Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has revealed how he narrowly escaped a plot by former Head of State, General Sani Abacha, to eliminate him, Chief MKO Abiola, and General Shehu Musa Yar’Adua.
He made the disclosure during the dedication of a newly built Assemblies of God Church, “The Noah’s Ark,” at Ogbor Uvuru in Aboh Mbaise, Imo State, on Saturday, May 24, 2025.
Obasanjo, who attended the event along with other prominent figures, said he had been arrested under Abacha’s regime alongside Abiola and Yar’Adua.
According to him, Abacha had already made up his mind that the three of them would not leave prison alive, as a way to tighten his grip on power.
He said that at first, he was confused about the arrest, thinking it was a mistake.
But he soon came to understand that the decision was intentional, and that he was considered a threat to Abacha’s continued rule.
He recalled turning to prayer during his time in prison and putting everything in God’s hands.
Out of the three men who were detained, only Obasanjo survived.
Both Abiola and Yar’Adua died while still in custody.
Obasanjo pointed out that he survived not through his own strength but through divine mercy.
He described his life as a clear example of survival against all odds, giving credit to divine protection as the reason he made it out alive.
Obasanjo shared other moments in his life where he believed he was spared in ways that could only be explained by divine mercy.
He talked about a course he took in Ghana in 1959, where nine Nigerians were successful, but only two of them are still alive today.
He said it was not because they were better than the others, but simply because life took a different turn for each of them.
During the event, Obasanjo praised the man behind the church project, Obioma Success Akagburuonye, a philanthropist and real estate businessman.
He said Akagburuonye’s dedication to building such a church reminded him of how divine mercy can work in people’s lives.
Obasanjo also paid respects to the philanthropist’s 104-year-old mother and described her long life as something to admire.
The newly built church, named “The Noah’s Ark,” is a replica of the Biblical ark, both in design and purpose.
It was built to serve not just as a place of worship, but also to attract visitors, tourists, and worshippers from far and near.
Leave a Reply