Prince Bayo Osiyemi, a press secretary to late Lagos State governor, Lateef Jakande in his yet to be lunched memoir, sheds light on a dramatic episode from Nigeria’s 1990 military coup, revealing the daring escape of Globacom CEO Chief Mike Adenuga.

In the early hours of April 22, as Major Gideon Orkar’s coup unfolded against General Ibrahim Babangida’s administration, Osiyemi and his friend Titus Fapohunda undertook a covert operation to safeguard Adenuga. Concerned about Adenuga’s safety due to his close ties with Babangida, they transported him from his Victoria Island home in a Volkswagen Beetle.
Their journey was interrupted by a military tank at Ojo Military Cantonment, prompting them to hide Adenuga in a drainage channel before eventually relocating him to Chief Richard Ege’s home in Ojo town.
Adenuga later sought refuge in the UK until the coup was quelled. Osiyemi’s memoir, set for release in February to mark his 75th birthday, provides a compelling glimpse into the perilous efforts to protect a high-profile individual during Nigeria’s political upheaval.