Journalist and author, Chuks Iloegbunam has alleged that former Nigerian leader, Muhammadu Buhari, played a central role in the botched 1984 attempt to abduct Umaru Dikko, a minister in the Second Republic, from London.
Iloegbunam made the revelation while speaking on the Edmund Obilo Show on Splash FM 105.5. He recalled that after the military toppled President Shehu Shagari’s government in December 1983, Buhari’s regime moved aggressively against key figures of the ousted civilian administration.
“When Buhari was military Head of State, he organized with some ex-Israeli secret agents to go and kidnap Umarro Dikko in London and bring him back to this country,” Iloegbunam said, linking the then-ruler directly to the high-profile operation.
Dikko, who served as Minister of Transport under Shagari, had fled to Britain following the coup. The Nigerian government accused him of corruption and sought his return. In July 1984, however, British security operatives foiled a dramatic plan to drug Dikko and ship him back to Nigeria inside a diplomatic crate. The episode, quickly dubbed the “Dikko Affair,” triggered a diplomatic storm between Lagos and London, leading to expulsions of officials on both sides.
According to Iloegbunam, the incident underscored how far military rulers were willing to go in pursuit of their opponents, often at the cost of Nigeria’s international image. He described the plot as both reckless and damaging to the country’s reputation abroad.
He added that revisiting such incidents was essential in understanding Nigeria’s democratic journey. “History must be told the way it happened,” he insisted, emphasizing that the younger generation must not lose sight of how authoritarian governments wielded power in ways that undermined due process.
The failed abduction of Umaru Dikko remains one of the darkest and most controversial chapters of Nigeria’s military era.
Love Reading Authentic News Stories, Click The Button Below
