Ojudu: How Tinubu secretly recorded Jewish lawyer who exposed Abacha’s looting

Babafemi Ojudu, an author and former senator, has recounted how President Bola Tinubu secretly recorded a Jewish lawyer exposing the looting carried out by Sani Abacha, a former military ruler, in the 1990s.

Ojudu narrated the incident in an interview with Edmund Obilo, while speaking on his recently published book titled, ‘Adventures of A Guerrilla Journalist’.

Abacha, who ruled Nigeria from 1993 to 1998, is reported to have diverted around $5 billion during his time in power.

These funds were hidden in foreign bank accounts in countries including the US, UK, and Switzerland. 

The funds, which the federal government has been gradually recovering over the years, were stashed in foreign banks, including those in the United States, United Kingdom, and Switzerland.

In the interview, Ojudu recalled meeting Tinubu while he was in exile in the UK while working as a journalist.

He said Tinubu took him to meet the Jewish lawyer who had promised to provide key information about Abacha’s corruption and those involved in the looting.

Ojudu, unable to write during the conversation, said he tried to memorise as much as possible.

However, midway through the discussion, Tinubu excused himself to use the bathroom and returned after a brief absence.

Ojudu said Tinubu later revealed he had secretly switched the recording tape while in the bathroom, making sure the lawyer did not notice the change.

“I was excited as a newsman. We went there and sat before the lawyer. He (the lawyer) kept reeling out how Abacha was stealing, and who was helping him,” he recounted.

“The name that was constantly mentioned was the Chagoury brothers. I was so excited but I felt so bad that because I couldn’t write. I needed to take notes. I kept trying to memorise whatever I could.

“Midway to the engagement, our brother (Tinubu) excused himself to go to the bathroom and came back. After about two hours, the engagement came to an end and we hailed a taxi to return to his house.

“While there, I said what you took me to listen to today was super exclusive but unfortunately I will have to talk to you when we get home so that if you remember some things I will note them down.

“He said to me: Don’t worry yourself. I had a tape recorder with me. That time I went to the bathroom, I went to change the recording from side one to side two. That is why I flushed the toilet so that the man would not know that I was changing the tape.”

Ojudu described Tinubu as a “strategist” who would do whatever it took to achieve his goals.

He, however, said Tinubu tried to stop the story from being published.

“He (Tinubu) is a strategist. He does what he has to do to get what he has to get. I love to work with people like that, who will always find a solution,” Ojudu added.

“We got home and ate. He was on the couch and slept off. I rifled through him and took the tape and then woke him and said I was leaving.

“About 8pm when I got to my hotel, I quickly changed my flight to the following morning.

“He (Tinubu) called me at 8pm and said: Femi where are you, I can’t find that tape. I said it was with me. He said: what are you doing with it? I said I am going home tomorrow to publish it. He said if you publish it; you are dead. I said I would publish it and let them kill me.

“So, I got back to Nigeria and played the tape to some of my staff, gave them assignments on what they should check and we ran the story. It was a story that shook Abacha.”

Ojudu, once an ally of Tinubu, revealed in the interview that he opposed Tinubu’s presidential bid in 2022 and chose not to vote for him in the 2023 elections.

The politician said his decision not to support Tinubu’s ambition was not a betrayal.