Former running mate to Atiku Abubakar in the 2007 presidential election, Senator Ben Obi, has recalled a troubling incident from Nigeria’s military era, shedding light on the challenges faced by many citizens under military rule.
Obi narrated how his passport was seized in 1984 by an officer attached to military intelligence.
In a video shared by Symfoni TV from 0:46, he stated, “There was a gentleman who was in the military intelligence, his name was Colonel Kunle, who confiscated my passport in February 1984, and when I went to complain to President Babangida he was then the Chief of Army Staff he just said ‘Look Ben, drop the matter.’”
The revelation highlighted the power wielded by military officers at the time, when freedom of movement and civil rights were often curtailed.
Obi noted that such experiences reflected the wider suppression Nigerians endured under military governments.
He emphasized that even though he sought redress, the dismissive response he received from then Chief of Army Staff, General Ibrahim Babangida, showed how entrenched military authority was in silencing grievances.
Babangida would later become Nigeria’s military president in 1985 after toppling General Muhammadu Buhari in a coup.
Obi’s account offers a personal glimpse into how the political class and civilians alike were subject to the excesses of military rule.
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