This is where he calls home now, along with his beautiful wife and family. He is no longer a Nigerian soldier, but an investor and a Nuclear medicine scientist living in United States, 24 years after he master minded the siege on Dodan Barracks, the seat of Federal Military Government of Nigeria, in Nigeria’s last coup of April 22, 1990 that attempted to topple then President, General Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida.
For many years, Lt Echendu, described by one of his colleagues, Capt. Tolofori as a” Very brilliant and courageous officer”’ stayed on the run due partly to the failure of the coup and a heavy bounty on his head by the then Military ruler, General Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida: “Jebose, I wasted seven years of my life on the run. Hence, I married late. It’s a huge sacrifice worthy for my country. No regrets.”
April 22, 1990, a group of Army Majors and Lieutenants, attempted an uprising against the Military administration of General Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida. Late, Major Gideon Okar led these young officers. Lt Echendu was one of the major key player officers of that coup. His mission was to implode Dodan Barracks and as an Armored Vehicles officer expert, dislocate all Armored vehicles, secure the Dodan Barracks perimeters in order to allow the Infantry entrance, execute and or capture the president. He was given this assignment because he lived inside Dodan Barracks and tactically knew the logistics and operations of the environment.
In this first time conversations since his escape, Lt. Echendu walks on JEBOSE BOULEVARD, opens up on his involvement in the coup and why he did not kill IBB when he had him on sight. His narratives:
““I got involved with the coup thus: The country was being administered the wrong way. There were sufferings and Nigerians were being abused and marginalized by Babangida’s administration. Nigerians were being dehumanized economically and socially. My unit had sent me on a course to Bauchi.
Actually, I was not supposed to be in that Course. Lt. Pat Obasi was supposed to attend that course. But when due to other exigencies he was not able to attend, Brigadier General M.Y Ibrahim, current acting General Officer Commanding (GOC) of one of Nigeria’s military divisions was sent from my unit. Both Obasi and MY Ibrahim belonged to the 33rd Regular Combatant Course of the Nigerian Defense Academy. I was a member of the 35thCourse. After MY Ibrahim had spent roughly three weeks at the Nigerian Army Armor School Bauchi, an opening for a foreign course became available. MY Ibrahim was drafted for the course. He was therefore withdrawn from the platoon commander’s course in Bauchi. My unit then was required to fill its allotted spot. An officer needed to be drafted, that was how I was drafted to represent my unit. Officers of the 34th course in my unit, who were militarily my seniors, were by-passed because my unit needed to field an officer who would excel. I got to Bauchi on a Sunday, the following day, Monday, was the final examination day for “Communications” – the first of four phases of the entire course. Expectedly, I didn’t do well on the communications phase. I was, I think, 23 out 28 officers, and I didn’t like that. But at the end of the entire course, I was third overall, which meant I busted my behind in the remaining three phases of the entire course. Then Lt. Col. Umar Abubakar was the Commandant of the Armored School at that time. I went to him to bitterly complain about the injustice of withdrawing an officer from a course locally to send him to a foreign course. In my mind, irrespective of ethnicity, every officer was supposed to be treated equally. But in this case, equality was thrown to the winds.
While I was attending this course, I got a call from my friend who passed a coded message to me. After I decoded the message, I knew what he meant. This was early 1990; I was attending the Platoon Commanders course.I quickly signed onto the plan. I didn’t think about it because I knew it was the right thing to do.
As a young man fresh from secondary school, I desired to be in the service and served my country. I wanted to be a soldier. I visited the Nigerian Defense Academy to enlist A former Commander of the Signal Corps gave me the forms that I used to apply to NDA. I took the NDA admissions entrance examination and succeeded. I was invited to Kaduna for interview.
Source: Saharareporters.
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