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C.O. Adebayo: A Life of Mentorship, Service, and Silent Greatness
When the original edition of my book, POLITRICKS: National Assembly under Military Dictatorship, was first published in April 1994, I dedicated it to the late Chief Cornelius Olatunji Adebayo as a gesture of gratitude for all he had done for me. That edition also featured a letter he had written to me on 29 June 1993, which I included under the heading ‘The Home Truth.’ The letter had a significant context, which gave deeper meaning to its inclusion.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶
At the time, I was a Senior Staff Writer with African Concord magazine, owned by the late Chief M.K.O. Abiola, and I was living with Chief C.O. Adebayo in his modest, rented three-bedroom apartment in Surulere, Lagos. This was a full decade after his tenure as Senator and Governor of Kwara State—a detail that speaks volumes, given that he owned no property outside Ilorin.
One week, after reading a feature I had written on the prevailing political developments in the country, he expressed deep disappointment with the slant of my report. I felt sincerely remorseful and tried to explain that I simply didn’t see things the way he did. The next morning, just as I was leaving for the office, he handed me a handwritten letter—a gesture that would leave a lasting impression.
Before I share the content of that remarkable letter, I want to thank all those who have reached out since his passing. The family is deeply grateful for the outpouring of genuine grief—from President Bola Tinubu’s personally signed tribute to the heartfelt message by his friend and junior from school, Professor Ibrahim Agboola Gambari (whose banter with him I always enjoyed), and many others. Yet, most people knew only the public figure—C.O. Adebayo, the politician, Afenifere leader, NADECO stalwart. Few truly knew the family man who mentored a generation of young men and women who went on to become successful in their own right.
From the early 1980s, when I came under his guidance, his home at 23 AbdulRazaq Road, GRA, Ilorin—named after the late AGF AbdulRazak, the North’s first lawyer and father of the current governor—hosted an ever-changing cast of residents: cousins, nephews, nieces, and others with no blood ties. People like me. Yet, Chief Adebayo and his late wife, Elizabeth Funmilayo, showed no distinction between us and their children—Bukunola, Diekolola (of blessed memory), Mosunmola, Abimbola, Oloruntoyosi, and Cornelius Oluwasegun. They treated me like a son, a truth reflected in the letter I now share—written exactly 32 years ago, last Sunday.
Dear Segun,
I have come this far in life by standing for what I believe to be the truth, guided by the light of the Lord. I may not have much to show for it materially, but I am content. A few compromises along the way could have made a tycoon out of me—but to what end?
You are blessed with intellect and a growing faith. But you need more purposeful guidance. There is no fence between light and darkness, just as there is none between truth and falsehood. The challenge lies in our perception and focus. “There is nothing either good or bad but thinking makes it so.” Yes, thinking. But what kind? From what perspective? Are we moralising politics or politicising morals? Big questions.
I write this because I must never deceive you. People have led nations at your age, without your exposure. My concern is to see your intellect properly channeled. Your work and accomplishments must reflect your faith. Adopt a stance, a character, a set of principles you will be known for.
When I think of ‘Aiyekoto’, ‘John West’, ‘Allah De’, ‘Candido’—these are names with substance. But then there is (name withheld), who had the potential to stand among them. I told him so in 1973, and I reminded him only last month. He is brilliant, but without principles or ideals. A wasted genius. A successful failure.
Don’t be like the exceptional farm labourer who puts all his energy into working others’ farms, when that same effort on his own land would have made him a model farmer. We’ve only seen glimpses of your potential. There’s so much more! Improve yourself—on the job if need be. Decide what kind of journalist you want to be, and become it. Nobody can stop you. You have what it takes, in Christ.
I want you to be the best version of yourself. Professor Sam Aluko and (name withheld) were both brilliant economists and Awoists. They had the courage to disagree with their leader when necessary. Aluko carved out his own identity. The other? A servant to every new master. Don’t be that.
Be yourself. The seeds of greatness are in you. Let them flourish. May the Lord prosper you. You know I love you. But you must grow with maturity.
