‘How Obasanjo, Fani-Kayode stopped Gadaffi from breaking Nigeria’s law on arms’

Reno Omokri, Special Assistant to former President Goodluck Jonathan, has recounted how the late Libyan leader, Muammar Gaddafi, was prevented from bringing large amount of ammunition into the country during a visit. The former presidential aide was reacting to an alleged breach of protocol by the Burkinabe President, Captain Ibrahim Traoré, when he met newly […]

Reno Omokri, Special Assistant to former President Goodluck Jonathan, has recounted how the late Libyan leader, Muammar Gaddafi, was prevented from bringing large amount of ammunition into the country during a visit.

The former presidential aide was reacting to an alleged breach of protocol by the Burkinabe President, Captain Ibrahim Traoré, when he met newly sworn in Ghanaian President, John Mahama.

Omokri faulted Traoré’s meeting of Mahama with a weapon adding that such a thing can never happen in Nigeria.

He said the development “once again” demonstrates the difference between Nigeria and Ghana and vindicates the former’s position as the regional superpower.

Recounting the incident which he said he personally witnessed, Omokri said the former Libyan strongman was denied twice during the Obasanjo administration to come into the country with arms including his aides.

“And on both occasions, he was stopped and cut to size”, he said.

According to him, “The first time was during the African Heads of Government Summit on Roll Back Malaria, which was held on Tuesday, April 25, 2000.

“Colonel Gaddafi’s female bodyguards tried to enter the International Conference Center, Abuja, with their weapons, but were stopped by President Obasanjo’s CSO, who had an argument with them and disarmed them at gunpoint before they were allowed into the venue with Colonel Gaddafi to join other African leaders.

“The second incident was more dramatic and was actually a set up. It was during the Africa-South America Summit in November 2006, Abuja.

“Colonel Gaddafi had arrived on Tuesday, 28 November 2006, with about five huge planes which offloaded a total of fifty cars or thereabouts. The problem is that these cars were loaded with weapons.

Nigerian officials at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport told Mr. Gaddafi and his over 200 guards that they could not leave the airport with either their weapons and would have put them back on their planes under the supervision of the Nigerian Army”, he said while narrating the incident on his X.

Omokri added that “Colonel Gaddafi was incensed. He said since he was not being allowed to leave the airport with his cars filled with weapons, he would walk into Abuja.

“Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, who was detailed by President Obasanjo to receive Colonel Gaddafi was concerned and called the President who told him to tell Gaddafi he was on his way to the airport.

“When President Obasanjo arrived, he played with Gaddafi and told him he was on his way to Lagos, but that the incident would be resolved by his personal representative, Minister Fani-Kayode.

The President then took Mr. Fani-Kayode aside and whispered into his ear in Yoruba to the effect that ‘You are in charge. Play with him. Be polite and diplomatic. But those weapons are not entering Abuja’.

The former presidential aide said “Obasanjo then headed to Lagos, leaving chief Fani-Kayode to argue back and forth with Gaddafi, who threatened to return to Libya.

“But in line with Obasanjo’s instructions, Fani-Kayode subtly told him that, ‘We would rather have you stay, but if you choose to go, we understand.’

“And when Gaddafi saw how resolute Chief Fani-Kayode was, they returned all their weapons to their planes under the supervision of the Nigerian Army”, he submitted.

Omokri said the stance of the Nigeria government on the issue following Obasanjo’s instructions, forced the late Libyan leader aides to go spiritual over the matter.

“When Colonel Gaddafi was allowed into Abuja, he was escorted to the guest house arranged for him by Nigeria. The first thing his guards did was to slaughter a ram and spill the blood in front of the door. Once that happened, Colonel Gaddafi stepped over the blood into the house (Defence House) and would not allow anyone else to enter after him”, he submitted.

Taking a swipe at the action of the newly elected Ghanaian president, Omokri said “That is how you show that you are a sovereign nation. Not by having a thirty six year old unelected junta leader of Burkina Faso, who has turned his country into a client state of Russia, do to you in your own country what he would never in a million years do to Russia’s Vladimir Putin.”