“BUHARI JAILED HIM FOR 100 YEARS”: THE STORY OF Ambrose Folorunsho Alli
By EgbemaVoice
Before the politics, before the controversy, Ambrose Folorunsho Alli was a brilliant medical doctor and respected professor—one of Nigeria’s finest minds.
In 1979, he made history as the first civilian governor of old Bendel State (now Edo State and Delta State). And he came prepared.
Alli didn’t waste time.
He launched free education, expanded schools, improved infrastructure, and founded what is today known as Ambrose Alli University—a legacy that still shapes thousands of lives.
To many, he was more than a governor—he was a visionary who believed the future of Bendel lay in education.
But everything changed after the 1983 Nigerian military coup.
In 1984, under the military regime of Muhammadu Buhari, Alli was arrested and tried by a military tribunal.
He was accused of financial mismanagement involving public funds.
The verdict was shocking:
He was sentenced to 100 years imprisonment.
To many Nigerians, it felt less like justice and more like a harsh military crackdown on former civilian leaders.
However, in 1986, his sentence was reduced, and he was eventually released during the regime of Ibrahim Babangida.
(While stories circulate about a fine being paid, historical records more strongly support a state pardon and sentence reduction rather than a direct “buyout” of his freedom.)
By then, the damage had been done.
Years of imprisonment had taken a serious toll on his health.
In 1989, Ambrose Folorunsho Alli passed away at the age of 60 after battling Prostate cancer.
Today, his legacy is not defined by prison walls—but by the classrooms he built, the opportunities he created, and the institution that still bears his name.
In Nigeria, politics and power have often walked a fine line.
But true impact?
That can never be buried.
Comments