Unveiling Brigadier Zakariya Maimalari (III)

The book, ‘The First Regular Combatant: Brigadier Zakariya Maimalari’, took the Author, Haruna Yahaya Poloma seventeen years to accomplish. It was indeed a tall order for Poloma to have set himself the task of interviewing five former Heads of State, many former ministers and governors, as well as other movers and shakers of the country in the last 50 years or so. What is amazing is that he had maximum success. The end result was a book that bears testimony to the author’s focus, diligence and industry.

However due to the many years it has taken for the book to be completed, many of those 45 eminent citizens who were interviewed are now sadly dead. These include Liman Ciroma, Dr Musa Goni, Yusuf Maitama Sule, Elizabeth Yakubu Pam, Major-Generals: Joseph Garba, Adeyinka Adebayo, Brigadier Samuel Ogbemudia, Col. William Walbe and Lt. Sunday Zamani. Among them was also General Emmanuel Abisoye, who as a cadet had many memorable encounters with Maimalari.

Abisoye who died recently at the age of 81 was at different times GOC of 2nd and 3rd Infantry Brigade as well as Minister of Health. He gave the longest interview in the book most likely because he was among those that had known Maimalari first as a trainer and subsequently as a commanding officer. It was an emotional roller coaster of an interview with the General in many instances breaking down into tears. Despite the sombre tone of the interview, his first encounter of the General with Maimalari was truly hilarious.

In 1960 Abisoye had abandoned his HSC class in Government College, Keffi to pursue his dream career in the Army and had reported at the Nigerian Military Training College, Kaduna to start training as an officer cadet. He said, “So, the following day, Sunday morning, I saw a man, alone by himself, leaning on the kitchen railings, dressed in white shoes, a white trouser and a white shirt. Carrying my Army equipment on my shoulder, I went up to the stranger and said, ‘good morning’. The man didn’t respond. I then asked him, ‘Do you speak English?’ The man said nothing still, but quietly kept on looking at me. I then said to the stranger: I am an officer cadet Emmanuel Abisoye. There are four syllables in my surname, Ahh-Bee-Soo-Yeaa! You must learn to pronounce it correctly! I am going to become a commissioned officer in one year from now!”

“The stranger never uttered a single word, but kept on staring at me. So I said, ‘bush man’ and turned to walk away. Suddenly, the man shouted a military command which I didn’t understand, but I noticed that a white European drill sergeant standing far off began running towards us! I instantly realized that something was wrong! When the white drill sergeant sped past me towards the stranger, I quickly bolted away as fast as I could and went to hide inside my room! Apparently the stranger to whom I had been talking was none other than Zakariya Maimalari who was second-in-command of the Training College!” Of course Abisoye was fished out and reprimanded. Unfortunately Abisoye had many other infractions during his stay and was always duly punished. But Maimalari took note of him because Abisoye was a brilliant boy-soldier. At the completion of the course Maimalari was overwhelmed by Abisoye’s results and showed his appreciation in a robust manner.

2nd Lt. Mohammadu Jega (later Major-General, GOC, 2nd Infantry Division, Ibadan, then, Military Governor of Gongola State, and now HRH, the Emir of Gwandu) had a first encounter with Maimalari which had remained indelible in his mind. It was in 1965, when he had just returned to his Enugu base from the military academy in Pakistan as a 2nd Lieutenant that Jega met Maimalari for the first time. He was then the Brigade Commander of the 2nd Brigade, Lagos and he had come to the 1st Battalion in Enugu on a military exercise. They were in the bush for the exercise and Maimalari had decided to return to the battalion for rest and refreshment.

HRH, then continued, “As I walked to my house that memorable day, I just saw Brigadier Zakariya Maimalari in my sitting room. He was dressed in military uniform, sitting alone and when I came in, I immediately saluted! I was shaking all over; it was my first time of seeing a Brigadier in Nigeria. When I saluted him, he said, ‘young man! What is your name?’ I replied that my name was Muhammadu Jega. He then asked, ‘are you from Sokoto?’ And I replied that yes I was from Sokoto. He then said, ‘Ah hah! You Sokoto people are troublemakers! Sit down!’ Even though I was frightened, I sat down as instructed. He then said, ‘Go to the mess and get me something to drink and also inform Captain Jalo that I am here”.

“Captain Jalo (later, Lt. General Gibson Sanda, who would retire as Chief of Defence Staff) was then the Rear Commander of the 1st Battalion in Enugu. So, when I got to the mess, I met Jalo and told him that there was one Brigadier in my sitting room who said I should bring him some food and refreshments. Jalo replied that yes, that was Brigadier Maimalari, the Brigade Commander, and that his meal and refreshments were already prepared in expectation of his arrival. So, the Brigadier’s food and refreshments were taken to him. Jalo then went back to his office and I returned to the house”.

“The Brigadier again told me to sit down. After he finished his meal, he said, ‘look, young man, do you know me? Ok, relax! I am just from the bush; we are carrying out an exercise. So, you’ve just returned from the academy?’ I answered in the affirmative, that I was just back from the academy and in fact, was yet to be assigned my duties as I had been granted two weeks’ vacation leave. Brigadier Maimalari then proceeded to advise me”. Maimalari took his time to counsel the astonished young lieutenant how to treat his soldiers well, encourage and motivate them. The advice remained a guiding principle throughout his career in the Army.

These are just picks of the many anecdotes abound in the book. All those interviewed told astounding stories. I have already referred to those who were associated with Maimalari’s youth and school life as well as those who were his students and those he commanded. The most harrowing of the interviews were with those who witnessed the treachery that led to the murder of Maimalari and his colleagues in arms; Brigadier Ademulegun, Cols Kur Mohammed and Shodeinde, Lt. Cols Largema, Unegbe, and Yakubu Pam.

The interview with Lt. Sunday Zamani, who was Maimalari’s orderly and was with him the night of 15th January 1966 when the mutineers started shooting, was so distressing that it had to be abandoned. Unfortunately we would never hear the rest of Zamani’s narrative because he passed on in 2015. Young Lt. Muhammadu Buhari (later MajorGeneral, Governor, Minister, Head of State and now, President) had a surreal experience that coup morning. He was then commanding a platoon within the Lagos Garrison and was responsible for providing transport to all senior officers. He had gone out at 6 am as usual to perform his task at the Army Headquarters and along the way, at a railway crossing in Yaba, he met a wounded soldier. It was at that moment that he came face-to-face with the reality of a coup taking place in the country. Many other civilian friends of Maimalari such as Tanko Yakasai and Sani Zangon Daura were in Lagos that night and gave distressing accounts of the sordid events.

Paloma’s book is indeed an important addition to the civil war history trove. In fact it might even change the narration in many ways as one could clearly see why the revenge killings took place and when it came to war it was fought to the bitterest end.