the Generals’ Mafia

Today, Dele Momodu in his weekly column “Pendulum” titled ‘The Battle of
the Nigerian Generals’ described General Olusegun Obasanjo as the most
‘visible and voluble member of the Nigerian Mafia’.

According to him, ‘the President’s supporters believe the Generals have

outlived their relevance. Theoretically, this sounds easy but the old foxes
must never be underrated’.

READ BELOW:

Fellow Nigerians, I once wrote an article about the Nigerian Mafia on this very
page. Yes, Nigeria is a Mafia nation and there are a few Mafia families in play.
Some are peopled by civilians, whilst some are a group of military men
comprising retired soldiers. There is also a mixture of civilians and soldiers
like the Kaduna Mafia comprising Northern elites from both the civilian
populace and the military. Apart from the Generals’ Mafia which includes
General Olusegun Obasanjo, all of these Mafia families usually consist of men
of Northern extraction.

There were only two visible Mafia families in the South, namely the Awolowo
and Zikist Mafia. However, the latter’s influence diminished long before the
Owelle Of Onitsha, Chief Nnamdi Azikwe, who was the arrowhead, passed
away, whilst the former has had its glory days dulled by the fractious
disagreements which broke out between the acolytes of Chief Obafemi
Awolowo, The Odole of Ife, after he exchanged mortality for immortality. This
got exacerbated and became open internecine warfare after the revered
sage’s wife, the Yeyeoba of Ile-Ife, Chief Hannah Idowu Dideolu Awolowo,
who had kept the shop together with adroit wiles and guile, died just over 3
years ago.

However, the Tinubu Mafia has grown in competition with the Awolowo Mafia
in recent times, but even the influence of their effervescent overlord, Bola
Ahmed Tinubu, Asiwaju of Lagos, may be facing challenges at the moment
from rebels within and outside. These coming elections may well be a true
test of how efficacious the influence and control of this great and astute
politician remains.

It is interesting that while the influence of the Italian Mafia seems to have
waned over the years, that of the Nigerian Mafia, particularly the Generals’
Mafia appears to have skyrocketed in recent years. There are warlords now
spread across our country. And the godfathers and their godchildren litter the
landscape of Nigeria. Since the return to civilian rule in 1999, Nigeria has
remained under the firm grip of the military class, no matter what the
civilians may say or think. It is therefore the Generals’ Mafia that remains in
the ascendancy for now.

Former Army General Olusegun Obasanjo, incidentally, the Balogun of Owu –

a traditional warrior chief – came back from retirement as a former military
Head of State and governed majestically for eight wonderful years. When he
left, Umaru, the brother of a former Army General Shehu Musa Yar’Adua
replaced him, largely on the basis of his relationship to the deceased brother,
who was a firm favourite of General Obasanjo, who singlehandedly
handpicked him and foisted him on a pliant nation despite his well-
documented health challenges. He died in office and his Vice President, Dr
Goodluck Ebele Jonathan also head-hunted by Obasanjo, took over to
complete their first term.

Thereafter, Jonathan was endorsed by Obasanjo, leading the Generals’ Mafia

for his own first term. Unfortunately, things fell apart, when the falcon no
longer hearkened to the falconer, and mere anarchy reigned upon the land.
Meanwhile, all this while, Major General Muhammadu Buhari never stopped
contesting serially, from 2003 to 2011 by which time he was expected to
give up on his dream and ambition. He never did.

Buhari returned to contest for the Presidency a record fourth time in 2015
and won resoundingly with the support of the almighty Generals’ Mafia. But
since then, he has not been able to hold the centre together and he has
fallen out of grace, and out of favour from the super Generals. Some may
want to argue otherwise but the proof is easy. He could not win on previous
occasions until the powers that be joined him.

Who are these super Generals, the last men standing, you may want to ask?
Let me oblige you, even if you know some or, indeed, all of them already. A
few of them are quite visible while others are not, either deliberately or
otherwise. The Nigerian Mafia in their totality are predominantly under the
control of a few Generals who are members of a very select, privileged and
exclusive club of high achievers in the Nigerian military and the Nigerian
state. Let me start with the first and the reason he is probably the most
powerful and influential.

