In 1982, Kunle Idiagbon, son of the late General Tunde Idiagbon, was a student at Military School in Zaria, the same institution his father once attended. Discipline in the school was strict, and though his father, then a brigadier general and military secretary, was back in Lagos, Kunle still saw him simply as “daddy.” During one of the intense drills, Kunle was called to the commandant’s house with news that his father had come to see him. Relieved at the opportunity to escape the strenuous exercise, he rushed over, excited to see his father, who was seated with the commandant, both reading newspapers. His father stood up to receive him, and overcome with emotion, Kunle ran into his arms without thinking of the formalities required in a military setting.
Instead of returning the warm embrace, his father pushed him back slightly and delivered a hard slap across his face. Dazed and confused, Kunle struggled to understand what he had done wrong. Then, his father turned to the commandant and questioned the training standards of the school, pointing out that a cadet had just approached a general without saluting. In response, the commandant ordered the disciplinary team to punish Kunle immediately. His belt and cap were removed, and he was disciplined on the spot, while his father watched without interference. That moment made Kunle realize that beyond being his father, Tunde Idiagbon was, first and foremost, a senior officer of the Nigerian Army.
