NIGERIA MEMORIAL .. part 4*
...At these time the country was in a mess... following scandalous elections that were marred by massive rigging, thuggery, intimidation, and murder, and corruption was at the heights and drew public condemnation as the ostentatious lifestyle of government ministers such as Chief Festus Okotie-Eboh raised eyebrows.
There were rumblings of possible military coup as early as 1964. Then President Azikiwe had openly called on the army to intervene to break the political deadlock in the country after he refused to call Balewa to form a new government following scandalous elections that were marred by massive rigging, thuggery, intimidation, and murder. The heads of the army, navy, and air force all met with Azikiwe and made it clear that they would not intervene. Azikiwe therefore eventually called on Balewa to form a new government after the nation tottered perilously in uncertainty. But that, also landed on a brick wall..
The list below shows the rank and background of the Nigerian army’s high command as at January 14 1966.
NAME
POSITION
BACKGROUND
Major-General Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi
GOC – Nigerian Army
East: Igbo
Commodore Joseph Wey Commanding Officer – Nigerian Navy Mixed Yoruba/eastern minority heritage
**Brigadier Samuel Ademulegun CO – 2nd Brigade – Kaduna West: Yoruba
**Brigadier Zakariya Maimalari
CO – 1st Brigade – Lagos
North: Kanuri
Brigadier Babafemi Ogundipe Nigerian military attaché in London West: Yoruba
Colonel Thimming CO – Nigerian Air Force German expatriate officer
Brigadier Varma CO – Nigerian Military Training College – Kaduna Indian expatriate officer
**Colonel Kur Mohammed (Acting) Chief of Staff at Army HQ – Lagos (in place of Colonel Robert Adebayo) North: Kanuri
**Colonel Ralph Shodeinde Deputy-Commander, Nigerian Military Training College: Kaduna West: Yoruba
Colonel Robert Adeyinka Adebayo Attending a course in London West: Yoruba
Lt-Colonel Yakubu Gowon Preparing to take over command of the 2nd battalion from Hilary Njoku North: Angas
Lt-Colonel Francis Fajuyi
(was on leave in his home town of Abeokuta during the coup)
CO – 1st Battalion - Enugu West: Yoruba
Lt-Colonel Hilary Njoku CO – 2nd Battalion – Lagos East: Igbo
Lt-Colonel George Kurubo
CO – 3rd Battalion – Kaduna
East: Rivers
**Lt-Colonel Abogo Largema CO – 4th Battalion – Ibadan North: Kanuri Lt-Colonel
Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu CO – 5th Battalion – Kano East: Igbo **Lt-Colonel
James Pam
Adjutant-General of the Nigerian Army
North: Birom (his father was the Chief of Jos and his brother was in the air force)
**Lt-Colonel Arthur Unegbe Quartermaster-General of the Nigerian Army Mid-West:
Igbo Lt-Colonel Ime Imo CO – Lagos Garrison East: Igbo Major Hassan Usman Katsina CO – 2nd Reconnaissance squadron - Kaduna North: Fulani
Major John Obienu CO – 1st Reconnaissance squadron – Abeokuta East: Igbo
Those whose names are in asterisk in the above list were killed in the coup of January 1966.
AGUIYI IRONSI: Aguiyi-ironsi was the most decorated of the three. A tall and physically imposing man – he looked like a soldier in contrast to the pot bellied generals of now, yet he was easygoing and spoke in a slow, measured tone. His father was from Sierra Leone and his mother an Igbo. He had been the premier soldier of his generation and was considered good enough to command a United Nations peacekeeping force and the first African to do so, in the Congo – twice. While Aguiyi-Ironsi was in the Congo, he took on the rank of Major-General, but reverted to Brigadier when he returned to Nigeria. During the Congo peacekeeping mission, Aguiyi-Ironsi sent Maimalari (who was then two ranks below him) home to Nigeria after a disagreement over military tactics. The words of retired Maj-Gen Ike Nwachukwu (then a second lieutenant) give an indication of Aguiyi-Ironsi’s stature at the time. Nwachukwu said that the first time he saw Aguiyi-Ironsi "it was like seeing a god... he was the god of all us soldiers." BRIGADIER MAIMALARI: Brigadier Maimalari was a notoriously fiery disciplinarian who was widely respect in the army and was tipped to become a future GOC.
