The Assassination of Murtala Mohammed and Why Awolowo Sent Tola Adeniyi on a Mission to the North

Added: 2026-05-15

[00:00:04]A brief soj with daily sketch.

[00:00:07]>> Yes.

[00:00:07]>> You also fell from daily times.

[00:00:10]>> I didn't fall from the times.

[00:00:12]>> You were moved to sketch.

[00:00:13]>> Yes. I mean he sent all of us they they dispatched us Muhammad.

[00:00:20]>> Was sketch interesting like daily time?

[00:00:24]>> No no no no. Of course not.

[00:00:27]But when I was in sketch, I spent my time giving lectures at University of giving lectures at poly technique in le in Lagos in auta everywhere. I mean, I was all over the place because I didn't have enough to consume my energy, you know, my restless energy.

[00:00:50]And during this period, uh, you came back to Nigeria before you even returned to Nigeria. Mala Muhammad had been assassinated.

[00:01:01]>> Oh, yes. I came to Nigeria just a a week before his assassination.

[00:01:05]You came to Nigeria a week before Mortala was assassinated. My >> first editorial on Tuesday that I complained about his not about his security that he wasn't giving attention to his security. I wrote that on Tuesday and was killed on Friday.

[00:01:20]>> What was wrong with his security?

[00:01:21]>> It was too It was flipper. You didn't care.

[00:01:27]You know, he didn't have I mean anytime he was going about it just be him is orderly and that's all.

[00:01:33]And Dimka took opportunity.

[00:01:35]>> Oh yes. He was took advantage of that at every every hold up. He was just stay there like ordinary people in the hold up.

[00:01:43]>> A president.

[00:01:44]>> Yeah. They were not clearing roads for Bruthammed.

[00:01:48]>> Why was he doing that?

[00:01:49]>> I don't know. I think he had he had he had he had a date of death.

[00:01:54]>> Oh, he so believed in the love of the people.

[00:01:56]>> Yes, he he was popular. Very very popular.

[00:01:59]>> But this was after the war.

[00:02:01]>> Yes, it was 75.

[00:02:03]70 75 July 29 >> to many he was too brutal during the war.

[00:02:09]>> No, he was let me say okay he was popular in Lagos >> and popular in the north >> but by this was August. I mean he took over in July. By February, shortly before his assassination, you know, he had compulsively retired so many people, you know, and uh he had become so unpopular with the civil service.

[00:02:40]He destroyed the the the career of so many people. Even as we speak if they some if you pay tribute to brutal some will just they might stone you for considering him to be a hero because from hindsight we now realize that he was pushing the fan agenda.

[00:02:59]>> He was pushing the fan agenda >> and he retired so many people.

[00:03:05]>> Was that what Dima saw?

[00:03:07]>> No, I think they have their own agenda.

[00:03:09]Not they they wanted to get him out of the place because they also thought he was too aggressive. He was too temperamental.

[00:03:18]>> Was he?

[00:03:20]>> He was. Of course he was.

[00:03:23]I mean he puzzled the the the the campaign against Bafra like a personal agenda like a like a vengeance cuz he believed till he died that the Ebos say the cool that the Eos killed their leaders and so on.

[00:03:45]So he had a great axe to grind against the why he he committed a blunder military blunder in Asaba led hundreds to death was the one who was the commander of that particular campaign >> the division >> yeah he was reckless very reckless >> and he would later become head of Oh yes.

[00:04:17]>> And he was killed within 6 months.

[00:04:19]>> Yeah. Because he was was one who inspired and carried out the coup against against against Roni.

[00:04:32]>> So what was good for Roni?

[00:04:35]>> That's right.

[00:04:37]>> Was good for him.

[00:04:38]>> Yeah.

[00:04:40]The queen against the Rosa was also bloody. I mean hundreds of Hebrew officers were massacred in in Abakuta under under his command and instruction.

[00:04:55]>> You know that's one story I don't want to read about but I keep reading about it.

[00:04:59]>> Of course. I mean you know that's the truth. That's the story people should know. The one of the problems with Africa especially Nigeria is that we shy away from history. We are afraid to tell the truth about our past.

