This was the period when Nigerians were clamouring for the end of Military regime and the need for democracy. After Gen. Ibraham Babangida annulled the June 12 1993, general election which announced MKO Abiola as the winner.
The election was annulled by Gen. Ibraham Babangida for electoral irregularities, this was before he stepped down from power in August 26, 1993, he set up an interim government which was to oversee the transition of the military government into a democratic government.
This interim was led by Ernest Shonekan. Shonekan was not on the way to give power to MKO Abiola which resulted in opposition from Abiola and his supporters.
Not long, the Shonekan led government began witnessing several protests in the country. On of such protest against this, was the hijacking of a plane by four Nigerian youths.
This happened on the 25 October, 1993. The names of these youths who hijacked the plane are Richard Ogunderu, Benneth Oluwadaisi, Kabir Adenuga and Kenny Rasaq Lawal.
They smuggled toy guns into the plane. The plane was said to have over 159 passengers, when the plane was already 30 feets above water level the four youths began their operation by mid night.
After gaining access into the cockpit, an announcement was made that the plane has been hijacked and asked the passengers to remain calm that they wouldn’t come to harm and they will be told where the plane will land.
The initial plan the had was to take the plane to Frankfurt Germany, but unfortunately, the plane couldn’t make it there for lack of fuel. They decided to land in Niamey the capital of Niger Republic, although they had plan of stopping at chad for refueling but were denied landing.
In 2009, one of the four Hijackers, Richard Odunderu recounted the story and the part he played, he said the air hostesses almost died of fright.
That they wanted change and this was the reason for hijacking the plane, he said they wanted change and that when a system is inhumane, it could produce the extreme in all of us.
He narrated how he was the one who walked into cockpit and gave the announcement about the planed being hijacked followed by one of them, while the other two stayed back to intimidate the passengers not to make any move.
He narrated how they separated the men from the women and also government officials from ordinary individuals who boarded the plane.
On arrival to their destination, 34 passengers were freed including the vice president of China that was on board. Vice President Rony Yiren and also Souley Abdouleye, the Niger Minister of transportation at the time. They had six Nigerian government officials including members of the plane.
The hijackers demanded that June 12 winner MKO Abiola be restored to power and made several other demands for which they gave the government 72 hours to meet their demand.
They had the plane under control for three days until on the 28th October when the Nigerian Army were sent to rescue the hostages. The rescue operation left one of the plane crew dead and five injured and one of the hijackers. They arrested and taken to prison.
One of the hijackers Lawal revealed that they were taken to prison in a community, where the temperature ranges from 55 degree centigrade. They could neither speak Hausa of French and no one spoke English to them and they were were poorly fed.
After 9years and 4 months in Niamey prison they were finally released in 2002. All the time they were in prison they never had contact with their families.
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