Near Life Experience: Atiku Recounts Surviving Assassination in Kaduna

Former Vice President of Nigeria and founder of the American University of Nigeria (AUN), Atiku Abubakar, has revealed chilling details of an assassination attempt he survived in 1994 during Nigeria’s military regime.

The revelation came during a recent appearance on the television program Untold Stories with Adesuwa Giwa-Osagie, where Atiku recounted the harrowing experience that nearly claimed his life in his Kaduna residence.

According to Atiku, armed men stormed his home while he was serving as a member of the constitutional assembly.

“The violent attack resulted in the deaths of six police officers and two personal security guards, who bravely confronted the assailants.

“It was the gun battle between the attackers and the police that saved my life. The gunfire forced the intruders, who had held me at gunpoint, to flee the scene,” Atiku stated.

In a particularly tense moment, Atiku recalled how his eldest son—home on holiday from the UK—was captured at gunpoint.

“I told them to leave him and take me instead,” he said, describing his desperate attempt to protect his family. He managed to hide his wife and daughter in a wardrobe as the situation escalated.

While attempting to confront the attackers, Atiku said they opened fire on him, but he narrowly escaped being hit by dropping to the floor. As police reinforcements arrived, the attackers retreated under pressure.

Following the incident, Atiku fled the country, first to London and then to the United States, where he remained in exile for nine months.

He later discovered from the then Inspector General of Police that the attack was linked to a broader security operation, which had reportedly been kept secret even from top police leadership.

The 1994 incident is just one of several personal and political challenges Atiku has faced throughout his career. He has previously detailed episodes of political persecution, asset seizures, and other threats during Nigeria’s struggle for democratic governance.

Despite these challenges, Atiku has remained a key figure in Nigerian politics. He served as Vice President from 1999 to 2007 and was the presidential candidate for the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 general elections.

His story, now publicly shared, underscores the dangers faced by many political figures during Nigeria’s turbulent transition from military to civilian rule.