[00:05:13]And the so-called leaders, these people ruining Nigeria, they continue denying us the opportunity of knowing our past.

[00:05:20]>> Are they denying us?

[00:05:22]>> They do by for for instance, Ambassador government removed history from curriculum.

[00:05:28]>> But this is the age of the internet. We can tell the stories now.

[00:05:31]>> So exactly.

[00:05:35]>> That's one that's one great credit I give to the internet for to technology.

[00:05:40]You cannot say you want to publish journalist shouldn't if you if you can't publish in Nigeria they'll publish in Australia and then people will read it here >> we run away from our history >> that's we do that is sad >> and we continue to repeat it >> that's right >> I was wondering what was going through your mind when you ran into Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria across >> sketch premises >> sketch premises searching for Major K Gagara. If you saw him, what would you have done?

[00:06:17]>> That was student idealism. I thought I was still in Kouty Hall.

[00:06:22]>> You wanted to go and strangle him.

[00:06:24]>> I don't know what what I mean. We just had that they've killed the Muhammad and that one of them is hold up in Nigeria that they were looking for. They couldn't get him and there's one gaga there. So I went I I can even I don't even remember whether I jumped the fence of sketch to go into radio Nigeria to look for him >> and you didn't find him.

[00:06:48]>> You also you know you also didn't want to die you had escaped. So the staff of radio Nigeria and sketch they carried me on their shoulders all over this that road they carried me on their shoulders.

[00:07:00]>> The warrior searching for the >> Yeah.

[00:07:02]>> Major.

[00:07:02]>> That's right.

[00:07:03]>> You were celebrated.

[00:07:05]>> I was >> without even shooting a gun. Major kind of man is this I was 31 would later invite you to the tribune did I invited me that year to go to the north and scoop out those who are likely to contest against him in 1979 >> to scoop out >> and that was 76.

[00:07:32]>> I will sent you on a mission.

[00:07:34]>> Yes. And you went on that mission. So you met Amukanu.

[00:07:39]>> Yes.

[00:07:40]>> Tell me about the Aminanu. You know >> Amukano I wouldn't know how we met but had been my friend as far back as 73.

[00:07:51]So when I launched my poetry book uh soul fire in 74th January January 9, Amino was in Potacot as commissioner for health, minister for health in the fra government and he flew from Potakot to Ibado doing my special guest of May 34 >> the airport there was airport in Ibado then.

[00:08:16]>> Yes. That's that was >> so Americano came came to Bridget Library met Fer there sitting on the grass met Jose and I was I I was I felt on top of the world met Deter metum the head of government and secretary of military government so embraced me and 74 for January. Then I visited Cano.

[00:08:49]I visited him in his office to say thank you and I got to like him that was genuine that he stood up against they were in the same party before he went to found the people's rep northern elements >> progressive union.

[00:09:09]>> That's right. You know and later on PRP you know. So was Jen was he was he was really the the the the leader of Talakawas. He believed in in in the manpower development. He believed in eradicating poverty in the north. He believed that if the north was educated, if the poor poor people were elevated, that Nigeria will have a greater future and that the the leadership of the north will be more enhanced if the peers coming from the north were educated and he fought ruthlessly against and I liked him. So anytime I went to him, you know, young radical university graduate, he embraced me and he became like a father figure to me. So when I was declared wanted in 79 80 by Tafa it was his place I wanted to run to ino. So when I went to him interview me in 76 November I it was like coming back home to meet your father and he he he I saw that he loved so much. So when in 79 they needed amino to join hands with our I was the one also was one I will send to the north.

[00:10:30]>> Why did that coalition not work?

[00:10:32]>> I mentioned it in my book that it won't be from my mouth they hear that the governor's wife was a governor's father was a witch. I knew why it didn't work but because my autobiography is my autobiography. It's the history of my life. is not the history of other people's lives and it's not supposed to be a reproachment of other people's character. I knew why it didn't happen but I said as far as my autobiography is concerned I'm to tell the story that I went to meet Amino. Aanu came to Lagos it was to meet Aulawa and Aulo was not allowed to meet him.

