Following President Ibrahim Babangida’s decision to annul the June 12, 1993 presidential election – which had proclaimed M.K.O Abiola as the winner – the clamour for democracy increased in Nigeria.
Babangida claimed the election was marred by electoral irregularities, but before he stepped down from power on 26th August 1993, he established an interim government that had no intention of ceding power to Abiola. This decision earned the government opposition from Abiola and his supporters.
The Earnest Shonekan-led Interim National Government witnessed various protests against it during its short tenure. The hijacking of Nigerian Airways airbus A310 by four Nigerian teenagers, who claimed to be acting for the Movement for the Advancement of Democracy (MAD), was one of such protests.
On October 25, 1993, the four hijackers – Richard Ogunderu, Benneth Oluwadaisi, Kabir Adenuga, and Kenny Rasaq-Lawal – smuggled toy g*ns onto a domestic Nigerian Airways airbus that was scheduled to fly from Lagos to Abuja. At 30,000 feet above sea level, they hijacked the plane and diverted it towards Niamey, the capital of Niger Republic, hoping to gain international attention for their cause.
The young hijackers aimed to restore democracy and actualize the annulled June 12 election, among other demands, such as press freedom and the dissolution of the interim government. They separated men from women and government officials from ordinary citizens during the operation. Upon landing in Niger Republic, they released 34 hostages, including Vice President Rong Yiren of China and some Nigerian government officials.
After giving the Nigerian government a 72-hour ultimatum to meet their demands, the hijackers had control of the plane for three days until the Nigerian military stormed the aircraft. The rescue operation left one crew member dead and five injured, including one of the captured hijackers, Richard Ogunderu. The hijackers were taken to prison, where they spent nine years and four months in Niamey and had no contact with their families. They were later released in 2002.