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A daughters Plea Written by Bimbo Bamidele

Photo Here:Late Idowu
Late Major Daniel Idowu Bamidele , was among the officers that was executed 5th of March 1986 by the IBB regime on the suspicion of conspiracy to commit treason.

In October 1983, My father heard rumors of a planned coup against President Shehu Shagari,s government. My father immediately reported this information to his GOC (General Officer in Command) who was Brigadier Mohammed Buhari, who was ironically the master planner of the coup.
My father was arrested a week later, and detained at DMI(Directorate of Military Intelligence) and he was accused of plotting a coup against the Shagari regime. Fake witnesses were paraded to give false statements against him. While the real coup plot was going on underground with the full involvement of the same DMI group of officers that was interrogating my father.

After a month, he was released based on the fact that there was no legal basis to charge him for a "one man coup conspiracy"
I remember the day my father came back home. Our house was flooded with relatives, friends and neighbors. I could feel the tension in the air when he arrived, tears of happiness, joy and relief was pouring down from my mum’s eyes.

I remember seeing my father’s bruised back and arms due to the savage beatings he received in the detention cell, just because he wanted to be a good soldier that loved democracy and civil rule, and even if he was a military officer, he was not in support of a military regime taking over a stable civilian government.

Then on the 1st of January 1984, Brigadier Buhari (My father’s GOC that he reported the rumor of a coup) was announced as the new Head of State.
Everything now became clear to my father as to why he was arrested for reporting about a coup.
He was later transferred from jos,Plateau state to Command and Staff College Jaji, Kaduna state.

Two years after, he was arrested again for allegedly knowing about the Phantom-vatsa-coup and not reporting to his superiors.
A Special Military Tribunal was set up and my father was convicted and sentenced to death by firing squad.
I remember that day, 5th of March 1986. General Domkat Bali came on air and read out the list of names. 10 officers!!! 10 fathers!!! 10 breadwinners!!!
And he adds,” Have been Secretly Executed 1 hour earlier"

Then 14 years after, On the 22nd of May, 2006. General Domkat Bali grants an interview with THE NEWS magazine, that whatever evidence the panel had against mamman vatsa and the 9 other officers were weak, and his only regret was that he could not stop the execution from taking place.

Even when Mamman vatsa,s wife, my mother, and other widows pleaded to IBB for their husbands corpses to be released to them, it all fell on deaf ears, because IBB instructed that ACID should be poured on their bodies and they should be given a mass burial.
IBB requested that the execution process should be recorded for him.

For 24 years, I’ve lived with something in my heart!
That IBB carefully selected 10 Army Officers with the highest caliber of military professionals who had acquired expensive training from Nigeria and Abroad.
IBB was present on Mamman Vatsa,s wedding day,.....................IBB was Vatsa,s Bestman!!!

Like I said earlier on in "My Campaign Against IBB" I don’t have any issue against IBB on political grounds, But on The issue of an 11 years old girl that loved her father very much, and still misses him every other day.


Blogers note: Since the publication of the article Ms Bamidele is coming under intense pressure to withdraw the article from the public forum. She is standing by every word written and re affirms our commitment to make her fathers story heard. For her own security I will not be publishing her photograph, however any media interest will be welcome so we can get stories such as that of Major Bamidele out in the public forum.
Kayode Ogundamisi


For the records:

"...Major Bamidele cut a forlorn figure. He found out about the plot against President Shagari and reported the issue up the chain of command to his General Officer Commanding, Maj-Gen Muhammadu Buhari. Unfortunately for, and unknown to Bamidele, Buhari was one of the conspirators. To prevent Bamidele from leaking the plot, Buhari ordered his arrest and Bamidele was detained for 2 weeks. He was not released until after the coup had been successfully executed. Once again Bamidele learned of this current coup plot. However his experience with Buhari had taught him and unforgettable lesson. This time he kept his mouth shut and did not report the plot. Nonetheless he was arrested again, this time for not reporting the plot. "

Major Bamidele's statement in mitigation was even more harrowing:... See more

"...“I heard of the 1983 coup planning, told my GOC General Buhari who detained me for two weeks in Lagos. Instead of a part on the back, I received a stab. How then do you expect 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. If is unfortunate that I’m being convicted for something which I have had to stop on two occasions. This is not self adulation but a sincere summary of the qualities inherent in me.

It is an irony of fate that the president of the tribunal who in 1964 felt that I was good enough to take training in the U.K. is now saddled with the duty of showing me the exit from the force and the world.”"

(May his gentle soul continue to rest in Peace)
---References: My Friend and Military Historian Max Siollun. (Research by Ken Davidson)