Ogunade, Dele Giwa, et al

Comfort Obi

Let me confess that I didn't read the interview Dr. Taiyemiwo Ogunade granted The Nation newspapers and carried on Sunday, June 7. But I have just read another interview he granted to Saharareporters, an online publication. In the interview, he revealed the alleged killers of Dele Giwa, the founding Editor-in-Chief of Newswatch magazine, and why he was killed. To think that Ogunade knew these things all along, and yet kept quiet, is what beats me hollow. This is the type of crime the military would label “accessory after the fact.” Giwa was killed by a parcel bomb, delivered to him at his breakfast table in 1986, under the watch of General Ibrahim Babangida as Nigeria’s President.
Ogunade, who has suddenly become a parrot, also talked about Gloria Okon, the assumed dead drug courier, and her alleged relationship with Nigeria's former First Lady, Maryam Babangida. For the purpose of this write-up, I will quote, copiously, parts of Ogunade’s interview.
Saharareporters: Do you know who delivered the bomb that killed Dele Giwa?
Ogunade: I believe that Buba Marwa did it. Some Mamman Vatsa boys told the full story in New York during a visit to my college to lobby our college to accept to train Nigerian military officers. Ambassador Olusola was on that entourage.(My Informant) told me Dele Giwa was killed because he was in possession of a tape containing Vatsa’s testimony before the military tribunal. For four hours, Vatsa requested to tell the full story about how Babangida regime was operating, and his knowledge of the workings of IBB’s mind. He pointed out that after Halilu Akilu and Col. A K. Togun of the military intelligence prepared the parcel, it was handed over to Buba Marwa to deliver to Dele Giwa. Marwa is a well-known “IBB boy”. But I was the one who gave it to Dele Giwa.
Saharareporters: How did you get the tape?
Ogunade: Vatsa had a copy made by his friends in the tribunal, and smuggled out to me, and I “loaned” it to Dele Giwa who got on the case immediately. I still don’t know how Dele Giwa found out that I had the tape till this day.
Saharareporters: Do you still have a copy?
Ogunade: Yes, but you know I left Nigeria hurriedly after the death of Dele Giwa. I left it (the tape) with my aged mother, who did not know the value then. I won’t say more, let the military release that tape to the Nigeria public.
Sharareporters: Did Dele Giwa return the tape to you?
Ogunade: Yes, he returned it after 24 hours. Don’t forget that I loaned it to him. I think he went and played it to Babangida’s people, and they eliminated him after they heard the tape.
On Gloria Okon, Ogunade revealed her alleged real name, Chinyere, and also revealed that she was married to a Charles “Jeff” Chandler, a Tiv man who killed Nzeogwu, and was later-on killed a day later. When Chinyere (Gloria Okon), who was allegedly a friend to Maryam Babangida, and Vatsa’s wife, became a widow, she kept herself busy by trading between Nigeria and the United Kingdom. When she was caught with drugs, obviously one of her wares, and perhaps why she jettisoned her real name, and her husband's name, at the Aminu Kano Airport, Ogunade revealed that it was Mamman Vatsa who put her on the next available flight to London, where she delivered a baby for another man. So?
Another revelation by Ogunade: At the naming ceremony of the baby, Maryam Babangida was present. A French photographer who took photographs at the ceremony caught her on camera, and gave the photograph to Kayode Soyinka, then Newswatch’s London Correspondent. Soyinka brought the photograph to Dele Giwa, and it was that photograph that he was looking at, with Soyinka sitting opposite him, when the bomb which killed him was delivered. This Ogunade must be very connected o! He even revealed some more!! But honest, I am lost.
He so mixed up the story of Vatsa and Gloria Okon that one is left wondering for what reason Dele Giwa was actually killed. Was it over the Vatsa tape, or was it to cover-up the presence of Mrs. Babangida at Gloria Okon’s baby naming ceremony in London? The Gloria Okon story is not new. For long, efforts have been made, without proof, to link Mrs Babangida with Gloria Okon and her illicit trade. The rumour has been that she was carrying drugs on behalf of Mrs Babangida when she was caught, and spirited out of the country in order to protect Mrs Babangida. Meaning that the story that she died at the Kano Airport is false. Indeed, the popular story is that the body identified as Okon's was someone else’s. But I remember that Chief Solomon Asemota, SAN, had years back, at an informal discussion in Owerri debunked that story. He said he was the lawyer to Okon’s family, and was the one who identified her body at the airport. Yet, Ogunade’s story is refreshing. Now, we know that Gloria Okon’s real name was Chinyere; that she was married to a military officer of Tiv origin whose name is Charles “Jeff” Chandler; that he, it was, who killed Major Chukwuma Nzeogwu; and that he was himself killed a day later.
But as refreshing as his stories are, they read like “Tales by the Moonlight.” They sound like cock and bull stories. For instance, what is the name of this French photographer, and where is he now? If he is alive, can he, please, print another copy of this photograph? Or did he just print one copy for the benefit of Newswatch? Was an album of photographs made of that naming ceremony? Many people will give an arm to get that photograph as it would finally connect Maryam Babangida to the famous Gloria Okon and her drug cartel.
On Vatsa, Ogunade missed one important point. He forgot to tell us at what point Vatsa fell out with IBB. Apparently, they were still very close at the time of the Gloria Okon incident, which must be why, according to Ogunade, it was Vatsa who spirited her to London. Or, was the Gloria story one of the stories Vatsa told at the military tribunal? If it was, then Vatsa was also guilty of criminal conspiracy. But Ogunade needs to answer more probing questions on Dele Giwa.
Why did it take him 23 years to talk? Why did he not avail Newswatch editors of these "facts"? Why did he not avail Gani Fawehinmi, Dele Giwa’s lawyer, of these facts? Who were the Vatsa boys who he discussed confidentially with? What is so special about him, or his relationship with Vatsa, that they chose to confide in him? Why him? Where has he been all these years Nigerians had been asking: “who killed Dele Giwa?” Why did he not appear at the Oputa Panel to reveal what he knew about Dele Giwa’s murder? Why did it take him this long to talk about Marwa’s connection? Who were the Vatsa friends at the Military Tribunal who gave him the tape? Is Vatsa’s family aware of this tape? If so, they must have a copy, and should release it.
He said he loaned the tape to Dele Giwa. And it was just that copy? Was he so stupid that he would loan it to Giwa without making a duplicate copy? What if Giwa had not returned the tape to him? Does he hold Dele Giwa in such low esteem that he says Dele Giwa, within the 24 hours he held the tape, went to play it for IBB boys, hence his elimination? Was Giwa that stupid and unintelligent? The Dele Giwa Nigerians knew was brilliant, courageous and intelligent, not unintelligent or stupid? If he had such a tape, why didn’t he tell his colleague-editors with whom he founded Newswatch about it? Indeed, is there any such tape?
Dr. Ogunade made the point that he ran away from Nigeria after Dele Giwa was eliminated. Eh yaa! Poor man!! Na lie. How come, even when he knew that Dele Giwa was eliminated because of the tape, he left Nigeria, in his word, hurriedly, leaving the tape behind with his aged mother. I find it disturbing that he could leave Nigeria without this precious possession. What if his mother was also eliminated over the tape? His answer to Saharareporters when he was asked if he still had the tape was neither here nor there. Ogunade: “Yes, but you know I left Nigeria hurriedly after the death of Dele Giwa. I left the tape with my aged mother, who did not know the value then. I won’t say more, let the military release that tape to the Nigerian public.” What does this mean?
The question was a direct, simple question. The answer should have been Yes or No. Why bring his mother in? Why is Ogunade asking the military to release the tape when he can release it, and make a kill with it? Truth is, if the tape exists, Ogunade missed an opporunity to finally nail IBB and the military. Having ran away to the USA over the tape, he should have taken it, and made public the contents from there.
The only thing that remains here is to ask what grouse Dr. Ogunade has against Marwa. He has sensationally dragged his name into Dele Giwa’s murder. He has revealed that he was the one who petitioned the EFCC against Marwa over an alleged $250 million he allegedly laundered with late Head of State, General Sani Abacha. He also talked about how he was instrumental to the cancellation of a $30 million contract Marwa came to sign on behalf of the Nigeria military to enable its personnel attend a “Peace and Conflict Resolution Program” at the Black Studies and the City University of New York, where he, Ogunade, was a professor. This hatred is deep. Marwa, of course, is capable of defending himself, as he has already done, but Ogunade should go further and tell us why he was sacked by the university after the cancellation of that contract. Afterall, he saved the university from being tainted by Marwa and/or the Nigerian military.
But back to Dele Giwa. His murder is so painful, so gruesome, so sensitive, that it is callous for anybody to play politics, and/or play to the gallery with it the way Ogunade seems to be doing. This murder goes beyond seeking to be noticed. Whoever does this is committing a cardinal sin. So, what does Ogunade know about this murder? And where is this prized tape? What is stopping him from making the contents public? He should. Afterall, we are in a democracy now.

