How Four Nigerian Teens Hijacked A Plane Carrying China’s Vice President ‘Because of MKO Abiola’ In 1993

The tension in Nigeria became unbearable after the annulment of the June 12, 1993 election by Ibrahim Babangida. That election had already declared M.K.O Abiola as the winner, but it was suddenly cancelled on the grounds of “electoral irregularities.”

Before stepping down on August 26, 1993, Babangida set up an Interim National Government led by Ernest Shonekan, claiming it would oversee a transition to democracy. But many Nigerians already knew the truth… there was no real plan to hand over power to Abiola.

This led to widespread anger, protests, and resistance across the country. One of the most shocking outcomes of that period was an incident nobody expected… the hijacking of a Nigerian Airways plane by four teenagers.

On October 25, 1993, a Nigerian Airways Airbus A310 flying from Lagos to Abuja was taken over mid-air by four young Nigerians — Richard Ogunderu, Benneth Oluwadaisi, Kabir Adenuga, and Kenny Rasaq-Lawal. They claimed to be acting on behalf of the Movement for the Advancement of Democracy.

There were 159 people on board.

At about 30,000 feet above sea level, the boys made their move. Using toy guns they had cleverly smuggled into the plane, they forced their way into the cockpit and took control. One of them addressed the passengers calmly, telling them the plane had been taken over and that no harm would come to them.

Their original plan was to redirect the flight to Frankfurt in Germany, but the pilots insisted there wasn’t enough fuel. The plane attempted to land in Ndjamena, Chad for refueling, but was denied permission, forcing them to divert to Niamey, Niger Republic.

Years later, Richard Ogunderu explained their mindset. He said fear had already taken over the cabin, but their mission was clear… they wanted change. According to him, when a system becomes too harsh, it can push people to extreme actions.

Inside the plane, they took control fully. Some stayed back to monitor and intimidate passengers while others directed the pilot. They made it clear that their mission was not random… it was political.

Their demands were bold. They wanted the restoration of democracy, the recognition of the June 12 election, press freedom, and the trial of those who supported the military regime. They also demanded the immediate dissolution of the interim government, which they described as illegal.

When the plane landed in Niamey, they released 34 hostages. Among those freed was Rong Yiren, who had been on board. The remaining hostages included Nigerian government officials and crew members.

The teenagers then issued a 72-hour ultimatum to the Nigerian government. If their demands were not met, they threatened to blow up the aircraft.

The world was shocked. Nigeria was known as a relatively safe aviation environment at the time, and no one expected such a bold and calculated act from teenagers.

For three days, the boys held their ground.

Then came the end.

On October 28, 1993, authorities moved in. The plane was stormed, and the hostages were rescued. The operation, however, was not without loss. One crew member died, and five people were injured, including one of the hijackers, Richard Ogunderu.

The four boys were arrested immediately, handcuffed, and taken into custody.

Their suffering did not end there.

According to Kenny Rasaq-Lawal, they were taken to a prison in Niamey where temperatures could reach as high as 55 degrees Celsius. They were poorly fed, isolated, and unable to communicate, as they did not speak Hausa or French, and no one spoke English to them.

For nine years and four months, they remained in prison without any contact with their families.

Finally, in 2002, they were released.

This remains one of the most shocking moments in Nigeria’s democratic struggle… when four teenagers took matters into their own hands and forced the world to pay attention.

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