Remembering Kaduna Nzeogwu

By: Deji Yesufu

January 15th is Nigerian Armed Forces Remembrance Day. It is also the day Major Chukwuma “Kaduna” Nzeogwu and his colleagues in the military carried out the first coup in Nigeria. Fifty three years ago, about the time of my writing this essay, the revolution had been completed. Notable politicians, particularly those of northern extraction, had been killed. It was not a particularly joyous moment for the mutinous soldiers because except for Kaduna town, where the revolutionaries had taken out the most influential politician in Nigeria, the Sarduana of Sokoto – Sir Ahmadu Bello, the revolution had failed in other parts of the country. Nzeogwu had been cut with a dagger by one of the guards of the Sardauna and was being attended to by a Physician. In a few moment, he would be live on radio to announce the success of his putsch in Northern Nigeria. Here is an excerpt from my book Victor Banjo on Kaduna Nzeogwu:

“Ckukwuma Kaduna Nzeogwu was a Sandhurst-trained military officer. He was brilliant. He was the first Nigerian officer to be trained in intelligence. Nzeogwu was a son of a civil servant; he was born in Kaduna town and was nick named “Kaduna” because of his fluency in the Hausa language and his understanding of the culture. Nzeogwu joined the army simply for revolution. He was not sure he would survive it and so he never got married, for fear of leaving behind a widow and fatherless children. Those who knew him said he maintained a high standard of morality and was not one of those officers given to drinking or womanizing. He was a devout Catholic. Nzeogwu never hid his revolutionary ideas. He shared them openly, although only a few people knew how exactly he sought to carry them out...”

By 1963 Kaduna had met Adewale Ademoyega and Ifeanyi Ifeajuna, and the trio began the planning the coup in earnest. While the coup was successful in Kaduna, it failed in Lagos because the mutinous soldiers could not arrest Aguiyi Ironsi, the most senior military officer at the time. The coup was about to kick-start in East before the mutinous soldiers there were rounded up by soldiers loyal to Ironsi.

One might want to ask: is it worth remembering Kaduna Nzeogwu, considering that this man’s actions plunged the country into political instability and finally into a civil war? I think he is worth remembering because history has not been kind to his name. At the time when the coup occurred, many people praised the efforts of the revolutionaries; including people in the international community. A few months after the revolution had occurred, Nzeogwu’s senior in the army, Victor Banjo, who himself had been falsely implicated in the coup, said this about the coup: “These men ... were the ones who gave this country a new lease of life, and their actions were acclaimed by the people of this country and by the world...” He made this statement some six months after the coup, to show that it was not just mere euphoria that usually follows the take over of governments in Nigeria. Until the counter-coup of June 29, 1966, the Nzeogwu coup was regarded as popular and it was the reason the government of that time could not execute the mutinous soldiers.

Only recently did I learn that the great Tai Solarin named the road that led to his Mayflower Schools in Ogun State “Kaduna Nzeogwu Road”. I understand that before the coup, Nzeogwu was a frequent caller at Mr. Solarin’s home. He would usually go and listen to the sage talk about humanities and how to make Nigeria better. Most people who worked with Nzeogwu had a high regard for him. No less a person than former President Olusegun Obasanjo wrote a voluminous book on him titled “Nzeogwu”.

Kaduna Nzeogwu and Emeka Ojukwu were not friends at the period of the coup. The coup had failed to go beyond Kaduna town because Ojukwu, who was the military garrison officer in Kano, refused to cooperate with Kaduna – an officer he considered junior to him in the army. Ojukwu would later go to Lagos and join forces with Ironsi. So in March 6th, 1967, when Ojukwu released all the mutinous soldiers under his region, the East, he did not release Nzeogwu. But students of the University of Nsukka carried out demonstrations and roused public sympathy on Nzeogwu’s behalf. Nzeogwu was subsequently released but Ojukwu did not entrust any command under him when Biafra went to war with Nigeria.

