'What Happened in Prison When Obasanjo and I Were Serving Life Sentences', Shehu Sani Shares

'What Happened in Prison When Obasanjo and I Were Serving Life Sentences', Shehu Sani Shares

  • Senator Shehu Sani has recalled the turbulent military regime of late General Sani Abacha
  • Legit.ng recalls that the former federal lawmaker from Kaduna state was sentenced to life imprisonment during his days as an activist
  • Obasanjo, who ruled Nigeria both as a military man and civilian, was sentenced to prison in 1995 for allegedly plotting a coup against Abacha and was released in 1998 after Abacha's death

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Legit.ng journalist Ridwan Adeola Yusuf has over 9 years of experience covering public journalism.

Kaduna, Kaduna state - Shehu Sani, a former senator representing Kaduna Central, on Wednesday, May 15, said prison warders "harassed" him during his time in prison over two decades ago.

Sani, in a post on his verified X (formerly Twitter) handle, said custodians of the Kirikiri Maximum Security Prison in Lagos also tormented erstwhile head of state and former president, General Olusegun Obasanjo.

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Obasanjo: Shehu Sani recalls military persecution
Senator Shehu Sani recalls being in prison with Obasanjo. Photo credits: Senator Shehu Sani, Gabriel Aponte
Source: UGC

Recall that during the turbulent military rule of General Sani Abacha, Sani – a young, fearless and determined activist– did not shy away from challenging the status quo, an attitude that would see him sentenced to life in jail.

The former federal lawmaker found himself in the company of other prominent Nigerian prisoners like Obasanjo; Niger Delta activist Ken Saro-Wiwa, who was eventually hanged; and Obasanjo’s erstwhile deputy, General Shehu Musa Yar’Adua, who died in detention.

Although both Sani and Obasanjo were condemned to never seeing the outside of the four walls of their prison cells, today, they are free men.

Sani wrote with an accompanying picture of him and Obasanjo:

"When I was teasing ex President Obasanjo and reminding him how we were harassed by Prison warders in Kiri Kiri Prison in 1995; when we were both serving life sentence for treason."

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'Keep dancing' - Obasanjo to Adeleke

Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Obasanjo advised Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun state not to relent in his drive for infrastructural development.

Obasanjo, who described Adeleke as his dancing partner, also charged the governor to sustain the peace and tranquillity existing in the state, saying Osun remains one of the most peaceful in the country.

Proofreading by Nkem Ikeke, journalist and copy editor at Legit.ng.

Source: Legit.ng

Authors:
Ridwan Adeola avatar

Ridwan Adeola (Current Affairs Editor) Ridwan Adeola Yusuf is a Current Affairs Editor at Legit.ng and a certified journalist with over 9 years of experience. He edited Politics Nigeria's articles, was the Acting Editor of AllNews Nigeria and Fact-Checking Researcher (Africa Check). He received his HND in Mass Communication from The Polytechnic Ibadan. He received a Certificate of Achievement (Journalism Clinic’s Fix The Leak masterclass, 2021) and also completed Google News Initiative's Advance digital reporting curriculum. Contact him at ridwan.adeola@corp.legit.ng.