Fayemi Recounts Daring Smuggling of Radio Kudirat Transmitters on Air France Flight During Abacha Era

Former Ekiti State Governor and pro-democracy activist, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, has revealed a gripping account of how he smuggled radio transmission equipment into Nigeria aboard an Air France flight during General Sani Abacha’s military regime — a high-risk mission that contributed to the launch of the underground station known as Radio Kudirat.

In a speech delivered as part of a democracy and civil society forum, Fayemi shared vivid details of his covert operation, which nearly ended in disaster when the flight unexpectedly made a stop in Lagos rather than his intended destination, Cotonou, in the Republic of Benin.

Fayemi, then a key figure in the pro-democracy movement, had been tasked with transporting short-wave transmitters intended for Freedom Radio, the precursor to Radio Kudirat.

The equipment was part of a broader communication strategy designed to challenge the military dictatorship’s information control and connect with Nigerians across the country in their local languages.

“I was on an Air France flight with the transmitter carefully hidden. The plan was to disembark in Cotonou and move the equipment into Nigeria discreetly. “But unexpectedly, the flight landed in Lagos first. My heart was in my mouth,” Fayemi recalled.

Aware of the potentially fatal consequences of being caught with equipment that could be deemed subversive, Fayemi said he remained calm, burying his face in a newspaper while ground officials and plainclothes security operatives came aboard.

“The regime at the time saw these broadcasts as tantamount to levying war against the Nigerian state.

“Being caught with such equipment could have cost me my life or lead to indefinite detention,” he said.

Despite the scare, Fayemi safely exited the aircraft without raising suspicion. Shortly after, Freedom Radio began clandestine broadcasts from within Nigeria, later evolving into Radio Kudirat International, which transmitted from abroad with the backing of pro-democracy exiles and international supporters.

The station became a thorn in the side of the Abacha regime, delivering messages of resistance and democratic advocacy in over a dozen Nigerian languages.

Alongside Fayemi, notable figures like Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka and Senator Bola Tinubu played key roles in its establishment and operations.

Radio Kudirat was named in honor of Kudirat Abiola, the slain wife of Chief MKO Abiola, and symbolized the resistance movement against military oppression.

Fayemi also revealed that the broadcasting infrastructure was eventually established with help from allies in Norway and Sweden, where segments of the Nigerian exile community had mobilized.

The project was financed through support from international organizations and managed by committed NADECO members.

Bolaji Akinyemi, another top NADECO figure and former Minister of Foreign Affairs, later confirmed Fayemi’s role, describing it as “a dangerously courageous act” that many did not realize at the time.

“Kayode put his life on the line. That he’s still here today to tell the story is a testimony to God’s grace,” Akinyemi said.

The broadcasts from Radio Kudirat not only helped expose the atrocities of the Abacha regime but also sustained morale among Nigerians during a dark chapter in the nation’s political history.

The station’s influence continued until the sudden death of General Abacha in 1998, which opened the door for Nigeria’s return to democratic rule the following year.

Reflecting on those years, Fayemi stated that their struggle was not merely political, but spiritual and moral.

“We weren’t just fighting for democracy — we were fighting for dignity, for truth, and for the soul of Nigeria,” he said.

Today, as Nigeria marks over two decades of democratic governance, stories like Fayemi’s serve as a reminder of the price many paid — and the courage they summoned — to help bring the country back from the brink of tyranny.