One day, I hope to write a memoir to document how profoundly the Adebayos shaped my life. But that’s for another time. Given the renewed attention on ‘June 12’ and its aftermath, it may be helpful to revisit how that era led to what many now call the first major wave of “Japa” to Canada. In his book Running for Dear Life: My Work in Exile (published in 2000 by Moremi Foundations, Washington DC), Chief Adebayo recounted the events that led to his forced departure from Nigeria.
The foreword, written by former Foreign Minister Professor Bolaji Akinyemi, himself a NADECO exile, noted that while many now lay dubious claims to that legacy, Adebayo’s account stands out for its authenticity: “C.O. (officially Cornelius Olatunji, but ‘Commanding Officer’ to his close friends) Adebayo’s book falls into the category of accurate history, and it shows by its being heavily documented.”
Written in diary form, the entry for Thursday, 20 June 1996, sums up why he had to flee:
…Keeping a low profile was not enough. If you weren’t with General Sani Abacha, you were against him. We called ourselves NADECO. His people called us ‘Agbako’. The cream of our leadership and many supporters had been arrested. I had to go underground. I spoke with Senator Abraham Adesanya on Monday before he and others were ‘invited’ by the Police. He hinted that I should disappear. That ‘invitation’ was supposedly to help investigate Alhaja Kudirat Abiola’s murder. But they ended up detained. I’d already experienced Abacha’s ‘care’—five months in detention without trial. I survived, barely. I had refused a role in his government, a move he found unfathomable. Eventually, he apologised for my ‘unauthorised’ detention. So, how did we get here? My security contact—very reliable—confirmed I was a target. The Guardian newspaper even published this subtle clue on Wednesday, 19 June:
‘Four of the five invited were said to have left Adesanya’s office for the Adeniji-Adele FIIB annex on Monday. The last person, who Adesanya said could not be reached, was Chief Cornelius Adebayo.’
I got the message. I could not be reached. I should not be reached. And I made sure I wasn’t.
Before heading back to Jos on Monday, I spent time at the residence of the late Chief, where I often ran into Dr Bitrus Poga, President of the Middle Belt Forum. Chief Adebayo once hosted the group’s meetings in Abuja, and I have no doubt he would be proud of my role today as a member of the fact-finding panel on the Plateau killings.
Just last Tuesday, we visited Mahanga for a frank dialogue with Fulani leaders—an important engagement, though perhaps an aside here. What stays with me most is what happened three weeks ago, on June 12, in his bedroom. For over three hours, some of us gathered around him: his eldest daughter, Mrs. Bukunola Ajayi, Mrs. Mosunmola Jegede and her husband Stanley, Mrs. Mope Akinrinmade, Oloruntoyosi Thomas, and Segun—whose earlier fears thankfully proved unfounded. That afternoon will remain etched in memory as we bid farewell to Chief C.O. Adebayo—a true patriot and an extraordinary father.
The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Olatunji Disu, has approved a major reshuffle involving more than 100 Assistant Commissioners of Police (ACPs) across various commands, formations and specialised units of the Nigeria Police Force.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶
The redeployment affects officers serving in operational, administrative, investigative and intelligence departments nationwide.
According to a report by SaharaReporters, which obtained an internal police wireless message dated November 13, 2026, the directive was issued from the Force Headquarters in Abuja and marked “MOST/IMMEDIATE.”
The communication, referenced DTO: 131635/11/2026, instructed affected commands, departments and formations to update their records to reflect the new postings.
The reshuffle covers several police formations, including the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID), zonal and state commands, Police Mobile Force (PMF), Intelligence Response Team, Special Tactical Squad and INTERPOL section.
Under the new arrangement, ACP Rex Abiodun Enwelike has been posted as Area Commander in Ozoro, Delta State, while ACP Raji Ganiyu has been assigned to Area Command J in Ajah, Lagos State.
ACP Samuel Ijachi is now the Commandant of the 70 Police Mobile Force in Kabba, Kogi State, while ACP Ogunrin Mohammed Temitope has been posted to head the 16 PMF in Abeokuta, Ogun State. ACP Idris Bunu will serve as Commandant of the 75 PMF in Obudu, Cross River State.
