Won The Olimpic Gold Medal, Took Part In Politics And Died By Hanging The Story Of Emmanuel Ifeajuna


The story of Emmanuel Ifeajuna is not a popular one today as many doesn't know about the feit that this young man matched in the sporting world. Becoming the first African to win a gold medal in an international sporting event.

Emmanuel Ifeajuna was born in 1935, trained as a high jumper and broke the outstanding record of common wealth Olympic games. He became a national hero and his picture was used on the popular Olympic exercise book.

The first time Emmanuel Ifeajuna appeared before a crowd of thousands he did something no black African had ever done. He won a gold medal at an international sporting event. Which is today called The Olympics

“Nigeria Creates World Sensation,” ran the headline in the West African Pilot after Ifeajuna’s record-breaking victory in the high jump at the 1954 Empire and Commonwealth Games in Vancouver. He was the pride not just of Nigeria but of a whole continent.



Because of his international recognition Emmanuel Ifeajuna enlisted to join the Nigerian army in 1960, He quickly rose to the rank of major in 1966 due to his educational background as a graduate from University of Ibadan.
He Joined politics with the aim of helping his people and creating good governance.

He was not satisfied with how the Nigerian government was piloting its affairs, he became a part of the plotter of Nigeria's deadliest coup alongside Major Chukwuma Kaduna Nzeogwu, Chris Anuforo, Don Okafor and a host of others, it is also on record that not only did Ifeajuna arrest then prime minister Tafawa Balewa, he was also responsible for the deaths of several army officials, the coup was not successful as it was prevented by Major General Aguiyi Ironsi who later seized power to become Nigeria's first Head Of State


The next time Ifeajuna appeared before a crowd of thousands he was bare-chested and tied to a stake, facing execution before a seething mob. He had co-led a military coup in January 1966 in which, according to an official but disputed police report, he shot and killed Nigeria’s first prime minister. The coup failed but Ifeajuna escaped to safety in Ghana, dressed as a woman and was driven to freedom by a famous poet. Twenty months later, he was back, fighting for the persecuted Igbo people of eastern Nigeria in a brutal civil war that broke out as a consequence of the coup.


Ifeajuna and three fellow officers were accused by their own leader, General Emeka Ojukwu, of plotting against him and the breakaway Republic of Biafra. They denied charges of treason: they were trying to save lives and their country, they said, by negotiating an early ceasefire with the federal government and reuniting Nigeria. They failed, they died and, in the next two and a half years, so did more than a million Igbos.

This was His words before death
"You may kill me now, but I am afraid it is too late, the Nigerians are already in your midst, it won't be long before they get all of you.

This was His words before death
"You may kill me now, but I am afraid it is too late, the Nigerians are already in your midst, it won't be long before they get all of you."

Brilliant piece!

This were the men that foresaw defeat considering the military capabilities and mights of The Nigerian Armed Forces.

But Ojukwu never listened. He was anxious to sacrifice 3,000,000 of his kinsmen on a platter of banana leaves.

SangoOlukosoOba:

This was His words before death
"You may kill me now, but I am afraid it is too late, the Nigerians are already in your midst, it won't be long before they get all of you."

Brilliant piece!

This were the men that foresaw defeat considering the military capabilities and mights of The Nigerian Armed Forces.

But Ojukwu never listened. He was anxious to sacrifice 3,000,000 of his kinsmen on a platter of banana leaves.

At least they died for something.
if they knew Nigeria is a state that should never be. and those 3 million that died have been vindicated

These are the true heroes of Biafra.
These people saw what others didn't see

Ojukwu maltreated fellow igbos also

I dont think any of the leaders of early Nigeria was a saint

Gowon, Ojukwu, Ahmadu Bello, Awolowo etc

The middle pic is that of Nzeogwu, not Ifeajuna.

This story sounds like fiction cite your sources. It's funny how all these escape stories sound like Hollywood comedies where w man puts on dress. The poet doesn't have a name?

The coup failed but Ifeajuna escaped to safety in Ghana, dressed as a woman and was driven to freedom by a famous poet. Twenty months later, he was back, fighting for the persecuted Igbo people of eastern Nigeria in a brutal civil war that broke out as a consequence of the coup.

SangoOlukosoOba:

This was His words before death
"You may kill me now, but I am afraid it is too late, the Nigerians are already in your midst, it won't be long before they get all of you."

Brilliant piece!

This were the men that foresaw defeat considering the military capabilities and mights of The Nigerian Armed Forces.

But Ojukwu never listened. He was anxious to sacrifice 3,000,000 of his kinsmen on a platter of banana leaves.

No you got it all wrong mate. The context to that highlighted quote was that Ifeajuna in collaboration with Victor Banjo, and Sam Alale had prior to their trial and execution already sabotaged the Biafran advance to Lagos, and were already in communication/negotiations with the Federal side. So Ifeajuna said that because he already knew the whole Midwest operation was well over.

