Background

After independence, a political alliance made between the leading Hausa and Igbo political parties, which ruled Nigeria from 1960 to 1966 had excluded the mainstream Yoruba parties under Awolowo. To many, Igbo people were considered to be the main beneficiaries of this alliance, taking most of the top jobs and leading business opportunities in the Nigerian federation.

The elections of 1965 saw the Nigerian National Alliance of the Muslim north and the conservative elements in the west, face off against the United Progressive Grand Alliance of the Christian east and the progressive elements among the westerners. The Alliance of North and West won a crushing victory under Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, amid claims of widespread electoral fraud. Many newspapers and election observers reported incidents in which millions of cattle, goats and sheep voted for the Northern candidates.

It was in this charged scenario that the military intervened.

The Coup

The January 15 was orchestrated by six Army officers: Kaduna Nzeogwu, Emma Ifeajuna, Chris Anuforo, Wale Ademoyega, Timothy Onwutuegwu, and Donatus Okafor.

Historians and scholars have consistently written in agreement that Nzeogwu, Anuforo and Ademoyega were genuine nationalists and detribalized men while the the motives of Ifeajuna and Okafor are still shrouded in mystery until today.

What is clear however, is that of the six plotters, only one (Ademoyega) was not Igbo, and going through a list of their victims, there was only one Igbo man (Lt. Col. A. Unegbe) killed.

The North lost the core of its political elite (Tafawa Balewa and Ahmadu Bello), and some of their best military officers (Zakariya Maimalari, Kur Mohammed, Abogo Largema and James Pam), while the West lost its leading politician at the time (Samuel Akintola), and some officers (Sam Ademulegun and Ralph Sodeinde).

This list of people killed is by no means exhaustive, but I must point out that four people who were on the list to die that day somehow escaped, and they are Nnamdi Azikiwe (who 'conveniently' left Nigeria two days before), Michael Opara, Dennis Osadebe and J.T. Aguiyi-Ironsi. They were all Igbo.

Detribalized Analysis

I do not believe that the coup of January 15, 1966 was meant to be an Igbo coup. Of all Nigeria’s coups, it was the most nationalistic in outlook and didn’t promote any group’s interests over those of any other. Unfortunately however, it was poorly executed by those who executed it in the South, and from that moment on the fates of millions of people was sealed.

Naturally, the North felt that it had been shafted, and began to make plans for revenge, a revenge which they took in more measures than one when the pogroms started in May 1966, and eventually the counter coup of July 29, 1966. I do not think any sane human being can blame the North for its reaction here.

And the rest they say, is [url=lalasticlala.oam4j.afam4eva]history.[/url]

.

noted

r

It was meant to look like an Igbo coup when in actuality it was a coup led by young Igbo Officers.

Let that statement above simmer in.

The British through the MI5 selected and supported these officers and groomed them for a coup that was meant to lead to war.

Why?

The British knew with the current political arrangement of regional govt, there was no way they could get their greedy hands on Niger Delta and Biafra Oil freely as they have done for the past 50yrs now.

The British needed to reorient the political landscape inorder to discard the regional arrangement and put all the oil control in the hands of a central govt controlled by the north.

This is what the coup was all about.

The young Igbo officers where highly myopic to the outcome of their brazen actions.

WombRaiders:
It was meant to look like an Igbo coup when in actuality it was a coup led by young Igbo Officers.

Let that statement above simmer in.

The British through the MI5 supported selected and supported these officers and groomed them for a coup that was meant to led to war.

Why?

The British knew with the current political arrangement of regional govt, there was no way they could get their greedy hands on Niger Delta and Biafra Oil freely as they have done for the past 50yrs now.

The British needed to reorient the political landscape inorder to discard the regional arrangement and put all the oil control in the hands of a central govt controlled by the north.

This is what the coup was all about.

The young Igbo officers where highly myopic to the outcome of their brazen actions.

Your comments are appreciated, but please lets have a healthy discussion devoid of unsubstantiated assertions. Please support your statement in bold text above so that your readers will not summarily dismiss it. Thanks.

At the time of that coup, majority of the senior officers corps of the Nigerian Army were all Igbos. Chukwuma Kaduna Nzeogwu was born and raised in Kaduna. He spoke far better Hausa than he could Igbo. Would it be right to say that this man led a coup to enthrone the Igbos? Everybody knows that it was the political disturbances of 1964 to 65 is what caused Nzeogwu and co to strike. It was not an Igbo coup, it was made to look that way to justify the wholesale slaughter the northern officers would perpetrate 6 months later.

nduchucks:


Your comments are appreciated, but please lets have a healthy discussion devoid of unsubstantiated assertions. Please support your statement in bold text above so that your readers will not summarily dismiss it. Thanks.

Have you ever wondered why the counter coup by Northern officers never reverted back to the old regional arrangement and why Awolowo and co where silent about losing political and fiscal autonomy to a bunch of young khaki boys acting as central govt?

