New details have shown how the late elder statesman, Maitama Sule, submitted himself for arrest after Nigeria's 1983 coup.
Maitama Sule
General Abdulsalami Abubakar (retd), former Nigerian Head of
State, revealed, yesterday, in Kano how the late elder statesman, Alhaji
Yusuf Maitama Sule, submitted himself for arrest shortly after the 1983
coup d’etat that saw many top flight politicians clamped into
detention.
According to Vanguard, Abubakar, who made the revelation when he
paid a condolence visit to the government of Kano State and family of
Danmasanin Kano, noted that Nigeria and, indeed, the whole world have
lost a true compatriot.
The former Head of State, who was a Brigade Commander at 3rd Motorized Brigade, Kano, in 1984, said: “As
Brigade Commander of the 33 Motoriized Brigade, Bukavu Barracks, Kano,
many politicians were arrested that period and all of a sudden, I saw
Danmasani in my office with his briefcase, and I asked him what
happened? and he declared that “I’ve turned myself in to be arrested
like other politicians.”
“I asked him why?, and he said to me, ‘you people are arresting
many people and you shunned me, and I don’t know why.’ I just laughed
it off.
“Maitama Sule believed that the tragedy of every person is his
personal tragedy; that made him a leader, a pillar that stood for the
less privileged ones and every other person in needs.”
He said the loss of Danmasani was a national tragedy, which pain
was shared not only by his family or Kano people, but also Nigerians.
In his speech, Governor Ganduje said: “Danmasani was there
during the British colonialists and struggled alongside other prominent
Nigerians, most of whom were now late.
“There is no head of state, since independence, that has not
sat with Yusuf Maitama Sule and listen to his personal advice on how he
would be a good leader.’
Among those who paid condolence visit at Government House,
yesterday, were Minister of Science and Technology, Ogbonnaya Onu; NUJ
National President, Wahab Odusile, among others.
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