[00:11:09]>> Awa was not allowed to meet him. So this is not your autobiography now >> by his followers by some of his followers.

[00:11:18]>> Why?

[00:11:19]>> I said because by saying why I'll be mentioning names.

[00:11:23]>> This is not your biograph autobiography.

[00:11:25]Now this is the an interview.

[00:11:26]>> Okay.

[00:11:27]>> That's the point I'm making. So if you have to mention name this is not your autobiography.

[00:11:34]>> Yes. It's not my autobiography. But um all I say in my autobiography which I still refer you because that's why you I'm talking about you are reviewing my autobiography >> is that if those who prevented from seeing Amino had not had not done so amino would have been running and there was no way ambassador would have been able to stop it. There was no way Shagari will have become president.

[00:12:06]But if a wanted to see Amukanu would anybody have stopped him?

[00:12:13]>> Yes and no. The people who are saying you are a leader why should you go to Jiu to go and meet Cano told me I went to see him said look I came all the way from Cano is it too much for your leader to come and see me here I didn't ask him to come to Cano to see me I out of respect for him I came down here to see to meet Is it too much for him to come even just to welcome me rather than say that I must still now from here go to papa to meet him?

[00:12:59]There boy that I was. I told papa please but I didn't have enough voice like those who were opposed to his coming to Ju to see him >> and that was a missed opportunity.

[00:13:14]>> The greatest one in his career.

[00:13:17]>> Did he realize that?

[00:13:20]>> I wouldn't know. You know papa was deep.

[00:13:24]If papa had regret about anything he would say it >> was deep.

[00:13:29]>> Very deep.

[00:13:30]>> Who is deep?

[00:13:31]>> I say was deep.

[00:13:32]>> Who is deep?

[00:13:34]>> Who is deep?

[00:13:34]>> Yes.

[00:13:36]>> What does it mean to be deep?

[00:13:38]>> He was deep. Was an avatar.

[00:13:41]>> Yes, I've heard that.

[00:13:42]>> Yeah.

[00:13:43]>> Uhhuh. We What does it mean to be an avatar?

[00:13:50]Alo was a mysterious being. He was deep. He was was a thinker and most times he was buried in his thoughts.

[00:14:06]The human side of Aulawa was the caring man who wanted everybody to be prosperous was the was the fenifery in him. But Auno as a mystic was a different person.

[00:14:20]Ao lived in in himself if you know what I mean. I'm trying to know what you mean.

[00:14:32]You know I went to say hello to him in the molium where he was buried in.

[00:14:40]>> Yes, I I saw that. I saw the interview.

[00:14:42]I saw your speeches. I read and I also read.

[00:14:47]>> I went to his grave side. I had I had a conversation with him.

[00:14:53]>> I spoke with him.

[00:14:56]>> Was that published?

[00:14:58]>> It was my engagement with him.

[00:14:59]>> Yeah. Did you publish that?

[00:15:01]>> People only saw the image, but they didn't hear what I was discussing.

[00:15:04]>> Okay.

[00:15:05]>> Um I told him many things.

[00:15:11]>> Okay.

[00:15:15]Should I say he heard me?

[00:15:18]>> Of course he would have if we spoke to him in spirit. Yes.

[00:15:24]>> His daughter was behind me while I was speaking with you.

[00:15:26]>> Yeah, he would have had spoke to me after his death.

[00:15:29]>> What did he tell you?

[00:15:33]>> He told me about the visit of Abiona to his house.

[00:15:39]>> Meaning, >> that's what he told me. uh a complaint to me. I won't say more than that.

[00:15:46]>> Did he tell you Abdul will pay?

[00:15:48]>> No, he didn't. He wasn't bitter.

[00:15:51]If anything, he complained against those who received him and I told his son W the message that Baba gave me.

[00:16:03]Okay.

[00:16:06]So, here's where we are. What left us here? Unfortunately, >> you worked with the Tribune.

[00:16:14]>> Yes, sir. I did >> as editor-inchief.