We need more writers in Nigeria, our history seems to be fading away very fast. If we do not document our authentic past how do we avoid mistakes in future? What does the future hold for another generation?

gasparpisciotta:
We need more writers in Nigeria, our history seems to be fading away very fast. If we do not document our authentic past how do we avoid mistakes in future? What does the future hold for another generation?

Some Nigerians don't want to read

gasparpisciotta:
We need more writers in Nigeria, our history seems to be fading away very fast. If we do not document our authentic past how do we avoid mistakes in future? What does the future hold for another generation?

The writers already exist and publish their work. You can find well reseached history on lots of topics free online with cited sources. Others you might have to access through you local university. That's how I found out Nigerian civil war naval history.

Please sir,try as much as possible to develop reading culture,and stop deceiving people with your write up please

I want you to read this and educate yourself

Ifeajuna, Victor Banjo, Phillip Alale and Sam Agbam were accused by Ojukwu of negotiating with the federal Nigerian officials, via British agents, hoping to bring about a ceasefire, overthrow Ojukwu, and gain prominent positions for themselves.

He was not calling for ceasefire because of the people of Biafra but for his own selfish interest

Remember this same man killed Zakariya Maimalari,,Abogo Largema,, Prime Minister Balewa ,,and Festus Okotie-Ebo. And disappeared to Ghana
He gave all this information to nigeria military so that he could be pardoned for his killings

Enugu was captured because of the information he gave the nigeria soldiers

Read before you post

He was a coupist

He was simply killed by a fellow biafran

Nice history. Thanks for sharing,but what is Commonwealth Olympics?
There is Commonwealth games and there is Olympic games.

If that coup had succeeded,Nigeria would have been a better country today.

But the likes of Ifeajuna turned it into ethnic cleansing.

Hmm.

Thanks for sharing.

Interesting

Woawww nice piece of history

Blue3k:
This story sounds like fiction cite your sources. It's funny how all these escape stories sound like Hollywood comedies where w man puts on dress. The poet doesn't have a name?

The famous Christopher Okigbo. Okigbo himself was killed during the civil war.

OP, much as I like history of any sort, your write-up is all at once problematic and outrightly misleading- from title to post to photographs.

You want to write about a man, you've got to know him and his story inside-out so that you don't go about misrepresenting facts.

For the records, Ifeajuna never won an Olympic medal. What he actually won was an Empire Games Gold medal in the track and field events. The Empire Games is what you and I now know today as the Commonwealth Games.

Now, you will agree with me that the the Olympic Games are in no way related to the Commonwealth Games. Unless, of course, you think otherwise.

2. You might want to change the second photograph or do away with it completely. What you have there, in that photograph, is actually an image of Major Patrick Chukwuma Kaduna Nzeogwu and not that of Major Emmanuel "Toronto" Ifeajuna.

ibos have this spirit of creating and breaking records

Major Emmanuel Ifeajuna, we miss you...

So sad.

However, hunger is a bastard... Pls help save a starving brother in this lock down Nothing is too small as it will go a long way in saving a soul.

0772840350
Access Bank

Thanks in advance, and may God bless the giver.

smilingjoe4....He won the British Commonwealth Games not the Olympics.

He was a cold blooded killer. He killed his own principal and mentor Gen. Maimalari to whom he was ADC in cold blood.

[quote author=Rickmann post=88978391][/quote]

Is that what you are relying on...?

Lol Take that that down. Immediately.

That's downright über-embarrassing.

Olympic is the brand name of the textbook. It doesn't imply in any way that Ifeajuna won the Olympic.
What he actually won was an Empire Games Medal[Commonwealth Games].

The exercise book brand simply made use of his image. That's all.

Now, here is a link to the Wikipedia article on Ifeajuna. I leave you to find an Olympic games medal amongst his achievements.

https://www.google.com/url?q=https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emmanuel_Ifeajuna&sa=U&ved=2ahUKEwjTlavInI3pAhUtNOwKHR7lAAkQFjASegQIBxAB&usg=AOvVaw3GHMnLjtQFzSk1XxRw2Oht


British Empire Games:

https://www.google.com/url?q=https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/1930_British_Empire_Games&sa=U&ved=2ahUKEwjlv97fnI3pAhUM4aQKHbkNCioQFjARegQIExAB&usg=AOvVaw0qUODwhOjhu_deEJyPvpgk

Historians have a way of shaping narrations to suit their purpose and line of thought.

Lt.Col.Ojukwu did a terrible mistake by killing Ifeajuna, Banjo, Agbim and co.Federal forces still penetrated Enugu as he predicted & Biafra couldn't hold the fort.

Lemme hit google immediately

gasparpisciotta:
We need more writers in Nigeria, our history seems to be fading away very fast. If we do not document our authentic past how do we avoid mistakes in future? What does the future hold for another generation?

Absolute nothing