By Ivlas Idama
Late Major General Abdul Kareem Adisa was arrested in December, 1997 along with former Chief of General Staff, Lieutenant General Oladipo Diya, Major-General Tajudeen Olarenwaju and others over an alleged coup to overthrow the military administration of late General Sani Abacha.
Adisa, a former military governor of Oyo State from August, 1990 to January, 1992 under the General Ibrahim Babangida regime and Minister of Works and Housing under the Abacha regime, was condemned to death sentence with other alleged coup plotters by the General Victor Malu Tribunal.
As fate would have it, on June 8th, 1998, the day Abacha was to attend the African Union meeting of heads of state, Abacha who overthrew the Interim National Government led by Chief Ernest Shonekan in November, 1993, died.
General Abdulsalami Abubakar who succeeded Abacha, granted Adisa and his colleagues State pardon and released them from detention.
One year and two days after General Olusegun Obasanjo was inaugurated president, precisely on June 1st, 2000, Adisa’s wife, Khadijat Adisa, gave birth to Toyin at the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, in Kwara State
Unfortunately, Toyin’s father, the no-nonsense military officer, died in a car crash on February 25th, 2005 when little Toyin was just four years, nine months, and one week old.
Now a 24 year-old second year student of nursing in Accra, Ghana, the question in many quarters is, who really, is Toyin Adisa?
For answers, we contacted General Adisa’s nephews, Tunde Ibrahim Sarata Noah and Nafiu Nuhu whose mother is General Adisa’s elder sister.
Tunde, who is the Kwara State Secretary of the Association of Primary School Head Teachers of Nigeria, revealed, “Toyin was born at the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital in Kwara State on June 1st, 2000.”
“Her naming ceremony was conducted by General Adisa’s father, Baba Aluko along with my mother who is General Adisa’s elder sister.”
Said he, “Baba Aluko named Toyin Belawu Akanke at Oke Aluko on Taiwo Road, Ilorin”
He added, “I knew Toyin’s mother, Khadijat through General Adisa. Since February 25th, 2005 that General Adisa died, our family relationship with Toyin’s mother and Toyin has been cordial”
Speaking in the same vein, Tunde ‘s brother, Nafiu Nuhu said, “Toyin and her mother have been a source of happiness in our family”
He added, “It was General Adisa’s father that named Toyin’s mother Khadijat when General Adisa married her. I was present at the ceremony. Ever since, Khadijat has been loyal to the family. No betrayal, no squabbles. She is a kind and peace-loving person”
“My cousin, Toyin is a brilliant girl and she is so humble, sober and respectful.”
Meanwhile, Toyin’s father, General Abdul Kareem Adisa who was born in 1948 and who died at the age of 56 in a ghastly car accident, would have been 76 years old on August 22nd, 2024.