[00:16:17]>> Yes.

[00:16:18]>> Did you enjoy your time with him?

[00:16:20]>> Very much. One of the one of the best periods of my life.

[00:16:24]>> Well, you were acting editor-inchief.

[00:16:27]>> The word acting I just use it out of modesty. I wasn't acting for anybody.

[00:16:33]When Jack asked me to go to Tribune, he said, "Go and take over the place."

[00:16:37]I didn't know they had this funny arrangement where you have the company and the tribun as different entities.

[00:16:46]They had African of Nigeria limited which had the managing director and had a general manager. So when I came to the funny general manager there was saying h you have to report to us. So I found Jack on I said this this is what he told me and he said just don't mind them just continue. So I don't have a fight there.

[00:17:08]I was not you can say you're active you're active for anybody. The two years I spent there I was in absolute control of the paper again with modesty I don't think anybody had that kind of grip. You can interview anybody who worked under me in the times in tribun nobody had a grip of that of that establishment that I did. I mean I I made the I made of only 180,000 I raised it to 280,000 to 300,000 to 400,000 in my time in two years the first time the paper declared profit I was in charge 100% in charge that didn't write a single editorial in my two years there and the people who worked with me there they are most of them are still alive I wrote more 90% of all the editorials of tribal when I was there.

[00:18:01]>> Why was it Jack that told you to resume?

[00:18:03]>> Pardon?

[00:18:04]>> Why was it Jundi?

[00:18:06]>> Jacund at that point was the was the editor was the manager actually was the managing director of of Tribun and he was in charge. He was he was in charge of the paper. Was the editor-in chief >> he was the part owner of the paper >> sortly. Yes. But it was more of the father that was close to >> the paper was our voice.

[00:18:33]>> Oh yes's voice. Yes.

[00:18:36]>> Every editorial was our voice.

[00:18:38]>> Yes. Where in a way but we did we did write things that were against his voice in my time.

[00:18:46]>> How did he take it?

[00:18:47]>> He didn't complain. That's why I'm telling you Allah will not complain.

[00:18:52]You left unceremoniously.

[00:18:56]>> I left in dignity. Not unceremoniously.

[00:19:00]>> You left in dignity.

[00:19:02]>> Yes.

[00:19:03]>> But you left in anger.

[00:19:04]>> I left in anger. That's the word. Not I was I was celebrated. The staff gave me rous and sent off.

[00:19:12]>> What provoked you?

[00:19:15]>> Because uh it's already my autobiography. They and I published in tribun when they were celebrating their 70th year. It was all there that papa said he heard that I had got admission to read law you and um that he want me to concentrate now more on my columns and you wanted to bring somebody to be the editor-in chief so that I'll just be my columns and so on and so forth.

[00:19:45]And I objected to the person he was bringing and I said the person I and the person and I will not work together.

[00:19:55]And uh again like powerful people he didn't yield to my idea and I told him he would regret it and I also know that nine years down the line the person was sacked the person was sacked and they rent curses on me from what I heard.

[00:20:22]So, and uh the the the papers suffered monumental misfortune.

[00:20:29]>> There's a lot to discuss in your book, but I decided to just focus on one part, the Daily Times here, and I know I'm not done, >> okay, >> with this autobiography because your story is so exciting that I'm not tired of telling your story.

[00:20:49]And as I read I'll be coming back again and again. You have written an autobiography but state affairs is documenting you.

[00:21:00]>> Who?

[00:21:01]>> State affairs is documenting you.

[00:21:03]>> Okay. State affairs documenting me.

[00:21:05]>> Yes.

[00:21:06]>> Huh?

[00:21:08]>> Your story will be told to the children coming when you are not around. They will watch you.

[00:21:15]>> They will hear me. Yes. They'll watch you speak.

[00:21:18]They will read your book.

[00:21:20]>> Amen. That's why I say I won't die.

[00:21:26]Those who believe in soul fire never die.

[00:21:31]You won't die.

[00:21:33]>> You will not die either.

[00:21:36]>> He who writes a book as big as this does not die >> in the belly of vultures.

