Born in the 1940s, Major Daniel Idowu Bamidele; died March 5, 1986.He was put to death by Major General Ibrahim Babangida’s administration for allegedly neglecting to disclose a conspiracy against the government, known as the “Vatsa Coup.” Bamidele and ten other people were put to death after he was accused of plotting to commit treason. The meeting at the guest house in Makurdi with Lt Col Michael Iyorshe and several other officers (Lt Col Musa Bitiyong, Lt Col Christian Oche, Wing Commander Ben Ekele, and Wing Commander Adamu Sakaba) that resulted in Bamidele’s involvement in the conspiracy was due to political criticisms of the Babangida Administration without any discussion of seditious or operational coup details.
Bamidele, knowing from his experience in 1983, kept silent about any coups, even though the connections to any coups are debatable. He was arrested, tried by a special military trial, and executed by firing squad on March 5, 1986, along with other people including Major General Mamman Vatsa. In his remarks before the tribunal, Bamidele said. “I informed General Buhari, my GOC, about the coup plot in 1983, and he detained me for two weeks in Lagos. I got punched in the back instead of patted on the back. So how do you want me to file a report on this one? My 19-year career of brilliance and perfection is overshadowed by this trial. With the aptitude that God pleased to bestow upon me, I participated in the Civil War.
It’s terrible that I’m facing conviction for something I had to give up on twice. This is a true list of the attributes I was born with, not a flattering statement about myself. It is a cruel twist of destiny that the tribunal president, who judged me competent enough to train in the UK in 1964, is now tasked with assisting me in leaving the force and the outside world.
