Obasanjo recounts how Abacha planned to eliminate him

According to a report by Daily Post on Tuesday November 10, 2026, former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo has recounted how the late military Head of State, General Sani Abacha, allegedly planned to eliminate him during his regime.

Obasanjo made the revelation while speaking at a recent book event at the University of Ibadan, where he reflected on his experience under the military government and the events that led to his arrest and imprisonment in 1995.

The former president explained that he had left government at the age of 42 and turned his attention to farming before his arrest during Abacha’s administration.

According to him, he initially believed he had retired from public service too early but decided to concentrate on agriculture after leaving office.

Obasanjo said: “I took to farming after leaving government at 42 before Abacha arrested me.”

He further alleged that Abacha had decided that he must be killed, claiming that the former military ruler would not achieve his objectives unless he was eliminated.

The former president’s account provides another insight into the difficult period he experienced under Abacha, who ruled Nigeria from 1993 until his death in 1998.

Obasanjo was arrested in 1995 over an alleged coup plot alongside several other individuals. His arrest came during a period of intense military rule, with the government accusing him and others of involvement in a conspiracy to overthrow Abacha.

Following his arrest, Obasanjo was tried by a military tribunal and sentenced to life imprisonment. The sentence was subsequently commuted to 15 years.

He remained in detention until June 1998, when he regained his freedom following Abacha’s death in office.

Obasanjo later became Nigeria’s civilian president in 1999, serving two terms until 2007.

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