Former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo has paid tribute to the late US President Jimmy Carter, recalling how the American leader personally intervened to seek his release from imprisonment during the military regime of General Sani Abacha.

Speaking at a memorial service on Sunday in honour of Carter, who died aged 100, Obasanjo described the visit as a life-saving gesture.

“President Carter was one of my foreign friends who risked their necks to save my life and secure my release from prison,” Obasanjo said during the service held at the Chapel of Christ the Glorious King, within the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library, Abeokuta.

“On his visit to Nigeria, he convinced Abacha to transfer me from detention to house arrest on my farm. Although this arrangement did not last long, Carter’s commitment stood out. He was the only non-African leader, to my knowledge, who personally visited Abacha to plead for my release.”

Obasanjo was arrested in 1995 for allegedly plotting a coup against the military regime but was freed after Abacha’s death in 1998. He subsequently became Nigeria’s president in 1999 under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Reflecting on Carter’s efforts, Obasanjo recounted: “In the US, I met Carter, who explained the extent of his interventions. He shared that Ted Turner had approached him, offering to care for me and my family if I were released. It was a moment that moved me deeply.”

Obasanjo concluded his tribute by describing Carter as a great friend and an exemplary leader. “For me, I have lost a true friend, but I believe we shall meet again in Paradise. May his soul rest in peace,” he said.