Tomorrow, the gods willing, I'll de-classify the story of the "Great Capture", fittingly called "Operation Orobombo". Names of some dramatis personae who are serving top civil servants will be protected.

My hope is that one day the SSS will de-classify the state security files they hold on me and others who were termed national security risks in the halcyon years of military dictatorship.

Here's the background of the Great Capture. Early April 1991, NANS Senate met at Unilorin and gave IBB 13-points demand and an ultimatum which was to expire on 30 April 1991

The 13th point was the demand that he should resign and hand over to a Government of National Unity, GNU. Failing which NANS would mobilize 13m students out on 1 May 1991, beginning from Unijos- HQ of NANS

Early hours of 1 May 1991, the Secretary General of the UniJos Students Union, Kayode Ogundamisi, was abducted in a dawn raid of the SSS. Anti-students activists like Solomon Dalong- former Minister of Sports- went on the offensive. The gauntlet was thrown at us!

"Operation Orombombo" was activated. Mission? Capture Dalong and his fellow travellers- dead or alive; capture a serving SSS agent as a ransom for Kayode's release....Did we succeed? Story continues from here tomorrow

Did we succeed? Depends on how success was defined at the time. But, first a background story on FGN onslaughts on students leaders

At the botched late April 1991 meeting of Min of Education, Fafunwa, Min of Info, Akinyele and NANS, we proposed the junta resigned as the minimum condition for our continued engagement. Akinyele reminded us that we were a banned Association

He threatened that if we didn't drop our political demands, FGN would declare national security threats and force would be applied on us. Meeting broke up.

On April 30 1990, FGN declared (through Radio Nigeria 4pm news) declared me and 13 students leaders national security threats and as wanted persons

The stage was set for the showdown. Some campuses were hurriedly shutdown across Nigeria. The NANS hotbeds in Lagos, Ibadan, Ife, Benin, PH, Calabar, Nsukka, Jos, Zaria and Kano resisted closures.

In Jos, we lost one of the leaders early to SSS dawn raid. They failed to pick others, who retired to secret havens in Girls Hostels in UniJos. 1 May 1991, Operation Orombombo was launched.

On that morning, UniJos issued a circular expelling 13 students activists, including myself and Kayode who was abducted by the SSS a day earlier.

We went on the offensive and marched to the Senate building and summoned the VC down to explain the rationale for the expulsion. Our offensive were two folds

A group led by Comrade Lady K had marched into Jos town earlier and they kept the police busy in town and the other stayed back to ensure that the campus wasn't militarized.

The VC refused to bulge. He stayed in his office until I gave a directive to fetch him down. As students surged into the building, he took off and was helped across the fence by his aides. He was chased into Angwa Rogo and into a Bar Shiga

His shoes and agbada were recovered. A new VC was appointed and the expulsion order revoked. Dalung and his gang regrouped, backed by the SSS. We had more than enough petrol cocktails

For the battle. The group from town joined up after sufficiently mobilized the city. Dalung, Dami and his gang fled. Afiku was caught and doused with petrol. I ordered that he shouldn't be burnt. They spared him

Onward, students marched to the SUB, which was the operational base of Dalung & SSS and set it ablaze- a controlled attack, considering it was in a built area of the hostel.

Police and SSS reinforcement arrived. More petrol cocktails arrived as well. Operation Orombombo was well and truly on. We understood the wind direction and battled the police "un-winded".

Every teargas shot at us returned to them with the wind. The gods were smiling at us as we peppered them. Suddenly, while attempting to escape a plaincloth officer tripped. We grabbed him.

A Great Capture. An SSS topshot. He was ferried away for debriefing. He truly debriefed the Commanders of Operation Orombombo. We were on top.

That evening, we knew reinforcement will come to rescue him. We sent him to a save haven for further debriefing. He was treated well. Knowing he could be tracked through his walkie talkie signals, we asked him to speak with his colleagues

He did. He assured them he was well cared for and pleaded with them to release Kayode so he could be released. After that communication,

We asked him to leave his walkie talkie on and took him blindfolded. He was driven into Jos, dropped off at Farin Gada with transport fare home

SSS & Police stormed the hostel where signals were emitting and didn't find their man. He was already safely in town, telling good news of how he was humanely treated.

SSS refused to release Kayode. He was instead transferred to Jos Prison. I was later arrested in Lagos following another botched meeting (btw FGN & NANS) arranged by the betrayer NLC led by Bafyau/Oshiomhole

My journey to the Maximum Security Prison Kirikiri under Decree 2 had begun. Me, Kayode and 11 other student activists were subsequently arraigned before the Military Tribunal in Jos for arson. The rest is history.
Good morning from the sanctum sanctorum of the shrine