[00:21:47]This is the manual of chief talini.

[00:21:52]The philosophy of toadi.

[00:21:56]Here is the mind of taha adini. I mean the mind of do of talah adini.

[00:22:07]His mind is not in the belly of vultures. Is your mind in the belly of vultures?

[00:22:14]But the title of your mind is in the belly of virtues. If this book is your mind and the title of your mind is in the belly of virtues, does it mean your mind is in the belly of virtues?

[00:22:29]The my mind there as a critique of those in the belly of vultures. Okay.

[00:22:36]Those in the belly of butchers are those who are ruining Nigeria and who have put Nigeria in the belly of butchers. They are the butchers that have consumed Nigeria. The vultures that have captured Nigeria because rightly the title of the book is Nigeria in the belly of vultures.

[00:22:58]>> Nigeria >> Nigeria in the belly of vultures.

[00:23:04]Abased.

[00:23:06]Abasahid.

[00:23:08]A literary portrait of Talahini by Edo Abasahid.

[00:23:18]You know, I like this book.

[00:23:19]>> I know.

[00:23:21]>> Easy to read. The first time I interviewed you, this was what I was read. Look at all the notes I made then.

[00:23:25]>> Wow.

[00:23:26]>> All the notes I kept all the notes. My first interview with you.

[00:23:31]>> Look at all the notes I made here. So I still kept them in this book. So this book has been archived.

[00:23:36]>> Thank you.

[00:23:37]>> Been archived.

[00:23:40]>> You know, >> I'm proud of you. Where you document your life.

[00:23:44]>> Thank you, sir.

[00:23:46]>> You need to read this book, Abbasid.

[00:23:50]Now, here's the latest one, Chapters of Destiny.

[00:23:56]The stories here are inspiring.

[00:24:00]stories of childhood, stories of marriage.

[00:24:04]The way you talk about your wife, you adore her.

[00:24:09]>> I do. She's been a wonderful woman.

[00:24:15]>> She's She's not my wife. She was chosen and given to me to run the journey of life together by the powers beyond me.

[00:24:28]>> She's the chosen one. Yes.

[00:24:32]>> You have also reprinted, >> rebranded and reprinted.

[00:24:35]>> You've also reprinted and rebranded some of your old titles.

[00:24:40]>> You are the author of the Jewel.

[00:24:42]>> Yes.

[00:24:43]>> Authorized biography of HID AO.

[00:24:47]>> Yes.

[00:24:48]>> By Ta Adoni.

[00:24:52]Why did you go on this journey at the time you did?

[00:24:55]>> At that point in time in 1993 92 >> well I found in ' 92 that chief Maul was under celebrated.

[00:25:10]uh I also recognized or felt that at that point in time when as far back as 61 allow me to go back a bit my English teacher I asked from the in the class I said sir we have we have we have why don't we hear about their wives and the man said Well, they are kitchen workers. Nobody talks about people in the kitchen. The whole class laughed and I felt it was awkward to see to reduce women as kitchen workers.

[00:25:55]And there and then I I I remembered that when I went for my interview to get admitted into secondary school years earlier that more than 90% of those who came with their children were women.

[00:26:11]I remember women in on the roads in uh in in Midwest and so on carrying they will carry their baby, they will carry Gary here, they carry this and so on and so forth. I realized that women deserved to be recognized and honored. The first to wake up in any house and the last to go to bed.

[00:26:37]the pain of pregnancy and child delivery. So many reasons why women should be celebrated, especially my mother and the pain she went through in life before she became a wife and mother. So I then said why should they say they're just kitchen workers? Then I looked at Mrs. Aro.

[00:26:58]I knew the role she played during the ABGA days when the husband was in prison. I knew she was the one who financed her husband's education.

[00:27:06]I knew that shortly after their marriage, the house they were living in in Kenya was auctioned and sold and they were thrown into the street and she didn't divorce her husband.

