Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has revealed how he narrowly escaped a deadly plan by former Head of State General Sani Abacha to kill him, alongside late Chief M.K.O. Abiola and General Shehu Musa Yar’Adua.
The revelation came during Obasanjo’s visit to Ogbor Uvuru in Aboh Mbaise, Imo State, where he commissioned the new Assemblies of God Church building called “The Noah’s Ark,” donated by philanthropist Obioma Success Akagburuonye.
Obasanjo explained that after his arrest during Abacha’s regime, he realized the danger he was in. The man who detained him had openly declared that none of the three detainees—Obasanjo, Abiola, and Yar’Adua—would leave prison alive, aiming to secure Abacha’s hold on power indefinitely.
He 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.”
While emphasizing that he was a product of God’s grace, he stated: “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 recalled a course he attended in 1959 in Ghana and 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.”
During the event, Obasanjo praised Obioma Success Akagburuonye for building the impressive church structure, likening Akagburuonye’s generosity to the grace that saved his own life. He also honored Akagburuonye’s mother, who is 104 years old, by kneeling before her in respect and prayer for long life.
The Noah’s Ark church, modeled after the biblical Ark both in design and purpose, was dedicated on May 24, 2025. The ceremony attracted a large gathering of worshippers, tourists, and prominent figures such as Rev. Dr. Sarah Seoh from Los Angeles, Rev. Abel Ukachi Amadi, traditional rulers, political leaders, and business leaders, highlighting the significance of the event in the community.
