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There
was no one in Western Nigeria who did not know S. T. Oredein. If there was such
a person, he must have just arrived from Planet Jupiter. Chief Samuel Taiwo
Oredein was not just a politician. He was politics personified. He was a
kingmaker. He was a godfather. In fact, he was the Big Boss.
Oredein
belonged to the exclusive club of the seven people who partnered with Chief
Obafemi Awolowo to establish the Action Group which became the party that
produced the first premier of the region. You don’t know the other founders? I
will tell you. They are: Abiodun Akerele, Ade Akinsanya, J. O. Adigun, S. O.
Shonibare, Ayo Akinsanya, and Olatunji Dosunmu.
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| Founders of the Action Group |
ST
did not hold a cabinet position. He was however more powerful than some
Ministers of government. He was the Principal Organising Secretary of the
Action Group in the First Republic. It is on record that ST had legal authority
to issue query to Ministers and chairmen of government’s statutory corporations. It was Chief Oredein that broke the news of Segun's death to Chief Awolowo.
As an acclaimed authority on political moblisation, he also wrote a book. He was the author of A Manual on Action Group Party Organisation. It was published in 1955.
When
the news broke in 1971 of his involvement in a case of armed robbery, it was greeted with shock and unbelief. It must have
been a mistake, people thought. Or could it have been a political frame-up?
Today,
Onigegewura brings you the story of a political godfather who became a robbery
kingpin.
On
April 13, 1971, Nigerians woke up to hear the news of an armed robbery attack on
Bacita Road. Bacita is a small town in Kwara State. It used to be a very popular
town in the past. It is the location of Nigerian Sugar Company. When the
company was established in 1964, it was the first integrated sugar factory in
Nigeria. The town even has an airstrip.
The
armed robbery attack was as daring as it was audacious. It was carried out with
military precision. Two officers of Barclays Bank and two policemen who
were in the vehicles that were attacked by the armed robbers were seriously
wounded. One of the wounded persons later died of his injuries at the hospital. (And
in case you are wondering what happened to the then Barclays Bank, it is the
bank that became our present day Union Bank of Nigeria Plc.)
At
the end of the ‘operation’, the armed robbers went away with a box containing
thirteen thousand pounds. That was a lot of money in 1971. Chief Awolowo was
then the Finance Minister and with his prudent management of Nigerian economy,
our pound was almost at par with the British pound.
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| Barclays Bank Building |
Mr.
Kam Salem was the Inspector General of Police at the time. The Kam Salem House on Moloney Street, Obalende, Lagos is named after him. He directed all
police formations across the country to fish out those behind the attack. The
police spread its dragnet and within days of the robbery, Felix Dumeh, the
leader of the gang was arrested. Nigerians jubilated when they heard the news.
Felix
did not make any attempt to deny being the ringleader. He promised to cooperate
with the police. He told his interrogators that although he was the leader of
the gang, he was not the real brain behind the daring raid. Felix must have at some point in his life aspired to be a musician. He began to sing like a canary. He started to mention
names.
The
investigators listened in shock as Felix began to mention one name after
another. He was not mentioning names of common criminals that the police
officers were familiar with. The names of people he mentioned as his backers,
protectors and shareholders were names of people you only read about in
newspapers.
The
first person he mentioned was a Chief Superintendent of Police at the State Criminal
Investigation Department in Ibadan, Patrick Njovens. The interrogators opened
their mouth in wonder. Felix threw another bomb when he mentioned Mr. Yesufu
Bello, an Assistant Superintendent of Police also of CID, Ibadan. The third
person he listed as his backer was Amusa Abidogun, a Chief Inspector of Police
stationed in Ibadan.
The
investigators thought they had heard everything. They didn’t know that egun nla ni o n kehin igbale. It is the
biggest masquerade that is the last to come out of the grove. Then Felix spoke
again. The name came out in a whisper. It was the name they were all familiar
with. I have already told you that there was no one in the Western Region that
did not know High Chief Oredein.
Iya Agba, my grandmother, used to tell me that when a child’s net catches a tilapia, the child eats it alone. But
when the net catches a shark, the child must run to his father. The
investigators knew immediately that this was not a tilapia. The fish they were
looking at was nothing but a shark. They went to brief their superior.