The civil war broke out in earnest in the first week of June 1967. The first theatre of war was the northern region of Biafra – around Nsukka. The Nigerian troops had come in through Makurdi and were met with stiff opposition by the Biafran soldiers. Unfortunately in less than a month of fighting, many of the able men in the Biafran army had been killed. Kaduna Nzeogwu died at war around this time.

The period between 1960 and 1966 was a very tumultuous time in Nigerian history. The British had given the reign of power to the Northern part of Nigeria – a section of the country that was least advanced intellectually. And with the parliamentary system of government, which required that the Prime Minister come to the house of assembly to defend his actions and policies periodically, the Obafemi Awolowo led opposition in the House continually floored the Prime Minister and his party in debates. A Nigerian press that was equally dominated by people from Western Nigeria also brought a lot of embarrassment to the Balewa government.

To save its face, the Balewa government had to carry out a lot of high handed actions. The height of which was imposing treasonable charges on Awolowo and jailing him and a few of his supporters. The Western Region, Awolowo’s stronghold, was plunged in chaos. Out of that chaos came the January 15th, 1966 coup.

With a benefit of hindsight, perhaps unbridled courage was the ruin of Nzeogwu and his fellow revolutionaries. But he cannot be blamed for corruption, selfishness and nepotism, which happened to be the bane of the politicians of those days and today too. Chukwuma “Kaduna” Nzeogwu sought to leave a better Nigeria for all of us. His method was certainly not the right one and clearly must be denounced. He however remains a national hero for many till this day.

Deji Yesufu is the author of the book Victor Banjo. All quotation in this write-up were taken from the book. Yesufu can be reached on newdejix@gmail.com

Source: https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1957249031017964&id=1505609702848568

Nzeogwu was a first class soldier.He was devoid of vices.He was a born leader of men.Generations of Nigerians had read more about him and learnt a lot from him.chukwuma Kaduna Nzeogwu,adieu.we salute

If the coup was successful, maybe Nigeria would be better by now

Awesome

May God bless each an everyone one of us

The painted picture of Nzeogwu & Ojukwu is a typical example of what the igboz are today.

Riding on emotions without critical thinking!

ct2:
t

T for Tango

He certianly had his heart in the right place

Our enemies are the political profiteers, the swindlers, the men in high and low places that seek bribes and demand 10 percent; those that seek to keep the country divided permanently so that they can remain in office as ministers or VIPs at least, the tribalists, the nepotists, those that make the country look big for nothing before international circles, those that have corrupted our society and put the Nigerian political calendar back by their words and deeds. Like good soldiers we are not promising anything miraculous or spectacular. But what we do promise every law abiding citizen is freedom from fear and all forms of oppression, freedom from general inefficiency and freedom to live and strive in every field of human endeavour, both nationally and internationally. We promise that you will no more be ashamed to say that you are a Nigerian.

Yet precceding that comment..

Demonstrations and unauthorised assembly, non-cooperation with revolutionary troops are punishable in grave manner up to death.

Refusal or neglect to perform normal duties or any task that may of necessity be ordered by local military commanders in support of the change will be punishable by a sentence imposed by the local military commander.

Spying, harmful or injurious publications, and broadcasts of troop movements or actions, will be punished by any suitable sentence deemed fit by the local military commander. Shouting of slogans, loitering and rowdy behaviour will be rectified by any sentence of incarceration, or any more severe punishment deemed fit by the local military commander.

Doubtful loyalty will be penalised by imprisonment or any more severe sentence.

Illegal possession or carrying of firearms, smuggling or trying to escape with documents, valuables, including money or other assets vital to the running of any establishment will be punished by death sentence.

Wavering or sitting on the fence and failing to declare open loyalty with the revolution will be regarded as an act of hostility punishable by any sentence deemed suitable by the local military commander. Tearing down an order of the day or proclamation or other authorised notices will be penalised by death.