The Police and the Madman
The Police Public Relations Officer of the Delta State Police Command, Charles Muka, an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), described the incident as unfortunate and strange. To that, I add stupid and tragic.
When I read the story in the Daily Champion of Tuesday, June 23, I found it annoyingly tragic. Entitled, Madman Slays Policeman in Delta, it tells the tragic end of Sergeant Chuks Okorie, 51, in the hands of an alleged madman. According to Daily Champion, “confusion engulfed Ogwashi-Uku in Aniocha South LGA of Delta State when a rampaging (emphasis, mine) lunatic stabbed a police Sergeant to death.” How?, you ask. This is the story.
An alleged lunatic had snatched a smoked fish from a food vendor, and the Sergeant, playing the hero, gave him a hot pursuit. I don't know now why he would pursue a mad man who snatched one smoked fish. But I digress. Seeing that he was on the verge of being caught, the alleged mad man brought out a sharp knife which he hid in his trousers, and stabbed the policeman on the chest. He fell down, bleeding profusely, and died before he could be taken to the hospital. When the madman saw the result of his alleged madness, he again took to his heels, but was overtaken and overpowered by passers-by, and some policemen. He was arrested, and taken to a police station. But what happened to him thereafter? That is the bewildering aspect. The police released him after two hours, claiming that he was, indeed, a lunatic. ASP Muka: ..."There is not much to investigate about the incident. It has been confirmed (emphasis, again, mine) that the man who reportedly stabbed our officer had history of mental disorders.” With all due respct to Muka, this is nonsense.
To think that a man, mad or not, stabbed a policeman to death, and was released two hours after the incident? What is Muka talking about? Who confirmed to him that the man is a madman? Was he taken to a psychiatric hospital? And what is the name of the Psychiatrist who confirmed him a madman within two hours? Which hospital was he taken to? Or, did the police act on the basis of hear-say from the villagers? Anybody, after committing a heinous offence could feign madness in order to escape punishment. And in any case, even if he was taken to a psychiatric hospital, what right has the police to do so? It is only a court that can order for such a test. So, which court ordered for it? Worse, the police let loose, in the streets, a man which the Daily Champion Reporter described as a "rampaging lunatic." Do they want him to kill more people?
The Delta State Police Command should, please, re-arrest this man, and charge him to court for murder. Let the court decide his health status. And if, indeed, he is mad, the court will say where to keep him. Definitely, not the streets, or his home.