North vs South. How Abacha tagged Yoruba fighter Pilots NADECO agents
By
Air Commodore A A Balogun mni rtd
In 1997 when we were preparing to deploy the A-Jets to Sierra Leone, the pilots for the Sierra Leone operations were drawn from Kano, Yola and Kaduna and were made to undergo some recurrence and simulated combat training missions at 99, Air Combat Training Group in Kainji. On one of such recurrence flights, Okejuju and I flew to Kaduna to practice some instrument approaches and landings. On arrival at the Kaduna military airfield, we commenced the usual approaches and after about three of such approaches, the Air traffic controller called to inform us that our exercises were disrupting the flying operations of the student pilots who were equally training with the air beetle aircraft. He subsequently instructed that we vacate the airspace for the young pilots and come back after about 25 minutes. In his words: “Aggressor 01, please work northwards and return to continue your approaches after twenty-five minutes”. The call sign. Aggressor 01 was always reserved for the Commander of the unit or whoever was the Air Component Commander.
We obeyed his instructions and my Commander directed that we proceed northwards, Northwards of Kaduna is in the general direction of Jaji and it could further be extended to Zaria and Kano if need be. As I was flying northwards of Kaduna, I suddenly noticed that there were so many vehicles at Jaji. I pointed this out to my commander who then said that the day was for graduands at the Armed Forces Command and Staff College (AFCSC) hence he presence of so many vehicles.
In our usual tradition, when we see a body of troops or a congregation of military personnel, it is common that we perform some aerial displays to grace the occasion and raise the morale of the troops. I decided to carry out some serial displays over the AFCSC before returning to Kaduna with the approval of my boss. Unknown to me and my boss, the then Head of State, Gen Sani Abacha was in attendance.
We flew over the AFCSC for about five minutes, performed some stunts innocently and then proceeded back to Kaduna. On reaching Kaduna, we conducted some more approaches and headed to Kainji with a feeling of accomplishment. On arrival in Kainji and having disembarked from the aircraft, I noticed that the usual warm reception from colleagues and flight line technicians were lacking. Officers and men were in groups of two and three discussing silently within themselves. One of the officers finally summoned courage and came to me to say that both Okejuju and I were to be placed under close arrest in the Officers’ Mess. I then enquired to know why? He told me that it was alleged that we went to fly over the AFCSC, Jaji with the intent of asassinating the Head of State who was attending the graduation ceremony at the institution-what a shocker!
When Gp Capt. Okanlawon and I finally reported to the Officer’s Mess, we were given the full details of our predicament. We were told that shortly before the Head of State’s arrival in Kaduna, the soldiers that were supposed to mount the Guard of Honour had their rifles inspected which is always a requirement for such occasions. During the inspection, it was discovered that one of the soldiers, ironically an Air Force personnel, had live ammunition in his rifle’s magazine. Further, investigations also revealed that he was of the Niger Delta extraction who were against the administration of Gen. Sani Abacha. He was promptly arrested. Further investigations, however, found him not guilty and he was subsequently
released.
Later the same day, while the C-in-C was attending the graduation at AFCSC Jaji, one Alpha Jet aircraft armed with bombs came overhead Jaji to disrupt the occasion. On inquiry, some people went outside the hall to have a closer look at the Alpha Jet. These people reported back that the aircraft was armed and the pilots had intention of assassinating the Head of State. After few phone calls, the Head of State was told that the two pilots in the aircraft were A. R. Okanlawon and A.A. Balogun, both South Westerners. It was therefore concluded that we must both belong to the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO) a pan Yoruba political group which had consistently opposed the government of Gen Sani Abacha and had consistently demanded for the actualization of the mandate of the June 12th Presidential election. It was as a result of this suspicion and the claim that the aircraft was armed that formed the basis of our detention pending further investigations.
When the Unit Commander, AVM S.A. Atawodi (Rtd) returned to Kainji the next day, he relaxed the close arrest and asked us to write a report of the incident. Being the Unit Commander, he knew there was no way we could have armed the aircraft without his knowledge. In fact, in those days, to arm an aircraft required a lot of procedures. For security reasons, HQ NAF must authorize the release of weapons which were dispersed and are stored all over Nigeria. The C-130 aircraft would be detailed to transport the weapons from wherever they are to Kainji where the A Jets are based.
