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I begged Abacha not to execute Obasanjo for coup plot – Gowon

A former Head of State, Gen. Yakubu Gowon, said on Saturday he pleaded with the former head of state, Gen. Sani Abacha, not to execute former President Olusegun Obasanjo for an alleged coup plot in 1995.
Gowon said this at the maiden edition of the Interdenominational Unity Christmas Carol and Praise Festival organised by the Plateau State government.
Obasanjo was arrested in 1995 by Abacha and convicted for being part of a planned bid to overthrow his government.
The former military ruler was later sentenced to death despite pleading innocent to the coup plot.
He spent three years in prison before he was released in 1998 following the death of Abacha on June 8 of that year.
Gowon said: “I wrote a letter to Abacha, I pleaded with him that God made him a leader to do good and not evil.
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“I sent my wife with the letter in the middle of the night to Abacha in Abuja; I pleaded with him that such a thing should not happen.
“I’m glad that soon after that, things changed, and not only that Obasanjo left prison, but he became our president in 1999.
“This is something that only prayers and sincerity can do; I’m happy that today and Obasanjo are here to celebrate the unity of Plateau.”
Gowon also thanked the Plateau State government for organising the carol, adding that it would further unite the citizens of the state.
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