The
Kwara State Commissioner of Police was Mr. Sunday Adewusi. He was later to
serve as the Inspector General of Police between 1981 and 1983. Ha! You
remember him? He was the IGP when Alhaji Shehu Shagari was the President.
Mr.
Adewusi sent his officers to Ibadan Command to investigate the matter. On
getting to Ibadan, Adewusi’s officers were arrested by the three senior police
officers they were sent to arrest! You are saying “Haba!” The hunters became
the hunted. The Ilorin officers were later thrown out of the station! They were
warned never to come to Ibadan again.
The
three senior officers however didn’t reckon with Adewusi’s tenacity. He came
back and got the three of them arrested. He took them to Ilorin. He also invited Chief Oredein for a 'chat'.
Chief
Oredein arrived at the Police Command in a grand style. He came to Ilorin in
his Mercedes car with its unique plate number: WR 6666. He expected it to
be a brief meeting. He had engagements later that day in Ibadan and he had promised
to be back at his base before nightfall.
Unknown
to ST, the police had done their homework thoroughly. They had painstakingly
investigated the case and gathered relevant evidence and related materials
before inviting the political godfather. One of the people that the police met
in the course of their investigation was Mustapha Adigun who was popularly
called Balewa. He got the nickname from the abbreviation of his first name,
Tafa! But he was never a Prime Minister. He was also called Tafa Igiripa by some people.
Adigun
claimed that Oredein was his boss during the days of politics when he (Adigun)
was the head of ST’s political boys. He informed the police that in the evening
of the day of the armed robbery attack, he went with his boss to the house of
Felix Dumeh. In addition to his boss, the three police officers mentioned by
Felix were also present. I am not sure they were wearing police uniforms for that special assignment.
Felix
was said to have brought out a bottle of schnapps and some pieces of alligator
pepper. He opened the bottle and poured
a little quantity on the floor and also threw some alligator pepper on the
floor. Like a Chief Priest, Felix then raised the bottle of the alcoholic drink
and said: “this thing wey tin we dey do,
God make it no let it prove.” They all chorused amen to the solemn prayers.
Felix then drank out of the bottle and chewed one alligator pepper. The four of
them also drank out of the bottle and chewed alligator pepper.
Oath
taking and prayers completed, Felix went to bring a brown paper bag. It was the
size of a carton. He gave it to Oredein. ST was about to open the carton when Amusa
Abidogun, the Chief Inspector of Police snatched it from him. Abidogun passed
the carton to his superior officer Njovens, with a smart police salute. You
know seniority is important in the Force. It was the Chief Superintendent of
Police who finally opened the paper bag. It was full of currency.
Njovens
looked suspiciously at the carton, his eyes made a mental calculation of the
total sum. “How much?” He asked.
Felix raised his spread left palm before saying “Five.” The senior police officer shook his head. “Is that the arrangement? Before, the arrangement
was seven” Felix began to fidget. “The
boys are too many on it.” Well, half a loaf of bread was still bread. Five
or Seven, Njovens was not one to reject money. Akosapo la n ko owo. The proper way to reject money is to put it in
your pocket, as Iya Agba used to say.
Oredein
was stunned when he arrived at the police headquarters to meet both Adigun and
Felix. Commissioner Adewusi asked them to repeat what they told the police.
They did. In the presence of Oredein, Felix confirmed Adigun’s statement that
it was Oredein that first received the carton of money from him before Abidogun
snatched it from him.
The
former Principal Organising Secretary of the Action Group looked blankly at
Felix. With a straight face and a deadpan expression, he denied knowing Felix
or ever visiting his house. Njovens, Bello and Abidogun also made feeble
attempts to deny knowing Felix. Later they started to beg the future IGP to
assist them because it was the devil that actually used them to collect the
money. “Ise asetani ni. Mo fi Anabi ati
Jesu Krisiti beyin!” That was from Alhaji Amusa Abidogun, the Chief
Inspector. He offered to return part of his own share.
