Former Nigerian Bar Association President Dr. Olisa Agbakoba has disclosed how the late General Sani Abacha ordered the killing of 200 protesters during a dramatic confrontation in Lagos in 1993.
The Senior Advocate of Nigeria made the revelation during a Channels TV interview while highlighting the omissions of some key individuals in President Bola Tinubu’s recent National Honours list.
Agbakoba recounted the deadly encounter that occurred when pro-democracy activists blocked Abacha’s entry into Lagos from Abuja during the height of Nigeria’s political crisis. “On July 6, 1993, that time Abuja and Lagos were co-capitals. So all of the ministers and Abacha were all in Abuja. They flew into Lagos. None of the ministers had the courage to come through. It was Abacha who came through, because we blocked everywhere,” Agbakoba revealed.
The senior lawyer described the brutal consequences of the confrontation, emphasizing that the victims deserve recognition as democratic heroes. “He (Abacha) came through, and he killed 200 of my boys that day; they’re not mentioned. They ought to be mentioned as heroes of democracy,” he stated, highlighting the overlooked sacrifices made during the pro-democracy struggle.
Agbakoba revealed how close he came to death alongside fellow activist Beko Ransome-Kuti during the protests. “I would have been killed alongside Beko (Ransome Kuti) on the bridge, because we were determined to march from the stadium to Dodan Barracks. So there are a lot of guys who were missing from the list,” SAN Agbakoba observed.
The senior advocate highlighted former prison mates who shared his struggle against military rule. He noted that Baba Omojola was his prison mate and Femi Ojudu was also his prison mate for about six months, emphasizing that they ought to be on the list.”
Agbakoba also mentioned Clement Nwankwo, describing him as “co-founder of the Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO) with him and should have been recognized.”
To underscore the significance of overlooked contributions, the senior lawyer detailed his role in major anti-military protests that shaped Nigeria’s democratic transition. He revealed that on July 6, he served as “co-commander of a street protest involving 10,000 people alongside the late Beko Ransome Kuti, which led to the ouster of General Babangida on August 23.”
Agbakoba also referenced his leadership role in later demonstrations, noting that “on March 28, 1998, he was commander of the street protest during the 5 million man march, which opposed the youths in Kano who were asking and drumming up support for Abacha to stay in power.”
However, the senior advocate expressed optimism that the government could address the omissions. He suggested that “when the federal government realizes the oversight in their selection, they can fill up the missing names, stating that it’s not a problem to rectify the omissions.”