This is the entrance to the rabbit hole.

The 1966 coup was meant to destabilize and lead to a change in the political structure to pave for expoitation of Niger Delta Oil.

zendy:
At the time of that coup, majority of the senior officers corps of the Nigerian Army were all Igbos. Chukwuma Kaduna Nzeogwu was born and raised in Kaduna. He spoke far better Hausa than he could Igbo. Would it be right to say that this man led a coup to enthrone the Igbos? Everybody knows that it was the political disturbances of 1964 to 65 is what caused Nzeogwu and co to strike. It was not an Igbo coup, it was made to look that way to justify the wholesale slaughter the northern officers would perpetrate 6 months later.

Sir, who intentionally made the coup to look like an Igbo coup to justify wholesale slaughter, as you put it? Are you insinuating that there was a plan for the "pogroms" before the coup and that the pogroms were not reactions to the said coup?

WombRaiders:


Have you ever wondered why the counter coup by Northern officers never reverted back to the old regional arrangement and why Awolowo and co where silent about losing political and fiscal autonomy to a bunch of young khaki boys acting as central govt?

This is the entrance to the rabbit hole.

The 1966 coup was meant to destabilize and lead to a change in the political structure to pave for expoitation of Niger Delta Oil.

Once again, please substantiate your assertions with verifiable facts.

So if 4 or 5 young Igbo officers staged a coup, killed mostly non-Igbos, how did that transcend into killing EVERY Igbo person at sight
Please don't go into that usually laughable reason on how some Igbos were seen jubliating, dancing and sing Ewu n'ebe akwa, and turning the volumes of their radios high: as reasons to officially launch a genocide against the Igbo people.

ok.

nduchucks:


Sir, who intentionally made the coup to look like an Igbo coup to justify wholesale slaughter, as you put t? Are you insinuating that there was a plan for the "pogroms" before the coup and that the pogroms were not reactions to the said coup?

The people that control this world wield enormous power and they do this by unleashing war.

The west is good at one thing only: destabilizing peaceful democratic countries and in it's place entrenching despotic corrupt leadership.

They did this in south and central America and are still doing it in Africa.

They can achieve all this by simply identifying the fault lines within any Nation.

Take for example Nigeria with it's fractured landscape cutting across religious, ethnic and class variations.

Even in countries which are nearly homogeneous ethnically and religious wise the west uses political ideology to divide and conquer (see Ukraine, Colombia, Venezuela, etc).

You will be amazed how easy it is to move the pawn pieces when you are in charge with power and the source of that power comes from knowledge of your enemies composition.

Beyond the rhetorics, the Hausas felt slighted hence, the Revenge mission they embarked on.

It was an unfortunate happening.
May there be peace in our nation.

micklplus:
Beyond the rhetorics, the Hausas felt slighted hence, the Revenge mission they embarked on.

It was an unfortunate happening.
May there be peace in our nation.

Everytime a group fells slighted, what do they do?
The master minds of those terroristic genocidal killings are still around today, living big, and making all sorts of childish excuses to justify their action.
Unfortunately, the nation will never move forward in peace, justice, and progress until those basic evils are addressed--history tells us so.

WombRaiders:

Awolowo and co where silent about losing political and fiscal autonomy to a bunch of young khaki boys acting as central govt?

Operation Araba, the counter coup was a secession mission. The plan was to avenge the death of the Northern military officers and political leaders that were killed by ibo coupist in the Jan coup and to eventually split the country. That was the plan before the british prevailed on Gowon/Murtala to drop the latter agenda.

Your suggestion should be directed to Nnamdi Azikiwe, Micheal Okapara, Kingsley Mbadiwe etc who were free and unhurt after the 1st coup. Why didnt they kick against Ironsi's Decree 34 ?

micklplus:
Beyond the rhetorics, the Hausas felt slighted hence, the Revenge mission they embarked on.

It was an unfortunate happening.
May there be peace in our nation.

Aside from the Sardauna and the Prime Minister, no single Hausa Military officer was killed. The Oficers that were killed by the ibo coupist were Yorubas and middlebeltans including one ibo

naijaking1:


Everytime a group fells slighted, what do they do?

The above is a fair question, but a fairer question is which other groups in our history has lost the core of its political elite, and some of their best military officers, all in one day's event, as the North lost January 15 and the few days thereafter?

Lets try to be rational and sensitive here. We all know that any kind of war or mass killing is wrong, but unnecessary name-calling may not be very helpful here.

GspotAngela:
Aside from the Sardauna and the Prime Minister, no single Hausa Military officer was killed. The Oficers that were killed by the ibo coupist were Yorubas and middlebeltans including one ibo

The two were big fries nah. Their death was enough to start 3 world War, no?

