History Class going on here. I like this.

naptu2:

Murtala refused to move into State House Dodan Barracks. He didn't have a generator in his house. It took Obasanjo and Danjuma many weeks to convince him to install one. He forbade the First Lady and other government officials from using long wheelbase limousines and escorts. He didn't have any escorts or long motorcades. He rode to work at Dodan Barracks in a thin skinned Mercedes Benz limousine (with only his driver, ADC and orderly. No other cars and no gun wielding escorts).

He was assassinated on his way to work when soldiers (including William Seri) sub-machine gunned his car as it slowed down at the junction of Bank Road and Ikoyi Road.

. You are correct on everything but one. He was assassinated in front of the then Federal Secretariat accross the B P petrol station on d way to jumat service.

Lucasbalo: . You are correct on everything but one. He was assassinated in front of the then Federal Secretariat accross the B P petrol station on d way to jumat service.

1) The junction of Bank Road and Ikoyi Road is opposite the former Federal Secretariat.

2) He was assassinated on his way to work. The plan was to assassinate top government functionaries on their way to work.

Colonel Dumuje was injured on Awolowo Road (opposite Mobil petrol station) because the coupist thought that he was Obasanjo. Obasanjo was late to work because he went to Olu Bajowa's house. Bajowa's wife had just given birth and he wanted Obasanjo to name the baby.

Danjuma went to work (at Marina) by boat rather than by car. He went to Queen's Drive where he joined the Chief of Naval Staff (Admiral Adelanwa)and Colonel Domkat Bali on a boat to Marina. He only found out about the coup when he got to his office at Marina.

I know people who were in the traffic jam on Ikoyi Road (on their way to school) when the shooting started.

If you go to the junction of Bank Road and Ikoyi Road today, you'll see an obelisk that marks the site where Murtala was killed. It was erected by General Babangida when he was head of state. Babangida wanted to erect a statue of Murtala, but the family said that it would be against Murtala's wishes and his islamic belief, so an obelisk was erected instead.

As usual, Naptu dishes out historical facts! Oga, I dey hail o.

@topic: I think the Aso Villa's location is ultimately not tourist friendly, judging from the pics of the exterior of the Council chambers.

BTW, I want a new, picturesque Presidential Villa to be built, encompassing both the President's and VP's residencies.

CFCfan: As usual, Naptu dishes out historical facts! Oga, I dey hail o.

@topic: I think the Aso Villa's location is ultimately not tourist friendly, judging from the pics of the exterior of the Council chambers.

BTW, I want a new, picturesque Presidential Villa to be built, encompassing both the President's and VP's residencies.

There's a huge scandal story about that very topic (check the other thread). Akinola Aguda House was the Abuja residence of the President from the 1970s to 1991 when the Presidential Villa was built. It became the Vice President's residence afterwards. The problem is that it was also used as the President's guest house (Queen Elizabeth stayed there in 2003). Another residence was built for the Vice President, but it was later given to the Chief Justice.

Now the problem is that the government wants to build a new residence for the Vice President, but the masses are not happy about the cost. They also do not believe that it should take top priority when the country has other important issues that need attention. Check the other thread for the full article.

^^
yeah, I'm aware of the N7bn VP housing scandal. What the FG can do is y to auction off the present residencies of both the President and VP, build a new complex from scratch (which will contain the official residencies if both top leaders and the SGF). Also, an Airforce/airbase could be built next to the new complex, to be used for the Predidentisl aircraft.

Nasir El-Rufai, when he was the minister of the FCT, revealed that the Aso Rock Villa is actually an illegal structure. In the Abuja master plan the president's residence is meant to be Aguda House, while the current site of the Aso Rock Villa is meant to be a green area. "But", he joked, "who will demolish the Villa?"
Justice Akinola Aguda was the chairman of the committee that selected Abuja as the site of the new federal capital in the 1970s.


Aguda House.

www.nairaland.com/attachments/717090_Akinola20Aguda20House_jpgefedb3be2ee391f3323bf242c55142e9

naptu2: Nasir El-Rufai, when he was the minister of the FCT, revealed that the Aso Rock Villa is actually an illegal structure. In the Abuja master plan the president's residence is meant to be Aguda House, while the current site of the Aso Rock Villa is meant to be a green area. "But", he joked, "who will demolish the Villa?"
Justice Akinola Aguda was the chairman of the committee that selected Abuja as the site of the new federal capital in the 1970s.


Aguda House.

www.nairaland.com/attachments/717090_Akinola20Aguda20House_jpgefedb3be2ee391f3323bf242c55142e9

Imagine!!!