Radio Coup

A military takeover bid

The announcement last Saturday over Nigeria's Radio Lagos was brief and enigmatic. Claiming to speak on behalf of the country's armed forces, Brigadier General Sana Abacha of the Nigerian army declared that he and his colleagues had "decided to effect a change in the leadership of the government" of President Shehu Shagari, 58. "This task," said Abacha, "has just been completed." The general then announced that all political parties were being banned and communications with the outside world suspended, and that a dusk-to-dawn curfew was being imposed. Only four months after Nigeria's 25.4 million voters re-elected Shagari to a second four-year term, it appeared that a bloodless military coup--or at least an attempt--had taken place in Africa's most populous country (pop. about 85 million) and one of its foremost democracies.

No immediate confirmation of Abacha's announcement was possible because of the communications cutoff. But diplomatic sources in Paris said that Shagari, most of his Cabinet ministers and some members of the 544-seat National Assembly were under arrest. It was unclear whether Abacha, identified as the commander of an armored brigade in the capital, Lagos, had acted on his own or with the support of other commanders.

In justifying his actions, Abacha cited Nigeria's "grave economic predicament," brought about, he said, by an "inept and corrupt leadership." Oil normally accounts for 90% of Nigeria's export earnings, but the world petroleum glut sent those revenues falling from a peak of $26 billion a year to $10 billion. Corruption in Nigeria is rampant.

Few federal or state contracts are awarded without payment of a "mobilization fee," which can amount to 40% of the value of the contract. It is widely believed that some of the political chieftains who supported Shagari and his ruling National Party have benefited from the largesse.

Shagari, a former schoolteacher, was well aware of the economic mess and intended to use his mandate to do something about it. Only two days before the coup declaration, Shagari went on the air with a budget speech announcing tough austerity measures, including a reduction of state subsidies on a wide range of goods and services. In the confusion and uncertainty following the latest military announcement, no one could say whether Shagari's attempts at reform had failed to go far enough to satisfy some of the generals--or whether those measures had perhaps gone too far.