Akintola was still in Agbada he wore to Kaduna to leak the coup plot to Sardauna when he was killed

Prince Ajayi Memaiyetan, an 83-year-old veteran journalist and public relations figure, has reflected on the turbulent political era he reported on as a young reporter, including the chain of events that occurred shortly before the January 1966 coup.

In an interview with The Nigerian Tribune, Memaiyetan recounted some of the most defining moments of his early career. One of them was a violent clash inside the Western Region House of Assembly where a mace swung in the chaos struck him on the head, leaving him seriously injured — a memory he said remains unforgettable.

He also revisited the political turmoil of the Operation Wetie period, the declaration of a state of emergency, and the detention of Chief S. L. A. Akintola and Chief Obafemi Awolowo. Memaiyetan reported these developments while working for the Nigerian Tribune before later joining the Daily Sketch in 1964, a government-backed newspaper created during Akintola’s administration ahead of the controversial 1965 elections.

His career eventually took him to Kaduna, where he joined the founding team of the New Nigerian newspaper. It was during this period that he unknowingly conducted what would become the last interview granted by the Sardauna of Sokoto, Sir Ahmadu Bello, upon his return from the lesser Hajj — just hours before the coup began.

According to Memaiyetan, Chief Akintola travelled to Kaduna to warn the Sardauna about rumours of an imminent coup allegedly circulating among political leaders. He said Akintola urged the Sardauna to leave the region, but the advice was dismissed. By the end of the night, both men were among those killed as the coup unfolded, along with other national leaders. Memaiyetan added that Akintola was reportedly still dressed in the same Agbada he wore during the visit to Kaduna earlier that day.

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