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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QMNa4671Yuw
The following is the government edict (Government Notice No. 1207/1966)

ordering the release of Awo on August 2, 1966.

By His Excellency Lieutenant Colonel Yakubu Gowon, Head of the National Military Government, Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Nigeria.

WHEREAS Chief Obafemi Awolowo, having been duly convicted of the offences of treasonable felony, conspiracy to commit a felony and conspiracy to effect an unlawful purpose, and sentenced to imprisonment for ten, five and two years respectively on all three counts:

AND WHEREAS the said Chief Obafemi Awolowo, having served a portion of the sentence originally imposed on him in September 1963:

AND WHEREAS the Supreme Military Council after reviewing his case, is pleased to remit the sentence and to grant a full pardon: NOW THEREFORE, in exercise of the powers conferred by section 101 (1) of the Constitution of the Republic and of all other power enabling it in that behalf, the Supreme Military Council do hereby remit unexpired portion of the sentence imposed on the aforesaid chief Obafemi Awolowo and grant him a full pardon.

GIVEN UNDER my hand and the Public Seal of the Republic of Nigeria at Lagos this 2nd day of August, one thousand nine hundred and sixty-six. I had decided to reproduce this to end the argument on the person who ordered the release of Awo. However, we needn't go this far to prove by deductive reasoning alone that Ojukwu could not have been the person.

1. Awo was a federal prisoner and no regional administrator had a say in the affairs of this category of prisoners. Ojukwu did so once (the release of the boys connected to the Jan 66 coup who were imprisoned in the east), but this was shortly b/4 the war started and when the East was already acting as if it were a separate nation from Nigeria.

2. When Awo was released, Ojukwu was still busy fighting for his own life. Following the July 29, 1966 coup, Ojukwu moved from the state House to Enugu Police Headquarters (it was rumoured that he was briefly in hiding at Onitsha but there is no record to prove this) on the evening of July 30 for his own security. It was from here that he carried out all his negotiations with Ogundipe and later, Gowon. In order to return to the State House, he requested for the removal of the Northern troops in the east and for the return of those of the of the east serving in other parts of the nation. Subsequently, this would be one of the key decisions adopted at the regional representatives' meeting which took place in Lagos on 9th August. It was only after this meeting and the subsequent removal of Northern troops in the following days, that Ojukwu felt safe enough to return to his State House.

3. Gowon went to meet Awolowo at the Airport, welcoming with the now famous statement, "we need you for the wealth of your experience." Note: I had mentioned Ikoyi prison (and I querried it) in the previous rebuttal, which I wrote off hand. Finally, let me state that one needs to be very careful with Ojukwu statements. When he says, good evening, one should open the window and peep outside to make sure it's not early morning. IMO, Ojukwu is incomparable among prominent Nigerians, dead or alive, in making up stories. Also, the fact that somebody makes a claim in the newspaper without any challenge does not make such a claim the gospel truth. Those who are capable of giving the challenge may think that the claim is so obviously false (as in this case), that its not worth the time to bother about a rebutal. And sometimes, a rebutal could have been published elsewhere. That one did not read a rebutal does not constitute enough ground to assert that none was made.

Awo walks with swag

I thought I was the only one who noticed his swag. Hand in pocket and even when talking to Gowon.

What amazes me is how some people can be so daft despite watching the video. First they said that Awolowo was released from Ikoyi prison's even though Awolowo was in Calabar prisons. Now they say that Gowon came to the Airport to recieve Awolowo even though Awolowo can be seen arriving at the so called Airport in a car

Its not possible for Gowon to have released Awolowo on August second 1966 for the simple reason that Gowon was not even Head of State at that time.

Ironsi was killed on on the 29th of July in Ibadan. For the first few days after that, nobody was actually running Nigeria. Very few people knew of Ironsi's whereabouts or that he was dead. So how could Gowon have released Awolowo on the second of August?

Gowon did not announce himself as head of state until August 4th, and even at that, the Eastern Region under Ojukwu did not recognize him as head of state.

So how could Gowon release Awolowo in an area that did not recognize him as head of state?

What people dont seem to understand is that back, Nigeria practiced a Regional system of Government where the Regions were very powerful, almost as powerful as the federal government

The only person who could have released Awolowo in early July was Ojukwu

Here is an excerpt from Awo's diary:

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"I will let my Diary for 3 August speak briefly here.
(1) Crossed the prison gate into freedom at 7.56 a.m.
(2) Plane took off from Calabar at 8.30 a.m.
(3) Arrived Ikeja airport at 9.32 a.m.
(4) Saw Gowon at his Headquarters.
(5) Returned to Ikenne alone in triumph. At this juncture, it is of interest to narrate the nature of Ironsi’s proposed release as it was disclosed to me after my actual release. The plan was to take me to Ikoyi prison until it was judged safe to set me free. A cell had been prepared for me there which contained extra facilities . If I did not like the place, I could be placed under house arrest at Ikenne. If I wanted to travel abroad, every facility would be afforded me to do so. That was why my intended release was not announced, even though a plane had been dispatched to Calabar to bring me to Lagos. Until negotiation with me on the above lines had been concluded, Ironsi’s team did not want the public to know that I had been transferred back to Ikoyi prison or to my house under house arrest, with my own consent."
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Read more here: https://www.nairaland.com/1932621/released-awolowo-prison-ojukwu-gowon