[00:27:20]And I also noticed that between 87 when the husband died and 93 the the stream of people going to their residence did not diminish and I felt that they were not going there to eat to eat they must they were going to see this woman they are not going to see a wife they're not going to see the Mrs. So I said there must be something about this woman and I should go and interview her and I did the interview and that was why I gave I took permission from her and I wrote and I published it was launched in 93. Mrs. Mrs. Banga was the chairperson of the event. Anyway, now I felt that I should rebrand it and add more because people talk about Ashu Euroba and I believe strongly the only of Euroba land since AO died was his wife.

[00:28:23]All political leaders from the northeast west were still going to a not going there to eat.

[00:28:32]Obaso Joe, Jonathan, all of them and when there are any critical moments in political life in Nigeria, they were going there.

[00:28:42]So there must be something about that woman that were that had not been celebrated or explored.

[00:28:49]>> And you have explored that.

[00:28:50]that in this book that she was the Jew, not not not Papa, not No, no.

[00:29:05]She is she was the Ash of of Eurand.

[00:29:10]Since was the first au 67, she was the second Ash of Eurand.

[00:29:16]You said the role she played while her husband was in prison.

[00:29:21]>> Yes.

[00:29:21]>> During the crisis in the western region, what role did she play?

[00:29:25]>> Oh, she and formed Abga.

[00:29:30]Abga.

[00:29:31]>> Abga.

[00:29:32]>> And Opara was coming to from from Enu almost on weekly basis.

[00:29:42]and they will sit down in papa's living room and discuss strategies, tactics and so on about western region and about Nigeria in general.

[00:29:54]In fact, from some accounts which I' have not been able to verify or gave her uh a ministerial appointment, you know, no Euroba leader had had that kind of closeness with EU leadership as Mrs. Au.

[00:30:18]She understood politics very much.

[00:30:24]In fact, if she had been the deputy to the husband instead of oru or I think she would have been able to handle the crisis between her husband and Akola better.

[00:30:38]So she was sagacious. She she understood because she was a businesswoman.

[00:30:47]Her mother was a business woman. Her grandmother was a business woman. She understood the intricacies of the complexities of bargaining.

[00:30:59]So when you talk about political economy, she was a professor of political economy.

[00:31:05]She had her own money.

[00:31:06]>> She had her money. Yeah.

[00:31:08]>> She was rich.

[00:31:09]>> Very of course richer than the husband by far. Our woman was a poor man >> compared to her. Yes.

[00:31:19]Don't forget she also came from a very wealthy family.

[00:31:26]Growing up, I don't think any woman anybody was richer than her grandmother in the world of Ramland.

[00:31:33]The jewel authorized biography of HID AO by Tola Adini.

[00:31:44]Awal described him as a jewel of inesteemable.

[00:31:47]>> Yes, she was a jewel.

[00:31:48]>> Is that where you got this title from?

[00:31:50]>> Oh yes, that's you can read. I mean the introduction by the introduction to the book was by professor professor Shuiko you know who was a philosophy professor in a goi the first vis of a goi university the jewel and the book was reviewed by kub in 1993 toi is also the author of the book this is Nigeria a sociological extra of Nigerian professionals rebranded, reprinted. You also changed the title of the book.

[00:32:29]>> That's right. It used to be Nigerian professionals, but I realized that the the the title was not really heavy enough. It didn't convey the intention behind the writing of the book. I wanted to extrate Nigerian professionals as representatives of who Nigerians are.

[00:32:50]Even though I argued somewhere that there's somebody called Nigerian in ter politically but in terms of behaviors of people who live on in this space I then group them like that. So I have the prof I have the professor, I have the engineer, I have the brick layer, I have the prostitute, the nurse, the teacher, the business woman, the businessman, the night soil man where I explained that it's only colonized. It's only countries colonized by Britain that carry >> Said that too.

[00:33:30]>> Yes. The aguo was not known to Nigeria was not known to anywhere before the British came because Britain was the home of Karim.

[00:33:42]That's why they have their chamber made chamber made chamber this they they they used to pee in their rooms. They used to because they didn't have toilets.

[00:33:53]They didn't have toilet. Do you have bathrooms?