Similarly, ACP Olajike Samuel Olusola has been deployed to the Department of Operations in Rivers State, while ACP Eluha Clever has been appointed Area Commander in Ahoada, Rivers State.
Other appointments include ACP Oluwale Fabelurin Joseph as Commandant of the 29 PMF in Awka, Anambra State, and ACP Yusuf J. Abdullahi, who has been assigned to the Department of Administration in Kebbi State.
The new postings also saw ACP Victor Olanrewaju Kalajaiye deployed as Area Commander in Iwo, Osun State, while ACP Sanusi Adamu takes charge of the Yauri Area Command in Kebbi State.
ACP Esther Nnaiwu and ACP Aremu Sikiru Adeniran have both been posted to the Department of Operations in Anambra State, while ACP Patrick Chukwuma Agbazue will head the 55 PMF in Aba, Abia State. ACP Aremu Olusola has also been assigned to the State Intelligence Department in Kebbi State.
In Kaduna State, ACP Yahaya Mainasara Maru has been appointed Area Commander of Metro, while ACP Bashir Sani will serve in the Intelligence and Investigation Unit of the Police Special Fraud Unit (PSFU) in Lagos.
ACP Temibra Taikumo Temikumo has been posted to the PSFU’s Administration Unit, while ACP Onanah Ari Umar will serve in the Special Fraud Unit. ACP Gilbert Ode Ogah has been deployed to the Force Monitoring and Intelligence Unit in Lagos, and ACP Mohammed Tanko Yakub to the PSFU Legal Unit.
Other officers affected include ACP Murtala Saidu, who has been posted to the Administration Unit of the Police Mobile Force at Force Headquarters, Abuja, and ACP Ibrahim Tijjani Umara, who will serve at the State Criminal Investigation Department in Benue State.
ACP Mustapha Mohammed Lawal has been assigned to the Administration Unit of the FCID Annex in Kaduna, while ACP Hadiza Ado has been posted to the Department of Operations, Zone 3, Yola.
ACP Yusuf Mapindi will serve in the Operations Unit of the PSFU in Lagos, while ACP Danjuma Ribah Garba has been deployed to the Department of Operations, Zone 5, Benin.
The reshuffle further affected ACP Babandi Ajiya, who has been posted to the Administration Unit of the Police College of Management and Strategic Studies, and ACP Garga Ibrahim Audu, who will serve in the Department of Finance and Administration, Zone 6, Calabar.
ACP Effiom Okon has been assigned to the Administration Unit of the Force Intelligence Department at Force Headquarters, Abuja, while ACP Mohammed Abubakar has been appointed Area Commander in Irua, Edo State. ACP Shehu Usman has also been posted to the State Intelligence Department in Ebonyi State.
Additionally, ACP Peter Ajah Oluohu has been deployed to the Anti-Fraud Section of the FCID in Abuja, while ACP Abdulaziz Madawaki has been appointed Deputy Commandant in Oyin-Akoko, Ondo State.
ACP Kayode Kehinde Oyetunji will serve in the Department of Operations in Oyo State, while ACP Emmanuel Kayode has been posted to the Seme border formation. ACP Kolawole O. Aremu will serve in the Department of Finance and Administration in Ebonyi State, and ACP Olakunle Fabul uje has been assigned to the Zonal Intelligence Department, Zone 10, Sokoto State.
Other senior officers affected include ACP Abdulkadir Wada, posted as Area Commander in Umuoma, Imo State, and ACP George Friday Clement, deployed to the South-West office of the Nigeria Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW), under the Office of the National Security Adviser.
ACP Michael Kayode Fadipe has been assigned to the Department of Operations, Zone 6, Calabar, while ACP Gboya Abraham Gana will head the Egbeda Area Command in Oyo State. ACP Yakubu Olufemi Kazeem has been posted to Afikpo, Ebonyi State, while ACP Frank Azubuike Amobi will serve as Area Commander in Owo, Ondo State.
The postings also assigned ACP Kenneth Iyayi as Area Commander in Lokoja, Kogi State, and ACP Emmanuel Abuh to the X-Squad in Kebbi State.
