Kehiku’s Wedding, Irabor’s Reunion Soiree

‘Segun, come here!’ The voice was unmistakable. But as I greeted Mr Eluem Emeka Izeze, who took a gamble on me with the job of a Staff Reporter at The Guardian Newspaper two months after my NYSC Primary assignment in December 1990, I heard another familiar voice, ‘Just look at you!’ It was Mrs Ruth Benamaisia-Opia, the ageless veteran broadcaster of the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) fame. And then, other old faces began to appear in what became a festival of the movers and shakers of Nigerian journalism of a certain generation.

I was in Owa-Oyibu in the Agbor area of Delta State last weekend to attend the wedding of Kehiku Toluwalase Irabor to his heartthrob, Nadia. Although Kehiku had his own crowd, including from the Diaspora, they were overwhelmed by those who were there for his wonderful parents, Nduka and Ebele Irabor. In fact, most of the guests were from Irabor’s two and a half constituencies: Media and Football with the half being politics, having been a member of the House of Representatives for eight years between 1999 to 2007.

Not surprisingly, most of the journalists in Agbor had a link with The Guardian newspaper where Irabor made his mark and was sent to jail for doing his duty. The Rutam House Alumni members included Kayode Komolafe, Tony Okonedo, Tommy Odemwingie, Abdul Oroh, Chukwudi Abiandu, ⁠Chuks Anyaso, Paul Nwabuikwu, ⁠Jackson Ekwugum, Bosah Iwobi, ⁠Yemi Ajayi and many others. There were also veteran broadcast journalists: Bayo Awosemo, Bimbo ‘Angel’ Sowoolu, Tonia Agetua whose late husband also worked with The Guardian, Magnus Onyibe and others. Friends like Shina Badaru, Ayo Eso, Chiedu Ebie were also around. So were football people like Messrs Tony Nnacheta, Austin Eguavoen, Samson Siasia, and National Sports Commission (NSC) Chairman, Shehu Dikko. Deacon Tom Ogboe, Chief Augustine Onwumere, Mrs Maryam Uwais and many others were also with us. Of course, two former Governors of Delta State, Chief James Ibori and Dr Ifeanyi Okowa also attended the ceremony chaired by THISDAY/ARISE chairman, Prince Nduka Obaigbena.

As an aside, the report for which Irabor went to jail 41 years ago has been confirmed to be accurate. It all started in April 1984, four months after toppling the Second Republic, when Major General Muhammadu Buhari (now, former president) promulgated Decree 4 (Public Officers Protection Against False Publications). The law empowered the federal military government to close any media house deemed to be ‘acting in a manner detrimental to national interest’ and jail journalists for any reports that ‘bring government officials into ridicule or disrepute.’ It was under this draconian law that Irabor and Tunde Thompson were tried and jailed for refusing to divulge the source of a story about ambassadorial postings.   

In his 2022 memoir, ‘All Eyes on Me’ (for which I wrote the foreword), Major General HalduHananiya (rtd) revealed how he was initially listed to be posted to Washington DC until the American State Department said they would not accept a serving General as Nigerian ambassador. “That was when it was decided I would be posted to the United Kingdom as the High Commissioner.” But before the postings were released, Irabor and Thompson broke a story in The Guardian that IBM Haruna (then also a serving General) would replace Hananiya as High Commissioner to the UK. Meanwhile, the reporters had no inkling about the cold calculations that informed the decision which then explained why the leakage riled the Buhari-Idiagbon regime.

In his recollection, Hananiya wrote about some ethno-religious cold calculations prior to the posting: “I didn’t pay much attention to the rumour until The Guardian broke the story about IBM Haruna replacing me. It was the story that sent Nduka Irabor and Tunde Thompson to prison. It was because Buhari and Idiagbon were embarrassed that their plan leaked that they enacted Decree Four to punish the journalists. Of course, there were denials, but I later confirmed the story to be true. There was indeed an attempt to replace my name with Haruna. But for the story, they probably would have posted me to another country and send Haruna to the UK. But following the publication, which they denied, I went to the UK.”

All that, of course, is now history but then, Irabor is a man of history, especially when it comes to military rule in Nigeria. In a recent memoir, General Ibrahim Babangida denied authorising the statement released by Irabor—who was spokesman to then Chief of General Staff (Babangida’s deputy), the late Admiral Augustus Aikhomu—annulling the June 12 (1993) presidential election. Irabor is yet to speak on the issue but in a WhatsApp exchange with Awosemo three weeks ago, he made humour of it. “The Duke, as a news man, I heard there is a wedding in the family,” Awosemo, another NTA veteran who was also Manager, Media and Public Relations at Addax Petroleum Development (Nigeria) Ltd before becoming the Deputy Managing Director at ARISE Television, had written to Irabor. “Your sources are issuing unsigned, badly written statements on scrap paper”, replied Irabor who added two laughter emoji. “Of course, I would appreciate the honour of your presence at my son’s marriage ceremony…There will be a soiree to welcome my personal guests at my country home on April 4.”

With my sister, Ebele, as usual, playing the perfect hostess, it was indeed a weekend to remember in Agbor. A time for reminiscences on the ‘good old days’—the risks many of us took during the military era as well as all the ‘other things’ not fit for print. When I told Dr Chidi Amuta last Saturday that I was in Agbor with many old colleagues, he sent a terse response: “Time passes. You all will soon graduate into the league of grandpas and grandmas.” So true. And many of us are gladly looking forward to that transition as we reflect on the time when men were boys. This life!

 • You can follow me on my X (formerly Twitter) handle, @Olusegunverdict and on www.olusegunadeniyi.com