[00:33:56]That's why you have bathroom street everywhere. B Street in London, in B Street in in Lancaster, B Street everywhere where they just have one place have a common like a like a mini uh pool where people will come and queue and have their wash and go and then the rich people will first have their bath then women then children and then the water will need to be changed. That's why they said don't throw away the bath water with the baby, you know. So they didn't have bathrooms. the king of England, James the first didn't have a wash for seven years. That's what killed him.

[00:34:32]So you won't have the the Nigerians were not carrying coal. They were they didn't have it in their in their houses. It was the British people that had who were carrying in their in their in their houses.

[00:34:46]>> You wrote about the Nigeria police.

[00:34:48]>> The Nigerian soldier.

[00:34:51]I said the Nigerian soldier could be will have port belly and this and they could be fed by ordinary mosquito.

[00:34:59]>> Is that a fair judgment?

[00:35:01]>> No. I remember in when read that he said to so how could you be so cruel to all soldiers? I said is that who you are sir?

[00:35:12]>> You wrote here on page 12.

[00:35:16]It was also observed that whereas a major in the army had about three or four official vehicles attached to his office, the whole of UN state police command did not have up to six vehicles.

[00:35:30]>> Yes.

[00:35:30]>> In working condition.

[00:35:32]>> Yes. That was when was commissioner of police in 1976.

[00:35:37]>> How was the police treated that way?

[00:35:39]>> Shabil. And that was when the police were leaving the police force in in drones.

[00:35:46]You said the issue of corruption has been subject to unending debate.

[00:35:52]This writer will never condone corruption.

[00:35:56]But there is no way anybody can prevent corruption within the rank and file of the police force without first killing corruption in the body polity or for that matter without radicalizing the economic plight of the force.

[00:36:17]The police has been the weeping charge.

[00:36:21]>> Yes. underpaid, underrecognized, underappreciated, abused, treated shabily, some of them carrying handbags for their to the for the wives of their bosses and so on.

[00:36:33]He said it is hardly human to expect that a policeman who has been on a salary of less than 100 and 15 naira per month after say 14 years in the service of his fatherland will not ask for his share if he's asked to arraign people involved in 5 million naira loot in a society which is unrepentantly capitalistic and satanically selfish.

[00:37:08]So the police we have is a function of our system.

[00:37:11]>> That's right. I've always been a sympathizer of the police till tomorrow.

[00:37:16]But for the police, Nigeria would have been burning.

[00:37:21]They've sacrificed a lot for the safety of this country.

[00:37:27]He said at the moment bandits have taken over the governance of this country. It does not seem to this writer that the police force as we know of today will be the answer to their daring challenge.

[00:37:41]>> Can you imagine this was 19 this was 1980 >> and you use the word bandit >> in 1980.

[00:37:47]That's 46 years ago.

[00:37:49]>> And now the bandits are on the street.

[00:37:51]>> 46 years ago I wrote that.

[00:37:55]Then there were bandits in governance.

[00:37:58]>> Yes.

[00:37:59]>> Now the bandits in governors are well entrenched. That's right. But now we have bandits on the streets.

[00:38:03]>> Bandits >> with weapons.

[00:38:06]>> And the bandit in governors are reeling too.

[00:38:08]>> Mhm.

[00:38:12]>> This is Nigeria a sociological X-ray of Nigerian professionals by Tola Adini. Thank you for writing these books.

[00:38:25]>> Thank you very much.

[00:38:28]>> Now we are giving you this one, the anatomy of the spirit, the seven stages of power >> and healing.

[00:38:37]I am reading this book at the moment.

[00:38:39]>> Okay.

[00:38:40]>> And I know you must have read it before now, but uh this is our copy.

[00:38:45]>> Thank you >> to you. Thank you. Anatomy of the Spirit, the Seven Stages of Power and Healing by Carolyn Miz.

[00:38:55]>> Thank you so much.

[00:38:56]>> Thank you for featuring on State Affairs.

[00:38:58]>> Thank you very much, sir.

[00:38:59]>> Thank you.

[00:39:00]>> I appreciate you.

[00:39:02]>> Thank you, sir.