GUEST COLUMN: Lest we Forget: Remembering the Late Lt.-Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru, CFR – Akin Olukiran
AREWA AGENDA – IN a little over a week from now, precisely on 29th May 2023, the 16th President of our dear country, the Federal Republic Nigeria, in the person of His Excellency, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu will be sworn in. Nigerian history is replete with fallen heroes, whose deeds and acts of service to the nation, both secure and guarantee the freedom and democracy we enjoy today. Amongst these true national heroes is the Late Lt. Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru, the 21st Chief of Army Staff of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
21st May 2021 was a truly tragic day for Nigeria. The profundity of the misery heaped first on the immediate families, friends and indeed, our country can be summed up in what the late Queen Elizabeth II of England aptly termed “annus horribilis” in 1992. On that fateful day, Nigeria lost her Chief of Army Staff in a plane crash in Kaduna, along with ten other fine officers and men of the Nigerian Army. His loss was monumental! General Attahiru left the scene at a time when the scourge of the Boko Haram menace was just being tamed and every Nigerian believed in his leadership approach to end the insurgency.
His biography, written by Niran Adedokun is a must read for every Nigerian for its lesson in dedication to duty, industry, search for knowledge and above all, inclusive and unbiased management. Gen. Attahiru was a true patriot who served his fatherland with every fibre of his being for thirty-five glorious years. We must remember that gentle giant who was resolutely determined to secure our dear nation – from Borno to Bayelsa – he had a blueprint fit for the complexities specific to the different zones.
General Attahiru had an insatiable thirst for knowledge and intellectual pursuit. One of his closest friends, Didi Ndiomu described him as “very cerebral, very intellectual; someone whose intellectual part would always subsume the forceful soldierly part. If you had a conversation with Ibrahim now about, let’s say a painting style, and he knew nothing about that style of painting, revisit that conversation three days later, and you would be amazed at how much he would have read about that style of painting. He was a mop for knowledge. He read the classics, he read everything.” (The Man, The Soldier, The Patriot: Biography of Lt. Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru, Cable Books, 2021). A review of the biography by the author, Niran Adedokun on Channels TV Book Club last week provided an insight into the life and times of the late COAS.
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A man of integrity and principle who believed in transparency and accountability, he led by example and had an unparalleled dedication to the welfare of his officers and men. The celebrated veteran journalist and military historian, Babajide Kolade-Otititoju says of the late Gen. Attahiru: “…because he was such an excellent communicator, even the interface between the Army and the civil populace was much better. People were happy to relate with him. Some of the negative vibes that we were getting in terms of civil-military and civil-media relations, we didn’t get it at that time. I remember even the idea of the Theatre Commander addressing the nation about the way the war was going and doing that on live TV. Having the media cover his stewardship of the Theatre Command was a first by him, and after he left, it never happened. He called the media to cover the Theatre Command’s stewardship over a period. That’s a soldier showing the Nigerian people that, ‘look, we are serving you. This is how far we’ve gone in delivering on the mandate you gave us.’ “That’s quite rare in military history. But that was something he did, and he was happy to do it. But after he left, no Theatre Commander had that kind of interface with the media.”
General Attahiru’s courage and forthrightness came to bare when he honoured the invitation of the House of Representatives Ad hoc committee investigating the purchase, use, and control of arms and ammunition by the military, paramilitary, and other law enforcement agencies on 13 April 2021. When some committee members tried to intimidate him, the COAS remained calm and responded in a dignified and measured manner. He insisted he was in the service of Nigerians like members of the House and that questions about those procurements should be directed to the appropriate quarters known to the House. As always, he stood for what he believed in, up to the very pinnacle of his career, having no fear of repercussions due to political or other interests.
The Late Gen Attahiru was a true Nigerian patriot whose appointments and redeployment of Army personnel during his short but eventful tenure made bold statements of intent about his desire to purge the Nigerian Army of any ethnic or religious biases. In continuing his legacy, it is therefore not surprising when the Foundation set up by his widow, Mrs Fati Attahiru set as its mission, the provision of mental health support to military and paramilitary personnel in Nigeria. This is in line with the late general’s preoccupation with improving the welfare of Nigerian Army personnel. With the launch of one of its flagship programmes, Campaign Against Suffering in Silence (CASIS), running on Armed Forces Radio and Liberty Radio, General Attahiru must be smiling in heaven seeing that some of his unfulfilled dreams are being realised even after his death.
As we look forward to welcoming the new administration of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, may we deliberately remember our heroes past whose sacrifices and services to our dear country ensure the democracy and relative peace we are enjoying today. I want to end this by quoting the author of Proverbs 10:7 who says “the memory of the righteous is a blessing, but the name of the wicked will rot”. May the soul of General Ibrahim Attahiru continue to rest in perfect peace and may Almighty God continue to guide, protect and bless the beautiful family he left behind.
Olukiran, a family friend, writes from London. He can be reached at [email protected]