BRIGADIER ADEMULEGUN: Brigadier Ademulegun was another disciplinarian, and he was the most controversial of the brigadiers of that time. he was unpopular in the army – especially among junior officers due to his open friendship with the Sardauna of Sokoto and that won him few friends in the military and irritated many junior officers. Ironically, Ademulegun felt that his political links would land him the job of GOC. For this reason, he may have been a little overconfident about his chances of securing the job. Thus when he did not get the job, which was given to AGUIYI IRONSI, he became jealous of the new GOC and was not shy about pointing out the inadequacies of the man picked in preference to him. He openly criticised IRONSI... BRIGADIER OGUNDIPE: Brigadier Ogundipe’s personality was more sedate than those of Brigadiers Ademulegun and Maimalari. he was a very capable and efficient officer Unlike Ademulegun he was very popular within the Army and greatly respected both as a senior officer and as a man. He was also noticeably non-political, unlike Lt-Colonels Odumegwu-Ojukwu and Banjo who had been accused of showing a greater than average interest in political matters.
NOTE: Both Lt-Colonels Odumegwu-Ojukwu and victor Banjo were not physically involved in the January coup,. But Major Ademoyega claims that the Majors who hatched the coup had at some point in time floated the idea of a coup to Odumegwu- Ojukwu and Victor Banjo, and also to Lt-Colonels Hilary Njoku and Francis Fajuyi. The four Lt-Colonels were not opposed to a military coup, but Njoku and Odumegwu-Ojukwu were “unsure” about whether to participate. None of the four Lt-Colonels got physically involved when the Majors eventually struck but Njoku, Ojukwu and Fajuyi actually assisted to varying extent in crushing the coup.. Further more, Fajuyi and Odumegwu-Ojukwu became military governors in Aguiyi-Ironsi’s military administration, leading Many northern soldiers to suspect Fajuyi of at the very least being sympathetic to the’ Coup and, at worst, to have assisted them in the planning of the coup....
KADUNA NZEOGWU:
Major Patrick Chukwuma Kaduna Nzeogwu was a promising, charismatic, and slightly rebellious officer that worked as the Chief Instructor at the Nigerian Military Training College in Kaduna. he was an incorruptible idealist without ambitions of power…
NZEOGWU: “We wanted to get rid of rotten and corrupt ministers, political parties, trade unions and the whole clumsy apparatus of the federal system. We wanted to gun down all the bigwigs on our way. This was the only way. We could not afford to let them live if this was to work... It is impossible to vote out a Nigerian minister...”
Nzeogwu was recruited into the conspiratorial group by the fellow Sandhurst-trained Major Chris Anuforo. Nzeogwu in turn tried to recruited Major Tim Onwuatuegwu and some other junior officers. Major Timothy Onwuatuegwu was an Igbo from Nnewi and a colleague of Major Nzeogwu at the Nigerian Military Training College, where Onwuatuegwu was also an instructor and a Sandhurst trained officer.
EMMA IFEAJUNA:
Major Emmanuel Ifeajuna was an Igbo from Onitsha and the Brigade Major in Lagos. He was an international athlete of some repute and held the Commonwealth record for high jumping. He was also a graduate of the University of Ibadan and was the “brains” behind the jan 15th 1966 coup and wrote a manuscript on the reasons why he felt a military coup was necessary but supposed manuscript was never published.
A COUP BY 5 IGBO MAJORS:
No less than nine majors were originally billed to take part in the coup. These nine were Majors Nzeogwu, Ifeajuna, Ademoyega, Okafor, Anuforo, Chukwuka, Obienu, Onwuatuegwu, and Chude-Sokei. but Shortly before the coup, Chude-Sokei was posted overseas. On the coup day itself, Obienu failed to show, leaving seven majors as participants. When it came to execution, the Majors designated five officers as regional commanders for the coup’s execution. Major Kaduna Nzeogwu and Major Tim Onwuatuegwu was to handle the Northern end of the coup. Major Emmanuel Ifeajuna was the head of the Lagos unit of the operations. The squad which killed Chief Samuel Akintola in Ibadan was led by Capt. Nwobosi.. There was no coup in the Mid-West as no military formation was based in that Region. However, Lieutenant Oguchi was dispatched to the East to arrest the Premier of the Eastern region, Dr Michael Okpara. Majors Don Okafor and Adewale Ademoyega were given much responsibility for the Lagos branch of the coup. Contrary to popular believe since 1966, that Major Nzeogwu was the leader of the January 1966 coup, it was actually Major Emmanuel Ifeajuna who was the brains behind the coup. The truth is that it was not until the coup plot reached its logistical stage that Nzeogwu was brought in to the conspiratorial group. However, when Major-General Aguiyi-Ironsi regained control of Nigeria’s then capital city of Lagos, Ifeajuna fled to Ghana, Realising that Ironsi was rounding up those that took part in the coup, leaving Nzeogwu to hold the fort.. And Claim the Fallen Glory of being the Leader Of the Coup! ....