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| Sample of Nigerian One Pound Note. It was introduced in 1968 |
Chief
Oredein, the master strategist, realized that the cards were stacked against
him. He checked his sleeve to see whether he had an ace he could use. He found
none. It was then he reluctantly admitted that all that Adigun who was also
known as
Tafa Igiripa said was correct. However, the Chief denied that the
money was in one-pound denomination as stated by Adigun. Adigun maintained his
stand. Finally, ST nodded his head that the money was actually in one-pound
denomination.
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| Reverse Side of Nigerian One Pound Note. It was withdrawn in 1973 |
It
was over the radio that people heard the news. Chief Oredein had been arrested
and would be arraigned in Court for armed robbery! Armed robbery! It must have
been a case of mistaken identity. It could not have been the Chief S. T.
Oredein that they knew. Armed robbery! Ki
lo pa alaso funfun ati alaro po? What could have been the connection with
the owner of a white cloth and a dyer?
In
truth, Chief Oredein was not a poor man by any standard. Everybody knew he was a man of means. Ohun ti a ko mo ni a ko mo, eni ti o ba ti ri oyun oyinbo ti mo pe omo pupa ni o ma fi bi. It is a well-known fact that the product of a white woman's pregnancy would always be fair in complexion. Between 1942 and 1962, Chief Oredein had erected six buildings. And mind you, we are not talking of four-bedroom
‘boys quarters’ in a village o! We are talking of real buildings in strategic
locations. Four of the houses were at Ibadan. He built one at Oshodi. The sixth building was in a prime area in Ikeja.
What
of automobiles? ST had a total of nine vehicles, including cars and lorries for
both his business and personal use. He was not only sagacious on the political
field. He was also productive in the other room. He was blessed with more than
30 children.
Finally
the day of the trial arrived. People had travelled all the way from Lagos, Ibadan and Ogere to Ilorin to confirm whether it was truly
the Chief Oredein that was arrested. To the surprise of many of his supporters and
friends, it was the author of the book on political organisation himself that was brought to court.
ST was arraigned alongside the three senior police officers. They were
charged with abetting the commission of a robbery and of receiving stolen
property as well as offence of harbouring known offenders. In other words, they
were charged with receiving 5,000 pounds from the armed robbers in order to
screen them from legal punishment for the offence.
It
was a criminal trial like no other. It was a battle of giants. Chief Oredein
and Patrick Njovens briefed Chief Rotimi Williams to appear for them. Bello and
Abidogun retained the services of Mr. Richard Akinjide. The prosecution was
led by the Director of Public Prosecutions for Kwara State, Mr. Anthony Ekundayo.
The three senior lawyers proved their mettle.
The trial
judge was a relatively young judge, having been appointed to the Bench only two
years before the trial. However, what My Lord Justice Moradeyo Adesiyun lacked
in age, His Lordship made up with uncommon brilliance and exemplary courage.
At
the trial, Chief Oredein testified that on the day of the robbery he was at his
hometown, Ogere having left Ibadan around 6.30pm on that day and only came back
to Ibadan the following day. He admitted that it was true that Adewusi
confronted him on May 26 with Felix Dumeh but he stated that he denied there
and then the allegations of Dumeh. His principal witness was his solicitor who
claimed that he was with Chief on April 13 from about 3pm to 11pm. Chief also
called an Imam and a farmer as his witnesses. They all testified that he was at
Ogere on the evening of April 13.
The
trial was not only being conducted in the courtroom. From Ilorin to Ibadan,
From Lagos to Enugu, From Port Harcourt to Ile-Ife, people were also busy
conducting their own versions of the trial. Would the young judge be able to
convict ST if he was found guilty? Would AG leaders allow their former
colleague to go to prison for robbery?
When
His Lordship adjourned the matter to December 28, 1971 for judgment,
speculations began afresh. It was said that it was to enable the judge to
release the accused before the end of the year. Some said that thanksgiving
services had been planned to coincide with the New Year. All Nigerians waited
with bated breath for the judgment day.
Finally,
the day arrived. It was a Tuesday. It was three days after Christmas and three
days before the New Year.
The
four accused persons were brought to the Court in a Black Maria. If ST felt any
apprehension, it was not apparent. As he was led to the court, Oredein gave the
sign of victory to the crowd of spectators
who had come from far and near to hear the verdict. It was a good sign. It was
a sign of victory. His people became happy.
Hon.