ACP Yahaya Ibrahim has been deployed to the Administration Unit of the Force Provost Marshal at Force Headquarters, Abuja, while ACP Titus Kehinde Adewale will head the Lantang Area Command in Plateau State.
ACP Wesleys Obed has been posted to the State Intelligence Department in Ekiti State, while ACP Ekundayo Olutekunbi will serve as Area Commander in Shagamu, Ogun State.
Further deployments include ACP Francis Obigwa as Area Commander in Agbara, Ogun State, and ACP Ishaq A. Ibrahim as Commandant of the 57 PMF in Ukana.
ACP Nasiru Adamu Kaila has been posted to the State Intelligence Department in Bayelsa State, while ACP Doris U. England will serve in the Department of Operations in Kogi State.
ACP Umar Ibrahim Wurno has been assigned to the State Criminal Investigation Department in Bayelsa State, ACP Reuben Onah to the X-Squad in the state, and ACP Emilia Mami as Area Commander in Ezinithitte, Imo State.
The reshuffle also saw ACP Kenneth C. Anuebunwa appointed Area Commander in Igbeti, Oyo State, while ACP Adejokun Ademola will head the Ringim Area Command in Jigawa State.
ACP Hadi Musa has been deployed to the X-Squad in Niger State, while ACP Ibrahim Usman will serve in the Department of Operations, Zone 7, Abuja.
ACP Aborode O. Tope has been posted to the State Intelligence Department in Kwara State, while ACP Abdullahi Usman will oversee the Eastern Port Area Command in Port Harcourt.
ACP Efanga Offiong has been assigned to the Department of Operations, Zone 9, Umuahia, while ACP Godwin Oko Onah will serve in the Department of Finance and Administration of the Railway Police in Lagos.
Other postings include ACP Kalu Uche Nnanna as Assistant Director at the NCCSALW under the Office of the National Security Adviser in Kaduna, and ACP Bello Oro to the Department of Operations in Ebonyi State.
ACP Lewi Suleiman has been appointed Area Commander in Orifite, Anambra State, while ACP Kumzi Naniwat will serve in the Zonal Criminal Investigation Department, Zone 6, Calabar.
ACP Chukwu Chimeze has been posted to the Criminal Investigation Department of the Railway Police, while ACP Anthony Omogbemi Alabi will head the Geidam Area Command in Yobe State.
The list further includes ACP Mohammed Hadi Nguru, posted to the X-Squad, Zone 15, Maiduguri, and ACP Ismaila Adamu Damagun, appointed Area Commander in Ifo, Ogun State.
ACP Odunayo Moruf Liasu will head the Munguno Area Command in Borno State, while ACP Bukar Ali Abba has been deployed to the X-Squad in Anambra State.
ACP Musa Mohammed Saleh has been assigned to the Department of Operations of the Airport Police in Lagos, while ACP Adeniyi Olurunwa Ogundele and ACP Ibrahim Akinniyi have been appointed Area Commanders in Ilesha and Ile-Ife, respectively, in Osun State.
ACP Seyi Williams Olubuyi will serve as Area Commander in Akwanga, Nasarawa State.
The redeployment also affected ACP Gaiya Ahmed, who has been posted to the X-Squad in Kaduna State, and ACP Suleiman A. Yandaki, who will serve in the Intelligence Unit of the Force Intelligence Department at the FCID Annex in Lagos.
ACP Sani Ahmed has been deployed to the State Criminal Investigation Department in Ekiti State, while ACP Yusuf Ali will serve in the Zonal Intelligence Department, Zone 16, Yenagoa.
ACP Ezenware N. Kenneth has been assigned to the Administration and Operations Department at Force Headquarters, Abuja, while ACP Babayo Adamu Sambo will head the Agodi Area Command in Oyo State.
ACP Ibrahim Oyetundscr has also been posted to the Operations Unit of the NCCSALW, South-South office, under the Office of the National Security Adviser.
In the final batch of postings, ACP Tobi Debakeme has been appointed Area Commander in Ilofa, Kwara State, while ACP Segun Adedayo Oluwaseyi will head the Pankshin Area Command in Plateau State.
