Abdul Mumuni Aminu; Colonel in the Nigerian Army, one who personally arrested General Buhari on the coup day of August 27, 1985 that brought General Babangida to power[i]. Mumuni was the self-effacing, tall, dark and strikingly handsome soldier who formed the third leg of the pro-Babangida triumvirate. The original stock of the so-called “IBB Boys” made up of Colonel Abubakar Umar, Colonel Lawan Gwadabe, who was later on death row for an alleged plot to unseat the government of General Sani Abacha, and himself. Of the three he is probably the quiet one, easily the least talked about. This is in spite of such high profile positions he has held, like being military governor of Borno State for three years, and being the founding commander of the defunct National Guard. Because of his reticence, his position on the various issues relating to the June 12 election, its annulment, his relationship with General Ibrahim Babangida as well as his views on the coup plot over which his friend and compatriot, Gwadabe, could very well be executed for, was for a long time unclear. While he was governor in old Borno (comprising Borno and Yobe States) there was a security challenge caused by the proliferation of arms and ammunitions from the political uphealvals in nearby Chad Republic. Mumuni Aminu adopted unorthodox measures in dealing with the situation[ii].
By the time Mumuni Aminu left the army in 1993, the nation was in a turmoil. Through it all he was in Abuja, as the commander of the National Guard, a new organisation which many feared will be used by Babangida to crush popular dissent[1]. It is said that Abacha did not want any other visible star under him, the kind .that Babangida encouraged and nurtured leading to the rise of people like John Shagaya, Abdul Mumuni Aminu, Abubakar Umar[iii]. In the controversial coup case of 1995, Colonel Abdul Mumuni Aminu, who was graded as an IBB boy was plucked alongside another high flying Kastina son in the military, Musa Yar’Adua from the army by Abacha.
[i] Dateline August 31, 1995
[ii] Premium Times August 9, 2015
[iii] TELL August 28, 1995
