At the horn of a dilemma – part 4

Excerpts from WHY WE STRUCK  by Major Adewale Ademoyega; an active participant’s account by one of the prime movers of the military coup

We waited a while to be sure. Then we drove off in a convoy along Abeokuta road, past Agege and past Otta. Still, there was no trace of Ifeajuna and Obienu. Even Chukwuka had not caught up with us. We halted. I conferred with Anuforo. Had we now lost Lagos? Had our own men deserted us? Okafor had lost the Federal Guards. Has Ifeajuna also lost the 2nd Brigade Headquarters. Has Obienu lost the 2nd Reconnaissance Squadron? Where were we heading to? We were now at the horn of a dilemma!

It was Anuforo who came up with the notion that even if Obienu were not to be found in Abeokuta, we could still get his squadron for our use. In that case, why didn’t we drive down to Abeokuta? And if Obienu was there, we might persuade him to come with us. I agreed.We drove off in a convoy of two cars, one land rover, and one 30-tonner towards Abeokuta.

Midway, I halted Anuforo because of the cargo of corpses in the 3-tonner.It would be inexpedient to carry that to town. It was already 5am.Hence,some young officers and men were deployed so as to prevent vehicles from either direction reaching our location. Then I ordered the corpses brought down and taken into the bush. The arrested Finance Minister was still in the truck and it was no longer expedient to carry him around with us.  As such, he was taken into the bush and shot. Since there were no digging implements, a few soldiers were detailed to remain there on guard till digging implements were brought to bury the bodies.

The convoy moved again. It was half-past six in the morning when we made Abeokuta barracks. Obienu was not around; he had not returned to the station since the previous day and left no orders for troops deployment. Anuforo used his former position to get troops mobilised without waiting for formal order from their own commander or from the Brigade Headquarters in Apapa. We now had a troop consisting of four ferrets in our hands .And we were ready to return to Lagos for further action against Ironsi.

While the ferrets got ready, some young officers left with digging implements to the site of the corpses and organised their burial. They then waited nearby till we arrived and together, we drove to Lagos. The cars were in front. The ferrets followed. The Land Rovers and 3-tonner were behind. Anuforo and I rode in the ferrets, each of us commanding a pair of them. There was one Squadron officer with us, a subaltern. He was in one of the ferrets. A convoy movement was never the fastest thing in the world. It was about eleven o’clock before we made Lagos.