ACP George Edore has been posted to the Department of Finance and Administration in Kwara State, while ACP Williams Oladiran Oladipo will serve in the Police Library and Studies Unit in Jos.
ACP Salawu Olayinka has been assigned to the Department of Finance and Administration in Sokoto State, while ACP Abraham Yisa will serve in the Department of Operations, Western Port, Lagos.
Other officers named in the communication include ACP Isaac Olumbambo Fabiyi, deployed to the Department of Operations, Zone 12, Bauchi; ACP Gowon Boka, appointed Area Commander in Southern Ijaw, Bayelsa State; and ACP James Nwosu, posted to Isuikwuato, Abia State.
ACP Sati Abari has been appointed Area Commander in Daudu, Benue State, while ACP Daniel Wetben has been deployed to the Litigation Unit of the Legal Department at Force Headquarters, Abuja.
ACP Stephen Onwochei will serve in the General Investigation Unit of the FCID Annex in Kaduna, while ACP Lateef Tunde Akanbi has been posted as Area Commander in Ang Damasak, Borno State.
The remaining deployments include ACP Musa Azi to the Administration Unit, Zone 12, Bauchi; ACP Ikechukwu Ogoegbunam to the X-Squad in Bauchi State; and ACP Usman Musa as Area Commander in Wukari, Taraba State.
ACP Awus Ofor Anje has been posted to the Birnin Gwari Area Command in Kaduna State, while ACP Isah Kabiru will serve in the Administration Unit of the Department of Training and Development at Force Headquarters, Abuja.
ACP Azogor Edu has also been deployed to the Department of Operations, Zone 2, Lagos, while ACP Casimir Ihiezu was listed among the officers affected by the reshuffle.
Ahmad made the assertion in a post on his X handle, maintaining that Kwankwaso’s decision to accept the position of running mate should be seen as an act of political modesty rather than an indication that he is less qualified than Obi.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶
According to the former presidential aide, the relationship between the two politicians should be viewed as one of equals rather than that of a superior and a subordinate.
“To be entirely candid, the political dynamic between Rabiu Kwankwaso and Peter Obi ought to be characterised as one of collegiality between peers, rather than a hierarchy of principal and subordinate,” he wrote.
He added, “The choice to assume a deputy role beneath Obi ought to be interpreted as a testament to political modesty.”
Making a case for Kwankwaso’s political experience, Ahmad recalled that the former Kano State governor served as Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives before Obi became a prominent figure in national politics.
He also noted that Kwankwaso governed Kano State, which he described as Nigeria’s most populous and politically influential state, for two terms and served as a federal minister.
“If we are assessing political experience, Sen. Kwankwaso probably has a longer and more impressive political background than Peter Obi,” Ahmad stated.
In contrast, the former presidential aide argued that Obi’s major public office experience was limited to his tenure as governor of Anambra State.
“Unlike other candidates, Peter Obi was just a former governor of Anambra State,” he wrote.
Nigerian music star Innocent Idibia, popularly known as 2Baba, has declared that he no longer impregnates women.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶
The singer made the statement on Saturday during a live performance at Rehab Lounge in Calgary, Canada.
While performing his hit song True Love, 2Baba paused to interact with the audience and playfully asked the women present to identify where his true love was.
He jokingly wondered whether she was standing at the back of the venue or somewhere in front of him before making a remark about his experiences with women.
The award-winning musician told the audience that he had stopped getting women pregnant, adding that he had been making the same confession wherever he performed recently.
He said, “For the purpose of this show, I will pretend like I’ve never seen anything before. Where’s my true love? Is she back there? Is she right here? Is she somewhere here? Where’s my true love? You people shouldn’t put out me for trouble.
“As I said, some ladies they fear to shout. See, everywhere I go these days, I make this confession. As I say, some ladies they fear to shout. I say, I don’t fear to shout. Because I don’t stop to dey give woman belle. Ask anyone, they’ll tell you, I don’t do such thing things again.”
The singer’s comment comes amid public interest in his personal life and relationships.
2Baba was previously married to Nollywood actress Annie Macaulay-Idibia. The couple announced their separation in January 2025 after having two children together.
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