The man made some of our latter day dictators look like kindergartners.

In my humble opinion....Nzeogwu had no business commissioning a coup. And had he succeeded, he would have been a very brutal dictator.

And let's not forget the monster he unleashed which led to the death of millions by 1970...

God knows better

RIP

jasonguru:
If the coup was successful, maybe Nigeria would be better by now

What about all the latter coups that were successful? It is foolish to think that the military can ever bring good governance. It is not their place.

oyebanji44:
Nzeogwu was a first class soldier.He was a born leader of men.Generations of Nigerians had read more about him and learnt a lot from him.chukwuma Kaduna Nzeogwu,adieu.

The man who destroyed the future of Nigeria.

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He lived by the sword and died by it. Life is simply just!

A few errors here though
Ifeajuna was the brains of that coup.nzeogwu was brought in when plans for the coup were at an advanced stage.
The main reason why northerners were murdered in the coup was that they were in leadership positions in both civil and military life
The coup failed in the east cause lt oguchi failed to carry out his duty on a flimsy excuse that the archbishop of cyprus was with the eastern premier
Yes nzeogwu loved revolution but that was not his reason for staying unmarried
Nzeogwu was a TOTAL teetootaler.they tend to be insular and welcome unnecessary interactions the same way u welcome rats into ur home
Other than that nice write up

oyebanji44:
Nzeogwu was a first class soldier.He was a born leader of men.Generations of Nigerians had read more about him and learnt a lot from him.chukwuma Kaduna Nzeogwu,adieu.

I salute Sir

I started hearing about D's man since I was in primary school...


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Remembering state sponsored death in Nigeria. who killed them?

Please pray for our young aspirants, the established cabals and blood sucking demons are still loitering the corridor of Nigerian politics....

WHO KILLED THEM?

Nigerians = Who killed them?
Nigeria Police= We don't know, we sef confuse.

babadee1:


What about all the latter coups that were successful? It is foolish to think that the military can ever bring good governance. It is not their place.

The military achieved more.

Except that your opinion is not welcomed which is even the case now.

The only difference now is that you can make the noise in democracy

[color=#000099][/color]A very brave soldier. he did what he did for the progress if this Country but unfortunately some ethnic chauvinists in the military then thought otherwise. This Country needs more of nzeogwu

win2kwire:
He was working against the Igbos by helping start the civil war, a shame that Gowon did not use the opportunity to wipe them from Nigeria - today they have destroyed the reputation of Nigeria globally!

Throw Bomb in Eastern Nigerian today, you haven't touched half population of Igbos because they have penetrated all sections of the globe.
Meanwhile, we know people that have dragged the reputation of Nigeria to mud, they know themselves as well.

Again , If 3 yr war could not stop Biafran agitation, nothing on earth can stop it again.
You go cry tire. skull searcher, you go search tire.
Igbos are not fighting you, you guys have decided to turn yourselves against each other by determining to mine yourselves into extinction.

Kaduna Nzeogwu and Emeka Ojukwu were not friends at the period of the coup. The coup had failed to go beyond Kaduna town because Ojukwu, who was the military garrison officer in Kano, refused to cooperate with Kaduna – an officer he considered junior to him in the army. Ojukwu would later go to Lagos and join forces with Ironsi. So in March 6th, 1967, when Ojukwu released all the mutinous soldiers under his region, the East, he did not release Nzeogwu. But students of the University of Nsukka carried out demonstrations and roused public sympathy on Nzeogwu’s behalf. Nzeogwu was subsequently released but Ojukwu did not entrust any command under him when Biafra went to war with Nigeria.

So Ojukwu moved against Nzeogwu's revolution because he considered him a junior officer but went ahead to fight for another 'revolution'. Perhaps the revolutions were like minded but one had issues because he thought he could have been in charge. What do I know?

Also the students' union building in the University of Ilorin was named after him."Kaduna Nzeogwu Building"


Thank you