Fela was jailed in 1984 for having in his possession the
sum of '£1,600 pounds meant for the entire band of 26
persons, at the Murtala Mohammed Airport, on their way
to Europe for a scheduled concert.
He was tried by a Judge, Okoro-Idogwu and sentenced to
prison for a period of 5 years under Major General
Muhammadu Buhari.
Buhari's draconian law then states that no Nigerian
should be in possession of more than £500, but
exemption of course was given to military personnel and
to those who have earned the foreign exchange
legitimately.
So, if all the 26 member band were to hold £500 each,
they sure would have had £13,000 legitimate money.
Fela was at the Airport with his manager, an European,
Rikki Stein, who also had in his possession papers to
show, Fela earned the said money legitimately from a
previous overseas tour.
Yet, despite all these glaring evidences, Fela was
prevented from going for that scheduled trip, his son
Femi and the rest of the band however made the trip and
it was a great success.
The government of Major General Muhammadu Buhari
in the meantime had other ideas, namely this -
Fela, their vocal critic must be sent to jail.
Quickly and Sharply arraigned in court, the judge
promptly sentenced Fela to a 10 year jail term on 2
counts, but to serve the terms, concurrently for a 5 year
jail sentence.
That was September of 1984!
Fela was to be adequately punished and transfered to
Maiduguri prisons.
It was on an auspicious day in August of 1985 .....
Nigerians woke up to the broadcast of General
Dogonyaro in which this historic words were uttered:
"Fellow Nigerians....
The Nigerian public has been made to believe that the
slow pace of action of the Federal Government headed
by Major-General Muhammadu Buhari was due to the
enormity of the problems left by the last civilian
administration.
Although it is true that a lot of problems were left behind
by the last civilian government, the real reason, however,
for the very slow pace of action is due to lack of
unanimity of purpose among the ruling body;
subsequently, the business of governance has gradually
been subjected to ill-motivated power play
considerations. The ruling body, the Supreme Military
Council, has, therefore, progressively been made
redundant by the actions of a select few members
charged with the day-to-day implementation of the SMC’s
policies and decision.
The concept of collective leadership has been substituted
by stubborn and ill advised unilateral actions, thereby
destroying the principles upon which the government
came to power. Any effort made to advise the leadership,
met with stubborn resistance and was viewed as a
challenge to authority or disloyalty.
Thus, the scene was being set for systematic elimination
of what, was termed oppositions. All the energies of the
rulership were directed at this imaginary opposition
rather than to effective leadership.
The result of this misdirected effort is now very evident
in the country as a whole. The government has started to
drift. The economy does not seem to be getting any
better as we witness daily increased inflation.
The nation’s meager resources are once again being
wasted on unproductive ventures. Government has
distanced itself from the people and the yearnings and
aspirations of the people as constantly reflected in the
media have been ignored.
This is because a few people have arrogated to
themselves the right to make the decisions for the larger
part of the ruling body.
~Brigadier Joshua Nimyel Dogonyaro, in the Coup
Speech that overthrew Buhari On August 27, 1985"
And shortly after IBB took over, same Judge, Justice
Okoro-Idogwu that sentenced Fela, found his way to a
hospital in Maiduguri, where Fela had been admitted due
to the harsh realities of prison sentence in the harshest
environment.
Either by acts of commission or omission, covert or
consciousness, conscience or overt, justice Okoro-
Idogwu made straight for Fela's bed where he tendered
an apology to Fela, and according to Fela, "the judge don
beg o"!
As we were all made to believe, the judge confessed that
the government of Major General Muhammadu Buhari
prevailed on him to jail Fela at all costs...
Fela did nothing wrong but his hands were proverbially,
tied!
With this Revelation and the relief that the people felt
from being liberated from the tyrannical rule of
Muhammadu Buhari, the new ruler, General Ibrahim
Badamasi Babangida, promptly ordered Fela brought to
the Benin prisons and a few weeks later had him released
to the joys of the Good people of the federal Republic of
Nigeria....
The aftermath of this inglorious episode in the history of
this country was the release of one of Fela Anikulapo
Kuti's most endearing and profoundly soulful songs, a
critical as well as a mega commercial success that earned
Fela a Grammy Award nomination:
"Beast Of No Nation"
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