21/02/2022
Fela was jailed in 1984 for having in his possession the sum of '£1,600 pounds meant for the entire band of 26 persons, at the Murtala Mohammed Airport, on their way to Europe for a scheduled concert. He was tried by a Judge, Okoro-Idogwu and sentenced to prison for a period of 5 years under Major General Muhammadu Buhari.
Buhari's draconian law then states that no Nigerian should be in possession of more than £500, but exemption of course was given to military personnel and to those who have earned the foreign exchange legitimately. So, if all the 26 member band were to hold £500 each, they sure would have had £13,000 legitimate money.
Fela was at the Airport with his manager, an European, Rikki Stein, who also had in his possession papers to show, Fela earned the said money legitimately from a previous overseas tour. Yet, despite all these glaring evidences, Fela was prevented from going for that scheduled trip, his son Femi and the rest of the band however made the trip and it was a great success.
The government of Major General Muhammadu Buhari in the meantime had other ideas, namely this - Fela, their vocal critic must be sent to jail. Quickly and Sharply arraigned in court, the judge promptly sentenced Fela to a 10 year jail term on 2
counts, but to serve the terms, concurrently for a 5 year jail sentence. That was September of 1984! Fela was to be adequately punished and transfered to Maiduguri prisons.
However, shortly after IBB took over, same Judge, Justice Okoro-Idogwu that sentenced Fela, found his way to a hospital in Maiduguri, where Fela had been admitted due to the harsh realities of prison sentence in the harshest environment. Either by acts of commission or omission, covert or consciousness, conscience or overt, justice Okoro-Idogwu made straight for Fela's bed where he tendered an apology to Fela, and according to Fela, "the judge don beg o"!
As we were all made to believe, the judge confessed that the government of Major General Muhammadu Buhari prevailed on him to jail Fela at all cost... Fela did nothing wrong but his hands were proverbially, tied!
With this Revelation and the relief that the people felt from being liberated from the tyrannical rule of Muhammadu Buhari, the new ruler, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, promptly ordered Fela be brought to the Benin prisons and a few weeks later had him released to the joys of the Good people of the federal Republic of Nigeria....
The aftermath of this inglorious episode in the history of this country was the release of one of Fela Anikulapo Kuti's most endearing and profoundly soulful songs, a critical as well as a mega commercial success that earned Fela a Grammy Award nomination - Be@st Of No Nation
