Former Senator Shehu Sani recently recounted a period of his life when he, former President Olusegun Obasanjo, and the late General Shehu Yar'Adua were arrested and imprisoned during Nigeria's military regime. In a video shared by TVC, Sani provided a detailed account of their sentences and the severe conditions they endured.
Sani revealed that both he and Olusegun Obasanjo were initially sentenced to life imprisonment, while General Yar'Adua received a death sentence. This harsh punishment reflected the military regime's crackdown on political dissent and opposition figures. The severity of these sentences underscored the perilous political climate of the time.
However, in a turn of events, the prison terms for Sani and Obasanjo were later commuted to 15 years each. This reduction, while still significant, offered a glimmer of hope compared to their original life sentences. In contrast, General Yar'Adua's death sentence was commuted to life imprisonment, sparing him from execution but still subjecting him to prolonged incarceration.
Sani described how he was subsequently transferred to a prison in Port Harcourt, Rivers State. This move was part of a broader strategy by the authorities to relocate prisoners from the north to southern prisons and vice versa, further isolating them from their support networks and familiar environments.
Reflecting on this period, Sani highlighted the arbitrary and punitive nature of the military regime's justice system. He noted that journalists who were imprisoned alongside them also received life sentences, illustrating the widespread repression of free speech and political activism.
In Sani's words: "Late Shehu Yar'Adua got a death sentence, Obasanjo got life in prison, and I got life in prison. And journalists who were together with us were also sentenced to life imprisonment. After that, we were returned to our prison, and they later came to the prison and told us that we should be happy our prison sentences have been reduced from life imprisonment to 15 years each. I got 15 years, Obasanjo got 15 years, and Yar'Adua got life imprisonment."
Watch the video here starting from 05:11