A military coup is the violent or non-violent
overthrow of an existing political regime.
Between 1966 and 1999 the army held power
almost uninterrupted, apart from a short-
lived return to democracy between
1979-1983. “Military coups and military rule
(which began as an emergency aberration)
became a seemingly permanent feature of
Nigerian politics.


The January 1966 coup
The January 1966 coup was carried out by
mostly Igbo army officers including Major
Kaduna Nzeogwu , Major Emmanuel Ifeajuna
among others. The casualties of the coup
included the Prime Minister Alhaji Abubakar
Tafawa Balewa, the Sardauna of Sokoto Sir
Ahmadu Bello , the Premier of the Western
Region Samuel Akintola , the finance minister
Festus Okotie-Eboh among others.


The July 1966 coup
Popularly known as the Nigerian Counter-
Coup of 1966, in July, saw Major-General
Gowon succeed Ironsi. It lasted from July
28th to July 30th1966.


The 1975 coup
General Yakubu Gowon was ousted in a
palace coup on July 30, 1975, which brought
then Brigadier Murtala Muhammed to power
as Head of State.


The 1976 coup
Popularly and erroneously known as the
'Dimka Coup', this bloody (and aborted) coup
led to the assassination of General Murtala
Muhammed . Upon General Muhammed's
death and the foiling of the coup, then Lt
General Olusegun Obasanjo became Head of
State.


The 1983 coup
The Nigerian Military Coup of December 31,
1983 was led by a group of senior army
officers who overthrew the democratically
elected government of President Shehu
Shagari . Participants included Majors
General Ibrahim Babangida and Muhammadu
Buhari, Brigadiers Ibrahim Bako, Sani
Abacha , and Tunde Idiagbon. Major General
Buhari was appointed Head of State by the
conspirators.


The August 1985 coup
This was a palace coup led by then Chief of
Army Staff, Major General Ibrahim Babangida
who overthrew the administration of Major
General Muhammadu Buhari.

The alleged Vatsa coup of December 1985
Hundreds of military officers were arrested,
some were tried, convicted and eventually
executed for conspiring to overthrew the
Babangida administration. The conspirators
were alleged to have been led by Major
General Mamman Jiya Vatsa.

The 1990 coup
Major Gideon Orkar staged a violent and
failed attempt to overthrow the government
of General Ibrahim Babangida .


The 1993 coup
Facing pressure to shift towards a
democratic government, Babangida resigned
and appointed Ernest Shonekan as interim
president 26 August 1993. Shonekan's
transitional administration only lasted three
months, as a palace coup led by General
Sani Abacha . In September 1994, Abacha
issued a decree that placed his government
above the jurisdiction of the courts,
effectively giving him absolute power.

I was thought in secondary school

benedictnsi:
I was thought in secondary school

I guess u were, but u certainly don't remember the order, until u read it now, u should thank me...

hmmm..... naija with history

MidasTouche:
I guess u were, but u certainly don't remember the order, until u read it now, u should thank me...

Thank fire......


Thank me instead for reading this partially