Way bark in the late 70s into the 1980s I was opportune to live in the same neighborhood with the ABAMI EDA him self FELA ANIKULAPO KUTI I use to live at
I remember this particular night February 13th 1976 that was the day the then Nigerian Head of State, Gen Muritala Ramat Muhammad (R I P) was assassinated the morning of that day, a dusk to dawn curfew was imposed trough out the country and road blocks where mounted at different junctions along the Lagos metropolis by the military, there was also a road block on Kodeso Street that night, mounted in front of Texaco Petrol Station, opposite that Petrol Station is the junction that Leeds to the Africa Shrine, at about 9: 30 pm I was at the balcony relaxing all of a sodden the soldiers at the road block shouting if you be FELA n ko! you no know say curfew day for town, come down!
There was this car a Volvo station wagon Wight with the a sticker EGIPT 80 FELA,s picture inscribe on the car door inside the number 0, I did not see who is inside the car but for sure the car belongs to Baba 70 and I herd the soldiers shouting if you be FELA’ n ko.
The most interesting part of the story is that FELA immediately drove the car moving on the revise gear, from that spot and disappeared into Oba Akran Avenew, the soldiers fire some waning short into the air, my brother! FELA did not stop the car, wow he is really the ABAMI EDA.
A visit to that area now, what you see is the
If you are residing at Ikeja in the 1980’s you will be familiar with the public water supply located along the road to Wema board Estate, not too far from the T-junction that leads to Adeniyi Jonce Avenew, that is the only place where you can get water in the whole of Ikeja , and all the kids in the neighborhood use to go to that spot to get water, it use to be a tog of war to get water, some times it is survival of the fittest before you can get a bucket of water . But FELA did something that amazed me, right in front of the
I pensive the odor of tear gas while I was about to enter Atinuke Olabanji Street, you don’t need to tell me what is going on, because I already know what is happening, the unknown soldiers has come to pick FELA again, you need to see how he was bitten ha! FELA's life was cut short by the various encounters he had with the unknown soldiers.
I love FELA’s way of life, his sence of resoning to me he is an enigma, a prophet and somebody who lives in the heart of so many people across the world, he made me to believe in the word freedom as in I am so free, clean and pure in my heart. He is a leader