Definitely no pilot or group of pilots could arm a fighter aircraft without the consent and approval of the Chief of the Air Staff. Gp. Capt. Okanlawon wrote the report as requested and we were allowed to continue our preparatory exercises for the ECOMOG mission to Sierra Leone, however we were still under open-arrest. As we continued to intensify our training efforts in Kainji, so were the Sierra Leonean rebels intensifying their onslaught on the deployed Nigerian troops. When the NA could no longer bear the rebels offensives, they requested for the immediate deployment of the Alpha Jets. And, on 9th July 1997, the then Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshall N.E. Eduok personally called the Commander in Kainji and ordered us to deploy to the mission immediately.
This immediate deployment order was a saving grace for GpCapt. Okanlawon and myself as the very day we departed, some State Security Service Operatives (SSS) and Intelligence Operatives from the Presidency arrived Kanji to effect our arrest. As we were told later, when the operatives arrived Kainji in the evening of our departure, they asked about our whereabouts and when they were informed of our departure, they felt really bad as they claimed to have been specifically instructed by the Chief Security Officer (CSO) to the Head of State, Major Hamza Al-Mustapha to move us to Abuja for further investigations. What a break!
We touched down in Monrovia and immediately commenced the operations. We fought alongside the Army until the city of Freetown was totally liberated with ECOMOG Forces occupying all the strategic and hitherto entrenched AFRC positions. These coordinated operations paved the way for the return of the democratically elected President of Sierra Leone, Alhajı Ahmad Tejan Kabbah from Guinea to his motherland
On March 14th, 1998, in a colorful celebration, the President of Sierra Leone returned from exile in Guinea aboard a NAF Aircraft to a tumultuous reception. Among the Heads of State that witnessed the occasion, was the then C-in-C of the Nigerian Armed Forces, Gen Sani Abacha. Here comes the Irony!
While we were fighting in Freetown, it was a standard practice that whenever our President or any dignitary was visiting, we must take off and ensure that the airspace was safe for their arrivals and departures. On the day of the reinstatement of the Sierra Leonean President and knowing full well that our dear President was to be in attendance, we armed two A-Jets with rockets and cannons to comb the Lungi Airport and its environs to provide air cover and ensure that no intruder gets close to the vicinity.
About twenty minutes to the touch down of the Head of State’s Presidential jet, we flew to a point about 100 Nautical miles to the airport to intercept the President’s plane and escort him to Freetown. The President’s pilots had been informed as usual and when they arrived at the designated point, it was easy for us to join the flight on their wings. I was flying on the left wing at about 15,000 feet while my other colleague was flying on the right wing.
Occasionally, we withdrew backwards to have a better picture of the ground and sometimes stay on top of the Presidential Jet.
We continued the formation flight until the Presidential Jet was about to land and then break off the formation to stay overhead and provide further air cover until the President is cleared off the airport environment and any danger. As the President was approaching Freetown, another set of pilots took off and remained over the venue of the ceremony providing Combat Air Patrol until the ceremony was over. After the ceremony, myself and another pilot took off again in two Alpha Jets and started the usual patrol. As the Presidential Jet took off with General Sani Abacha on board, we stayed in formation with the aircraft and continued to provide cover until the President was at a safe altitude on his way back to Nigeria. We returned to our base in Monrovia after another successful day.
It was in the night when I was relaxing and rummaging over the events of the day that I realized the two scenarios. About 9 months earlier Okejuju and myself were arrested for flying an unarmed aircraft over the AFCSC Jaji innocently and were almost being punished for no just cause. We were tagged members of NADECO with the intention of assassinating Gen Sani Abacha. Now in March 1998, I found myself flying a fully armed aircraft about 20ft from the same Gen Sani Abacha’s Presidential aircraft enroute Freetown and later out of Freetown to Nigeria to ensure his safe passage. What an irony!
If I was what I was tagged to be in 1997, a single squeeze of the trigger would have blown up the President’s aircraft and its occupants. Sometimes, people are judged based on circumstances and not by evidence that could be proven. May we never find ourselves in situations where you are already guilty until proven innocent or guilty before the crime sometimes.
Extracts from ‘Nigerian Air War in Sierra Leone’
From the Cockpit of Aggressor 08
By
Air Commodore AA Balogun mni rtd
Pages 100 – 104.
