Comrade Wale Balogun, a pro-democracy activist, is a frontline member of the Youth Democratic Front (YDF).
In an interview with the media on Friday, June 12, 2020, the vocal human rights crusader went down the memory lane about his group’s experience towards enthronement of democracy in Nigeria.
Excerpts:
Can we have an insight into your group’s efforts at bringing democracy back to the country after the annulment of the June 12, 1993 Presidential election?
Thank you very much. We can proudly say that we members of the Youth Democratic Front (YDF) and our broader youth coalition Congress of Progress Youth (COPY) were at the forefront of the struggle to revalidate the annulled June 12, 1993 mandate freely given to Bashorun MKO Abiola of the Social democratic Party (SDP).
That election was adjudged throughout the world as the freest, fairest and the most credible poll in the political annals of this country.
What and what did you do?
The COPY cadres stormed Ibadan when Alhaji Lamidi Adedibu and Aare Arisekola Alao (both of the blessed memory) jointly organised a 5 million man march in support of General Sani Abacha’s attempted transmutation to civilian president agenda.
We, against all odds addressed a press conference at University of Ibadan of which theStudent Union Government (SUG) initially resisted on Monday 13th of April, 1998. On Tuesday 14th of April we staged a protest March rally to Adamasingba stadium, venue of the pro-Abacha rally. The protest led by late Comrade Ola Oni, Omoyele Sowore, Olawale Salami aka Don, Abayomi Asheda, Jide Catt Fadare, Ademola Ashekun, Rasheed Omosanya, Habeeb Gbajabiamila, Adeniyi Faloju, Solomon Gbinigie, Ade Adewunmi, Ibrahim Adeyi and others with my humble self as the field commandant disrupted the pro- Abacha rally.
Shola Odunfa a British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) correspondent covered the showdown while the Tribune Newspapers reported how the Jalaruru masquerade was begging for mercy when the pro Abacha ill-informed crowd were overpowered by the pro-democracy agitators.
Was that the rally that led to capturing of the famous Prisoners of War (PoW)?
Yes. The April 14th success motivated our return journey to Ibadan for the popular May 1st protest which led to the arrest and detention of Alhaji Lam Adeshina, Pa Emmanuel Alayande, late Cicero Bola Ige and Ola Oni – the pro-democracy movement tagged prisoners of conscience. I personally led a 9-man team from Lagos to Ola Oni’s house at Bodija, Ibadan on the 29th of April. Adeniyi Faloju and I left the following morning to
Ilorin, to assist in the mobilisation and coordination of the Joe Okei (Odumakin) and Taiwo Otitolaiye-led team. Our protest march from Oja Gbooro, was easily dispersed, we re-converged at Taiwo Oke and were tear-gassed in a protest Wole Badmus ably participated. The uncooperative attitude of the Kwara State College of Education SUG with us to re-launch the protest from the school gate informed my decision to go and join the Lagos Mainland team at Ibadan, where hell was already let loose when I got to the ancient city.
I met Wale Ola Oni at Oke Ado area where we hijacked a van to take a protester wreathing in pains having been shot by the police to the hospital. Against wiser counsel, I decided going back to Lagos and I paid dearly for it, as I was thoroughly beaten by Adedidu boys who found some May Day leaflets on me at the Oke Ado under bridge.
What thereafter happened in Lagos?
The story in Lagos is not different as Lanre Falola, Idris and four others have been arrested and detained. Ahmaddiyah Central Mosque Simpson streets Ebute metta then became our new home as police were daily chasing us out of our 249, Herbert Macaulay street residence to effect my arrest.
But after 32days of hide and seek with the law enforcement agents, I was eventually arrested alongside Wale Salami on the 3rd of June, 1998. Ajibola Bashiru whom we were living together with at that material point in history, luckily escaped arrest. Bola Akiode, a lawyer and one of the leaders of COPY had made unsuccessful attempt to secure the release of Muritala Mohammed arrested while distributingUnited Action for Democracy (UAD) leaflets. After Abiola reported police refusal to release 16years old Muri, Suraj escorted her to the bus stop, thus escaped by a stroke of luck when Muri was brought to identify and arrest me. If not, the Osun Central Senator today, could have been arrested alongside Don and me.
We were taken before Abubakar Tsav from Iporin police station where we were initially detained. The Commissioner of Police, Tsav, threatened that our trio won’t see daylight again until there was democracy in Nigeria and that we should be fed with a ball of akara at Area F where we were eventually detained. Ebun Olu Adegboruwa (SAN) was one of our visitors after his release by the Department of Military Intelligence (DMI).
When and how did you become free men again?
The death of Abacha led to our release. Bamidele Aturu whom we met at detention alongside Isaac Osuoka was mandated by the UAD after his own release to sue the military government for our illegal detention. We won the case against our illegal arrest and detention but unfortunately the civilian government in Lagos went to the Court of Appeal where we won again, but had refused to pay us the court awarded compensation of N1m each till date.