Also killed were: Zakariya Maimalari, Kur Mohammed, Abogo Largema and James Pam

naijaking1:


Everytime a group fells slighted, what do they do?
The master minds of those terroristic genocidal killings are still around today, living big, and making all sorts of childish excuses to justify their action.
Unfortunately, the nation will never move forward in peace, justice, and progress until those basic evils are addressed--history tells us so.

I had already said the happening at that time was rather unfortunate.

GspotAngela:
Aside from the Sardauna and the Prime Minister, no single Hausa Military officer was killed. The Oficers that were killed by the ibo coupist were Yorubas and middlebeltans including one ibo

You are wrong sir, some of our best military officers of Northern extraction namely, Zakariya Maimalari, Kur Mohammed, Abogo Largema and James Pam among others were also killed.

nduchucks:


The above is a fair question, but a fairer question is which other group in our history has lost the core of its political elite, and some of their best military officers, all in one day's event, as the North lost January 15 and the few days thereafter?

Lets try to be rational and sensitive here. We all know that any kind of war or mass killing is wrong, but unnecessary name-calling may not be very helpful here.

Your point is very valid

micklplus:


The two were big fries nah. Their death was enough to start 3 world War, no?

especially the manner with which they were killed.

The Sardaunas home in Kaduna was shelled with a 84mm Carl Gustav Anti Tank Recoiless Rifle. Nzeogwu personally tossed a hand grenade into the Sardaunas room

nduchucks:


You are wrong sir, some of our best military officers of Northern extraction namely, Zakariya Maimalari, Kur Mohammed, Abogo Largema and James Pam among others were also killed.

were they Hausas?

GspotAngela:
were they Hausas?

For the purposes of this thread, they were not Igbos. Apologies to you for referring to you as a man, without noting that you identified yourself as female.

nduchucks:


For the purposes of this thread, they were not Igbos. Apologies to you for referring to you as a man, without noting that you identified yourself as female.

okay

VERY VERY EBOE

let me see the scenario
1.6 young military officers staged a bloody coup to "wipe out" the democratic leadership of then Nigeria(these Democrats were the founding fathers of Nigeria and got the independence through their efforts)

2,according to reports
I,all the northern icons were wiped out including the legendary sitting emir of sokoto(lord of the northern region)
ii,awolowo and key leader in the west escaped only their competition were wiped out
iii,Nnamdi azikiwe and some officers in the east escaped


Seriously,it looked to on sided for an outsider not to think it was not a tribal coup and it will never be the same and the Muslim north will never see an easterner to be worth living for the death of an emir.
so that is why we have this unnecessary clash.

nduchucks:


The above is a fair question, but a fairer question is which other group in our history has lost the core of its political elite, and some of their best military officers, all in one day's event, as the North lost January 15 and the few days thereafter?

Lets try to be rational and sensitive here. We all know that any kind of war or mass killing is wrong, but unnecessary name-calling may not be very helpful here.

There is no question emotions were high, but that right there was the reason not to base any decision on emotions.
Even personal issues and decisions are negatively influenced by emotions, not to talk of nation issues.
More northern officers died in the first coup, but let's not forget the Igbo officer, Unegbu who was killed by the coupists too, because he refused to release arms to them.
Igbos would never have cared if those 5 officer were roasted alive and made suya, but the opportunistic agents in the north saw an opportunity they have been looking since the first riot against Igbos in 1940s.

Mind you, the retaliatory coup against Ironsi was carried out---to compensate for the northern deaths, and yet the killing of innocent Igbo women and children, those who had NOTHING to do with politics, army, or even anything continued!

These innocent people never knew the coupists or ever benefited from their action in any sort of remote ways, yet a nation without conscience cheered

The first coup was followed by a second one ;a palace coup by Ironsi. it was as tribal as they come . The purpose for which was ethnic domination regardless of the one or two token members of other ethnic groups .
That tokenism was exhibited even under Jonathan where a SE dominated government essentially installed themselves in the post that matter, marginalised others bar one or two touts from other regions , totally messed up the country and are now trying to destabilise the government of Buhari with the sponsorship of radioactive Biafra .
Ironsi did not all of a sudden ,develop or conjure that unitary decree out of nowhere. This was obviously preplanned

baralatie:
let me see the scenario
1.6 young military officers staged a bloody coup to "wipe out" the democratic leadership of then Nigeria(these Democrats were the founding fathers of Nigeria and got the independence through their efforts)

2,according to reports
I,all the northern icons were wiped out including the legendary sitting emir of sokoto(lord of the northern region)
ii,awolowo and key leader in the west escaped only their competition were wiped out
iii,Nnamdi azikiwe and some officers in the east escaped


Seriously,it looked to on sided for an outsider not to think it was not a tribal coup and it will never be the same and the Muslim north will never see an easterner to be worth living for the death of an emir.
so that is why we have this unnecessary clash.

Hausa/Fulani muslims have organised the killing of Igbos and southerners before the killing of Sarduana, check the history books!