General Olusegun Obasanjo remains the most visible and voluble member of
the Nigerian Mafia. His official date of birth reads May 5, 1937, but many feel
he is older, considering the age of some of his friends and schoolmates. He
schooled in Nigeria and continued his military education in England and
India. Fearless and brutal, he became famous and was idolised for his fairy-
tale exploits during the Nigerian civil war. Though different accounts have
claimed that his role was exaggerated and overhyped, even his worst critics
admit and agree that he is an extremely intelligent and brave soldier with a
no-nonsense attitude who seldom takes prisoners.
He shot into prominence when his boss, General Murtala Muhammed was
killed in a military coup in 1976 and as second in command, he was
catapulted to the number one position of Head of State against his will. He
and his team of the Supreme Military Council performed great feats until
they handed over power to a civilian government headed by President Shehu
Shagari. The fact that he stuck to his terminal date despite the fact that he
had reasons to elongate his tenure endeared him to the international
community. He acquired avuncular status on the continent of Africa and was
much sought after globally. His detribalised nature also helped to place him
on a higher pedestal in Nigeria.

The man he and Murtala Muhammed sacked from power, General Yakubu
Gowon was in exile in England for a long period of time and when he
returned his amiable, gentle and religious disposition meant that he was no
longer really relevant in the polity and this placed Obasanjo in a prime
position to assume the leadership of the Nigerian Generals’ Mafia. Gowon is
only sometimes wheeled out when it is time to plead for patience and peace
in the land, but the truth is that he is often just left alone to enjoy his
retirement!

Obasanjo’s stock rose even higher, and that is indeed the frightening reality
of the stock of this colossal statesman, when he returned to power for 8
years in the latest civilian dispensation. His bid to perpetuate himself in
power through an abortive third term agenda crashed spectacularly. However
his power and headship of the Generals’ Mafia remains solid and
incontrovertible.

Lt. General Mohammed Inuwa Wushishi (CFR GCON) remains a veritable

member of the Nigerian Mafia. Born in 1940, he rose to prominence and the
peak of his military career when he became Chief of Army Staff (COAS) from
1981 to 1983, in the Nigerian Second Republic, under the Shagari
government. Wushishi joined the Army in 1961 and received his military
training in Kaduna, Nigeria and later at Aldershot in the United Kingdom and
finally at the United States War College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania.

He had a meritorious service till he rose to the rank of a Lt. General. He was
well respected as a very disciplined officer. Now, guess who took over from
him as COAS? General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (IBB), popularly
described as the “evil genius”, and “Maradona” for his deft political and
Machiavellian moves when he was President.

Babangida was born in 1941. After enlisting in the military, he had his
military training in Nigeria, India and the United Kingdom. A very brilliant and
sociable man, he rose quickly and became a Major General within 20 years,
from a Second Lieutenant in 1963 to a Major General in 1983 and a full
General in 1987. Babangida participated in all the successful military coups
from July 1966 and actually toppled Buhari unexpectedly in 1985. The story
of how he successfully achieved a feat nobody thought possible at the time
is the stuff of legends and myths and is a story to be told another time!
Babangida was the opposite of Buhari.

He made many friends but was accused by his critics of introducing

favouritism and corruption to our body polity. However, his network of friends
is second to none and this has contributed to the vantage position he
continues to maintain in the Nigerian Generals Mafia. But for the grave error
of annulling the best, freest and fairest election ever held in Nigeria, history
might have been extremely kind and gracious to him because he assembled
one of the brightest men and women to join him in government. As it is, he is
forever remembered by this singular misadventure.

Lt. General Theophilus Yakubu Danjuma was born in December 1938.

Notably, and unlike his senior colleagues in the Generals’ Mafia, he
completed and passed his Higher School certificate examinations and was
admitted to study History at what is now the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria
in 1959. A keen sportsman in his secondary school days and captain of the
School Cricket team, Danjuma opted out of University education to join the
Nigerian Army in 1960.

The rest, as they say is history, for this quintessential gentleman soldier, who
rose to the rank of Lieutenant-General and Chief of Army Staff before retiring
in 1979. Since his retirement from the Nigerian Army, Danjuma has been an
esteemed and respected member of the Generals’ Mafia. He is a
consummate politician who was Minister of Defence during Obasanjo’s first
term as civilian President, astute billionaire businessman with interests in
shipping, oil and gas and telecommunications where he sits as Chairman
atop a myriad of companies, and above all a major gracious and significantly
benevolent philanthropist, unlike his peers.

