Thirty years after he was sentenced to death by a Special Military Tribunal under the late General Sani Abacha’s regime, retired Colonel Bello Fadile has reflected on his journey from condemned officer to a symbol of resilience and divine mercy.
On July 14, 1995, Fadile—then a senior military intelligence officer and Nigeria’s first military-trained lawyer with a PhD in International Law—was named Accused Number One in the widely condemned “Phantom Coup” trial. He was sentenced to death by firing squad, a verdict he described as a predetermined outcome of a politically motivated proceeding.
Marking the 30th anniversary of that fateful judgment, Fadile, now Chairman of the Council for African Security Affairs, issued a reflective statement on Sunday, recalling the moment as a turning point in his life.
“We were shackled not just by handcuffs, but by the silence of injustice,” he said. “Yet we sang our anthem of hope: He can deliver those who trust in Him abundantly.”
Fadile’s sentence was later commuted to life imprisonment, and after three years, seven months, and eighteen days in detention, he was released with full restoration of his military rank and benefits. He chronicled this journey in his memoir, Nine Lives: The Bello-Fadile Memoirs, published earlier this year.
“When God speaks, no decree of man can stand,” Fadile declared. “Life was meant to decay, but God said live.”
He used the anniversary to urge national reflection on the dangers of authoritarianism and the enduring need to uphold justice and democracy in Nigeria. “This is not just my testimony; it is a national lesson. No matter how long injustice reigns, truth ultimately prevails,” he stated.
Now active in law, peacebuilding, and security consultancy, Fadile continues to advocate for justice and democratic values, calling on Nigerians to reject systemic injustice and embrace a higher standard of truth and accountability.
“Jesus reigneth,” he concluded. “Let the earth tremble. Let the nations tremble. Let systems of injustice tremble.”
