Late Major Daniel Idowu Bamidele
was among the officers that were executed on the 5th of March 1986
by the IBB regime on the suspicion of conspiracy to commit treason.
When Major General Daniel
Bamidele found out about the coup plot against President Shehu Shagari, he
rushed up and reported the issue to his G.O.C, Major General Mohammadu Buhari.
Poor Bamidele did not know that Buhari was the chief conspirator. Buhari
quickly arrested Bamidele and locked him up for weeks until the coup was
successfully executed with Buhari announced as the Head of State.
Two years later, Bamidele would
again learn about another coup; this time, against Babangida. Thinking he can
outwit the gods, he kept quite this time and didn’t report the plot. Poor
Bamidele was again arrested. This time, he was arrested for not reporting the
coup. A forlom Bamidele would rather plead for clemency before the Special
Military Tribunal (SMT) saying: “General Buhari who detained me….Instead of a
pat on the back, I received a stab. How
then do you want me to report this one? This trial marks the eclipse of my
brilliant and unblemished career of 19 years. I fought in the civil war with
the ability it pleased God to give me. It is unfortunate that I am being
convicted for something which I have had to stop on two occasions …It is an
irony of fate that the president of the tribunal who in 1965 felt I was good
enough to take training in the UK is now saddled with the duty of showing me
the exit from the force and the world.”
Ibrahim Babangida wouldn’t care
for his pleas. On March 5, 1986 inside the Kirikiri Max Security Prison
alongside other condemned men, Major Bamidele was executed by firing squad ,
sent off by Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida.
Source: Ogonimilitant,
Ourpage9ja.
Pictures: Nigeriannostalgiaproject.
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