It is claimed that his lack of support for President Buhari’s re-election bid
stems from the refusal to renew his oil mining licence and a hefty tax bill
which his gigantic oil company, South Atlantic Petroleum Limited (SAPETRO),
naturally disputes. A man of very few words in public, the spate of senseless
killings of his people recently forced him to issue harsh words which instantly
brought him on collision path with the Buhari Government.

General Abdulsalami Abubakar was born in 1942. Like Babangida, he hails

from Minna in Niger State. He completed his secondary education and went
on to study at Kaduna Technical College from where he enlisted into the
Nigerian Air force in October 1963. He undertook military training in the then
Western Germany, but on his return to Nigeria in 1966, he was seconded to
the Nigerian Army. He rose to the rank of General in the Nigerian Army and
was Chief of Defence Staff for over five years during the regime of General
Sani Abacha. He was entrusted with the mantle of leadership of the military
junta upon the death of Abacha in June 1998 and became the country’s Head
of State.

Like Obasanjo, he set up a time-table for an early return to civilian rule and
remarkably kept his word by organising elections and surrendering power in
less than one year. He handed over to his leader and senior Don in the
Generals’ Mafia, Olusegun Obasanjo, thereby continuing the trend of the
Generals’ Mafia dictating the political leadership succession in the country.
He is an international statesman who is acclaimed for returning the country
to democratic rule in the shortest period of time. His reputation is however
blighted by the death in his detention of Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale
Abiola, The Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland, the man who won the June 12
Presidential election, an election victory that has now been validated by
President Buhari.

Lt. General Aliyu Mohammed Gusau completes the list of senior members of
the Generals’ Mafia. This quiet, unassuming and self-effacing gentleman
soldier was born in 1943. He has on diverse occasions been Director of
Military Intelligence, Director of Defence Intelligence Agency, Director-
General of NSO and Coordinator on National Security. He was National
Security Adviser under Babangida, Obasanjo and Jonathan in that order
becoming the only man to have held this position under three different
Heads of State.

He was briefly Chief of Army Staff, under the Interim National Government
led by Chief Ernest Shonekan, thus following in the illustrious footsteps of
some of his fellow dons in the Generals’ Mafia. He was also Minister of
Defence in the Government of President Goodluck Jonathan. He is nicknamed
the ‘Spook’ because of his secretive nature and his long stint in the
intelligence service. He is reputed to have a dossier on all the major actors in
the Nigerian military and political scene and is much respected and feared.
He deliberately avoids public occasions and avoids controversy.

It is fabled that the troika of Babangida, Abacha and Gusau had a pact that
all three would become Heads of State and whilst Babangida and Abacha
succeeded, Gusau failed in his ambition despite spirited attempts. Indeed, it
was Abacha who retired Gusau from the Army when he took over the reins of
power from Shonekan in 1993. Nonetheless, Gusau remains a veritable and
trusted member of the Generals’ Mafia.

By virtue of his previous positions, President Buhari is also a member of the

hallowed club of dons in the Generals’ Mafia. However, until 2015 when he
contested elections for the Presidency yet again, he appeared to be an
outcast in the Club who was merely tolerated. However, the gang opted to
back him in 2015, but for whatever reasons, personal, altruistic or national
they appear to have withdrawn that support. It remains to be seen whether
lightning will strike twice on the same spot and the Generals’ Mafia which
outflanked and outfoxed Buhari in 1985 will succeed in truncating his regime
once more. Or will it be the case that Buhari has the element of power and
surprise and will to outmanoeuvre his fellow Dons this last time.

The elections of 2019 may likely herald and signal the sound of the ‘The Last
Post” for this super elite club of Generals. The Presidential election is
expected to be remote-controlled by these men and their civilian allies,
meaning Buhari has a tough battle in his hands. It is not clear how many of
these Generals he has on his side but he seems to have lost most of them
which is likely to make the election tougher than necessary. Obasanjo and
Babangida have not hidden their disdain. They have spoken publicly against
the re-election of Buhari who may be taciturn but is also known to be a
deadly fighter.

According to insiders in APC, Buhari no longer needs them because he totally

controls the apparatus of power and coercion. The palpable fear is for the
Generals not to plunge Nigeria into an orgy of violence and for Buhari to
execute a free and peaceful election. Many pundits believe Buhari may not
hand over power with the kind of equanimity Jonathan displayed. Worrisome.

The President’s supporters believe the Generals have outlived their

relevance. Theoretically, this sounds easy but the old foxes must never be
underrated. There are interesting days ahead… God save Nigeria.