Justice Moradeyo Adesiyun began by reviewing the charges against the four of
them. His Lordship extensively analysed and appraised the evidence. When His
Lordship noted the fact that the accused were not at the scene of the crime,
Oredein turned to smile at the people in the courtroom. He would soon be on his
way home.
Then
came the moment. His Lordship found that though the accused persons were not
physically present at the scene of the armed robbery, they had prior knowledge
of the robbery before it took place and that the three of them who were police
officers did nothing to prevent the robbery. His Lordship also found that they
all received proceeds of the robbery.
Justice
Adesiyun therefore came to the conclusion that the accused persons were guilty
of the charges against them.
Chief
Oredein could not believe his ears. Guilty as charged? He was not going to be
free? His native cap which he had been holding, in deference to the authority
of the court, clattered to the floor with a thud. The High Chief from Ogere
Remo stood still as if he was Opa Oranmiyan in Ile-Ife. It was Yesufu Bello who was standing beside
him that nudged him back to reality. “Chief, 'they' are asking if you have
anything to say.”
Oredein
had not prepared any allocutus. He had not expected to be convicted. Ko si eni ti o gbe oju fifo le adiye ori
aba. Who could have imagined that a mother hen would fly off from her
hatchery? You don't know allocutus? It is another Latin word they taught us in Law School. It is a statement made by a defendant who has been found guilty before he is sentenced. It is like 'A beg, tamper justice with mercy' that a Lagos bus driver would tell you after breaking the side mirror of your Range Rover.
Allocutus
or no allocutus, something must be said. The court had only convicted, His
Lordship had not yet pronounced their sentences. Perhaps something could still
be done. His eyes scanned the crowded courtroom. It appeared he was looking for
someone or something. Whatever he was looking for was not in the court. He
turned back to His Lordship.
Oredein
pleaded for leniency. In a very moving voice, he informed the court of his
past travails: “First it was the treasonable felony and conspiracy trial, but I
was acquitted at the Supreme Court. Second, the Aberenla murder trial came, and
I was in custody for 11 months before I was freed at Ijebu-Ode High Court. I
humbly plead for Your Lordship’s forgiveness.”
Of course you know the treasonable felony trial the Chief referred to. The Aberenla trial he mentioned was the case over the murder of Ogunkoya Aberenla who was the Leader of Ogere Remo's branch of Nigerian National Democratic Party of Chief Ladoke Akintola (Not to be confused with the party of the same name established by Herbert Macaulay in 1922). Aberenla's body was never found. Onigegewura will write about his mysterious disappearance soon.
Justice Adesiyun looked at the accused persons. “If you had any conscience, you should drop your
heads in shame.” His Lordship observed that they were lucky not to have been
caught by the amendment to the Robbery and Firearms Decree which provided death
by public execution for convicted armed robbers and those found to have aided
and abetted armed robbery.
His Lordship therefore sentenced each of them to life imprisonment. There was no Federal
Court of Appeal in those days. It was only Western State that had a Court of
Appeal and Kwara was not part of Western State.
The
four of them ran all the way to the Supreme Court.
On
May 3, 1973, the Supreme Court delivered its judgment. My Lord Justice Coker
who delivered the judgment of the apex court dismissed the appeal of all the
convicted persons and affirmed the life sentences imposed on them by the trial
court.
Chief Rotimi Williams later became a Senior Advocate of Nigeria. Mr. Richard Akinjide became a Chief, a Senior
Advocate of Nigeria, and Attorney General of the Federation. Mr. Anthony Ekundayo, the DPP, was elevated to the Bench
as a Justice of the High Court of Kwara State. The trial Judge, My Lord
Adesiyun was also elevated. His Lordship served as the Chief Judge of Benue
State from 1976 until his retirement in 1985.
History
Does Not Forget! Historian is not a judge, History is.
I thank you most warmly for your time. Please don't forget to leave your comment below. Winners of our first set of books will be announced next week.
Olanrewaju
Onigegewura©
The right of Olanrewaju Onigegewura© to be identified as the
author of stories published on this blog has been asserted by him in accordance
with the copyright laws. I encourage my beloved readers to always
identify Olanrewaju Onigegewura© the Amateur Historian, as the author of these
stories when they ‘Forward As Received’.
