Ever since President Bola Ahmed Tinubu exercised his right given him by the Prerogative of Mercies Act by granting pardon to some convicted Nigerians, some alert Nigerians have drawn attention to a very unfortunate and pathetic case of a man who ought to have been garlanded as a hero but who instead was killed for his patriotism. His case, they have said, needs to be urgently looked into and some amends made so that the cause of justice will be served even as the man is no more alive to enjoy any meaningful benefits. The man is Major Bamidele. In 1983, Major Bamidele became aware of a coup plot to topple the Shehu Shagari Government. Bamidele was a major serving at the 3rd Armoured Division in Jos, Plateau State. He heard of a coup being planned to topple then President Shehu Shagari. As a loyal military man trained to report such acts against the state/government, he went loyally and reported to his then direct boss, General Muhammadu Buhari. Unknown to him, Buhari was a part of the coup plot and stood to benefit maximally from the treasonable enterprise been hatched. To show that Buhari was one of the core planners of the coup, he was made the head of state. Obviously because of what he stood to personally gain from the overthrow, Buhari tactically got Bamidele detained for two weeks to ensure he does not stay out free to squeal on the coup plan until Shagari was eventually over-throned and he Buhari was made the head of state, succeeding Shehu Shagari.
After he became head of state Buhari did not do anything for this clearly loyal, honest and patriotic officer. He probably thought that releasing this man he will go out there and tell the full story of what happened: namely that contrary to the lie that was told at that time that Buhari was not a part of the coup plotters; but that he was made head of state solely on account of his integrity and his record as an able officer and a gentleman.
A few years down the line, another coup took place. Whatever it is that made Bamidele such a man that he gets to know of every planned putsch, Bamidele also heard of this one. But is there not a wise saying that once bitten, twice shy? Learning from his awful experience in the earlier Buhari coup, Bamidele wisely decided to keep silent. In the course of time, it was learnt that Bamidele was aware of this plot too but for whatever reasons he decided not to inform against it as he or anyone else who comes to such a knowledge is required to do. This time around, a far worse fate was visited on him. The IBB government decided to get him tried and he was convicted for the offense of concealment of a coup plot.
If he reports, he is in trouble. If he does not report, he is in a far worse trouble. This is a summary of the Major Bamidele story which reminds me of a mythical animal in the life of a certain village in one of Chinua Achebe’s novels. I think the novel is Arrow of God. But if it not this one, let someone else who knows precisely which one it is, help all of us out. The story goes that if this animal comes to your farm and whether you the farmer saw it or not, that unfortunate farmer will die. Was Bamidele destined to die not for any actual role or non action in a coup but he just has to die because a coup has become a factor in our body politic and he is destined to die because of coup whether he participates in one or not?
In Greek tragedies where mischievous gods play a role in the life of a community and make some citizens become innocent victims of crimes they did not go out of their way or will to commit, Major Bamidele fits in as the main character of the post independence coups of Nigeria.
If this is Bamidele’s destined fate, then he is what in the literary arts is called a tragic hero without a personal flaw. He is to die to highlight a certain kind of injustice or a wrong doing defined by an effete and unjust governing class. Ordinarily, coup plot against a legitimate elected government is an act of high treason and should be severely punished to serve as a deterrent. But soldiers who overthrow duly elected government and impose themselves on the hapless people are the ones who seem more hellbent on killing other ambitious persons who try to overthrow them.
Now that we have a democratically elected government in power, the time has come for us to make a law that looks like undermining our sovereignty but which is actually aimed at strengthening it, let us make a law that will ask the International Criminal Court of Justice to intervene in any country where any group of persons overthrow a legitimately elected government and try them for treason since the ordinary persons do not have the capacity to arrest and prosecute coup plotters.
If such a law is made the issue of unfortunate citizens dying because they informed on coup plots or failed to do so will no longer arise. Beneficiaries of illegal overthrow of legitimate governments will be dealt with and not allowed to legitimise their illegality. This is how the souls of heroes like Major Bamidele will rest in peace for the grave injustice done them by a hypocritical ruling class of their time.