Stay Tuned for more... NIGERIA MEMORIAL
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| Festus Okotie-Eboh (1919-1966) was a Nigerian politician and former Minister of Finance |
There were rumblings of possible military coup as early as 1964. Then President Azikiwe had openly called on the army to intervene to break the political deadlock in the country after he refused to call Balewa to form a new government following scandalous elections that were marred by massive rigging, thuggery, intimidation, and murder. The heads of the army, navy, and air force all met with Azikiwe and made it clear that they would not intervene. Azikiwe therefore eventually called on Balewa to form a new government after the nation tottered perilously in uncertainty. But that, also landed on a brick wall..
The list below shows the rank and background of the Nigerian army’s high command as at January 14 1966.
NAME
POSITION
BACKGROUND
 |
| Major-General Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi |
 |
| Commodore Joseph Wey |
Commodore Joseph Wey Commanding Officer – Nigerian Navy Mixed Yoruba/eastern minority heritage
**Brigadier Samuel Ademulegun CO – 2nd Brigade – Kaduna West: Yoruba
 |
| Brigadier Zakari Maimalari |
Brigadier Babafemi Ogundipe Nigerian military attaché in London West: Yoruba
Colonel Thimming CO – Nigerian Air Force German expatriate officer
 |
| Brigadier Samuel Ademulegun |
 |
| Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu |
Brigadier Varma CO – Nigerian Military Training College – Kaduna Indian expatriate officer
**Colonel Kur Mohammed (Acting) Chief of Staff at Army HQ – Lagos (in place of Colonel Robert Adebayo) North: Kanuri
**Colonel Ralph Shodeinde Deputy-Commander, Nigerian Military Training College: Kaduna West: Yoruba
 |
| Lt-Colonel Yakubu Gowon |
 |
| Colonel Wolfgang Thimmig, CO – Nigerian Air Force German expatriate officer |
Colonel Robert Adeyinka Adebayo Attending a course in London West: Yoruba
Lt-Colonel Yakubu Gowon Preparing to take over command of the 2nd battalion from Hilary Njoku North: Angas
 |
| Colonel Robert Adeyinka Adebayo |
CO – 1st Battalion - Enugu West: Yoruba
Lt-Colonel Hilary Njoku CO – 2nd Battalion – Lagos East: Igbo
 |
| Brigadier Babafemi Ogundipe |
 |
| Lt-Colonel Francis Fajuyi |
**Lt-Colonel Abogo Largema CO – 4th Battalion – Ibadan North: Kanuri Lt-Colonel
Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu CO – 5th Battalion – Kano East: Igbo **Lt-Colonel
 |
| Colonel Kur Mohammed |
**Lt-Colonel Arthur Unegbe Quartermaster-General of the Nigerian Army Mid-West:
Igbo Lt-Colonel Ime Imo CO – Lagos Garrison East: Igbo Major Hassan Usman Katsina CO – 2nd Reconnaissance squadron - Kaduna North: Fulani
Major John Obienu CO – 1st Reconnaissance squadron – Abeokuta East: Igbo
 |
| Colonel Ralph Shodeinde |
Those whose names are in asterisk in the above list were killed in the coup of January 1966.
AGUIYI IRONSI: Aguiyi-ironsi was the most decorated of the three. A tall and physically imposing man – he looked like a soldier in contrast to the pot bellied generals of now, yet he was easygoing and spoke in a slow, measured tone. His father was from Sierra Leone and his mother an Igbo. He had been the premier soldier of his generation and was considered good enough to command a United Nations peacekeeping force and the first African to do so, in the Congo – twice. While Aguiyi-Ironsi was in the Congo, he took on the rank of Major-General, but reverted to Brigadier when he returned to Nigeria. During the Congo peacekeeping mission, Aguiyi-Ironsi sent Maimalari (who was then two ranks below him) home to Nigeria after a disagreement over military tactics. The words of retired Maj-Gen Ike Nwachukwu (then a second lieutenant) give an indication of Aguiyi-Ironsi’s stature at the time. Nwachukwu said that the first time he saw Aguiyi-Ironsi "it was like seeing a god... he was the god of all us soldiers." BRIGADIER MAIMALARI: Brigadier Maimalari was a notoriously fiery disciplinarian who was widely respect in the army and was tipped to become a future GOC.
