The Federal Republic of Nigerian Army

A former general in the Nigerian army, defence attache to Zimbabwe and member of the Abacha caucus, chronicles the role played by the army in Nigerian history, from the first military coup in 1966 to Obasanjo’s accession to power in 1998. He describes his own experiences in the army at home and abroad, including a section on his personal interactions with Abacha and the caucus. The author writes in anger at the domination of political hegemony and the subsequent intervention of the military into politics, the perceived dichotomy between people and state, and its implicactions for issues of development and human rights. He states: ‘This book is not an indictment of the military of which I am a part. It is my perception of the conduct of my generation and the multifarious forces at work amongst and about them. It is not a verdict on society, rather it is an articulation of the ecstasy, the fears, the constrictions of a nation in turmoil, a nation pulling itself apart.’