to colleagues who helped tremendously. I finally got through to the governor who asked me to “proceed to Lagos immediately.” I told him that he needed me in Awka more than ever before; that we should plan Lagos before going. He agreed.
By this time, the statement I issued had circulated wide. Radio Nigeria used it having gotten a story by Rex Eze, its Anambra Correspondent. The DG, Eddy Iroh, who was a friend of the governor, called and spoke to him. Vice-president Atiku Abubakar also called and spoke to him. The vice-president then spoke to AIG Ige and ordered him to “return the governor to office as you took him out because he said he had not resigned.” Please note that President Olusegun Obasanjo was out of the country then.
With the order, Chris Ngige returned to Government House, Awka, the following morning, triumphantly, and civilian coup failed.
The claim that one traditional ruler called Atiku and handed over the phone to Ngige is a lie. The traditional ruler was right inside the courtyard, still working his phones, trying to speak to whoever by the time my statement had gotten out and served its purpose. Like I said, cell phone networks were not that strong then. The angle was cooked up to curry favour. That favour was denied, and both the traditional ruler and the governor became ‘enemies’.
Returning to Awka, Governor Ngige became the toast of many Anambra people who hitherto were angry at the result of the election that produced him. They said, “So, these people put him there to help them continue to milk our state, and he refused, and they want to remove him? They won’t. We will stand by him since he’s fighting for us.’
And they did. And he fought the cabal, fought for the people, and worked until he was removed by the courts.
* Chukwuelobe is a former media aide to Ngige.