BRIGADIER ADEMULEGUN: Brigadier Ademulegun was another disciplinarian, and he was the most controversial of the brigadiers of that time. he was unpopular in the army – especially among junior officers due to his open friendship with the Sardauna of Sokoto and that won him few friends in the military and irritated many junior officers. Ironically, Ademulegun felt that his political links would land him the job of GOC. For this reason, he may have been a little overconfident about his chances of securing the job. Thus when he did not get the job, which was given to AGUIYI IRONSI, he became jealous of the new GOC and was not shy about pointing out the inadequacies of the man picked in preference to him. He openly criticised IRONSI... BRIGADIER OGUNDIPE: Brigadier Ogundipe’s personality was more sedate than those of Brigadiers Ademulegun and Maimalari. he was a very capable and efficient officer Unlike Ademulegun he was very popular within the Army and greatly respected both as a senior officer and as a man. He was also noticeably non-political, unlike Lt-Colonels Odumegwu-Ojukwu and Banjo who had been accused of showing a greater than average interest in political matters.
NOTE: Both Lt-Colonels Odumegwu-Ojukwu and victor Banjo were not physically involved in the January coup,. But Major Ademoyega claims that the Majors who hatched the coup had at some point in time floated the idea of a coup to Odumegwu- Ojukwu and Victor Banjo, and also to Lt-Colonels Hilary Njoku and Francis Fajuyi. The four Lt-Colonels were not opposed to a military coup, but Njoku and Odumegwu-Ojukwu were “unsure” about whether to participate. None of the four Lt-Colonels got physically involved when the Majors eventually struck but Njoku, Ojukwu and Fajuyi actually assisted to varying extent in crushing the coup.. Further more, Fajuyi and Odumegwu-Ojukwu became military governors in Aguiyi-Ironsi’s military administration, leading Many northern soldiers to suspect Fajuyi of at the very least being sympathetic to the’ Coup and, at worst, to have assisted them in the planning of the coup....
 |
| Major Patrick Chukwuma Kaduna Nzeogwu |
 |
| Major Emmanuel Ifeajuna |
A COUP BY 5 IGBO MAJORS:
No less than nine majors were originally billed to take part in the coup. These nine were Majors Nzeogwu, Ifeajuna, Ademoyega, Okafor, Anuforo, Chukwuka, Obienu, Onwuatuegwu, and Chude-Sokei. but Shortly before the coup, Chude-Sokei was posted overseas. On the coup day itself, Obienu failed to show, leaving seven majors as participants. When it came to execution, the Majors designated five officers as regional commanders for the coup’s execution. Major Kaduna Nzeogwu and Major Tim Onwuatuegwu was to handle the Northern end of the coup. Major Emmanuel Ifeajuna was the head of the Lagos unit of the operations. The squad which killed Chief Samuel Akintola in Ibadan was led by Capt. Nwobosi.. There was no coup in the Mid-West as no military formation was based in that Region. However, Lieutenant Oguchi was dispatched to the East to arrest the Premier of the Eastern region, Dr Michael Okpara. Majors Don Okafor and Adewale Ademoyega were given much responsibility for the Lagos branch of the coup. Contrary to popular believe since 1966, that Major Nzeogwu was the leader of the January 1966 coup, it was actually Major Emmanuel Ifeajuna who was the brains behind the coup. The truth is that it was not until the coup plot reached its logistical stage that Nzeogwu was brought in to the conspiratorial group. However, when Major-General Aguiyi-Ironsi regained control of Nigeria’s then capital city of Lagos, Ifeajuna fled to Ghana, Realising that Ironsi was rounding up those that took part in the coup, leaving Nzeogwu to hold the fort.. And Claim the Fallen Glory of being the Leader Of the Coup! ....
Stay Tuned for more... NIGERIA MEMORIAL
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