June 12: Abacha planned to kill me – Obasanjo

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo, has said, at Ogbor Uvuru in Aboh Mbaise, Imo State, last weekend during commissioning of the Assemblies of God Church, christened “The Noah’s Ark’’ that survived the evil plan of former Head of State, General Sani Abacha, who planned to kill him, after his arrest, alongside General Shehu Musa Yar’Adua and business mogul and winner of the June 12, 1993 elections, Chief Mko Abiola. Obasanjo attributed his survival to the special grace of God.

The state-of-the-art Assemblies of God Church, christened ‘’The Noah’s Ark’’, was built and donated by a philanthropist, Obioma Success Akagburuonye.

During the event, Obasanjo said Abacha had boasted that the three of them would not come out of the prison alive, so he could remain in power for the longest time possible.

The former Head of State said, “When I was arrested, the man who arrested me, I thought he was making a mistake. He had decided that some of us must be liquidated if he has to be in power permanently. There I was, but then, initially I was confused, I had not done anything wrong. Was it a mistake?

“When I realised that it wasn’t a mistake, I was full of prayers, including praying as Stephen prayed but amended my own prayer somewhat. I said whether they know what they are doing or they do not know what they are doing, God forgive them.

“I resigned myself into the hands of God and the man who arrested us boasted that three of us will not come out of the detention or prison alive – that MKO Abiola will not come out alive, that Shehu Yar’Adua will not come out alive and that Olusegun Obasanjo will not come out alive.

“Two of the three he had planned not to come out alive did not come out alive, I did come out alive not because of my power but the special grace of God.”

He acknowledged God as the sole reason for the r his survival of Abacha’s plot, “If anybody can claim to enjoy the amazing grace of God, I can. I said God has been partial to me in taking care of me.”

He also recalled another miracle in his life when he attended a course in Ghana in 1959, that out of nine of them from Nigeria that were successful, only two of them were alive today.

“I am not mocking those who are not alive, may their souls rest in peace, but I’m giving you examples of grace of God in my life because those of them that are not alive, it is not that two of us are better than them. In a situation like that, what do I have to give God except to continue to appreciate His grace.”

He gave Kudos to Chief Akagburuonye, who he likened the grace of God upon his life to his, for investing in God’s Kingdom and building the magnificent edifice to honour God and advance His Kingdom.