These are throwback photos of Nigeria's first Military Head of State, Major General Thomas Johnson Umunnakwe Aguiyi Ironsi visiting Ibadan the then capital of the old Western region of Nigeria on the 29th of July 1966.

His visit was part of a Nationwide tour to address the ethnic tensions that was raging in the country then as as a result of the failed January military coup which led to the death of prominent regional and national leaders.

Ironsi who took over the government of the country after he led loyal troops to quash the coup in Lagos, the then capital of the country. Ironsi's quashing of the coup in the Capital can be said to have been the most important factor that led to the failure of the entire coup.

This visit to Ibadan was Major General Aguiyi Ironsi's last official function as Head of State of Nigeria as he will be subsequently arrested and murdered by the military officers who carried out the July Northern Nigeria counter coup.

Wow

The Head of State was slated to spend the night at the Government House in Ibadan, as part of his nationwide tour.
His host, Lieutenant Colonel Adekunle Fajuyi, Military Governor of Western Nigeria, alerted him to a possible mutiny within the army. Aguiyi-Ironsi desperately tried to contact his Army Chief of Staff, Yakubu Gowon, but he was unreachable. In the early hours of the morning, the Government House, Ibadan, was surrounded by soldiers led by Theophilus Danjuma.

The good old days!

Look at Ironsi's killer, Major Danjuma, in the last picture

Even as he sat there, he knew he was going to kill Ironsi in a few hours time

Danjuma arrested Aguiyi-Ironsi and questioned him about his alleged complicity in the coup, which saw the demise of the Sardauna of Sokoto, Ahmadu Bello. The circumstances leading to Aguiyi-Ironsi death still remain a subject of much controversy in Nigeria. His body and that of Fajuyi were later discovered in a nearby forest.

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The man who should never have been head of state. He was a conservative soldier who had little or no idea on how to run a complex and diverse country like Nigeria. Grossly incompetent and was never prepared for office. No wonder he couldn’t last for more than 6 months.

Looking back now, I think things would have taken a different dimension if the original coupist of 15tb January, 1966 had formed the government instead of the reactionary government of Ironsi. Nzeogwu, Ifeajuna, Ademoyega etc were better educated and prepared for government. Maybe we would have avoided the bloody counter coup and the bloodier civil war that we are yet to recover from.

His removal and murder is a vital part of the sequel to the Three years Nigerian civil war

Scenes around Ibadan on that day

Shops didn't open in respect for the Head of State's visit

seunmsg:
The man who should never have been head of state. He was a conservative soldier who had little or no idea on how to run a complex and diverse country like Nigeria. Grossly incompetent and was never prepared for office. No wonder he couldn’t last for more than 6 months.

Better than Gen Ogundipe that was "utterly competent"...but the coward ran away to London when he should have taken over...He ran off leaving it to a 29 year old Gowon.

"....Following the coup, he returned to Nigeria, to serve as the Chief of Staff, Supreme Headquarters Nigerian Defence Forces (de facto Vice President) between January 1966 and August 1966. After the bloody coup which overthrew Aguiyi-Ironsi, he left the country for the United Kingdom.[6] He was criticized in some quarters for his refusal to seize the mantle of office of his supreme commander, who had been murdered in the August 1966 coup, and that this aggravated the pogroms that eventually followed. He was the most senior military officer after the death of Aguiyi-Ironsi, and the thinking was that he ought to have taken power himself..." Wiki...

Flexherbal:
The good old days!

void of peace and tolerance just as we have today. What changed? A few

Danjuma said he lost control of events immediately after the arrest

His junior officer kind of threatened him....

Ok

Redcrafton:


Better than Gen Ogundipe that was "utterly competent"...but the coward ran away to London when he should have taken over...He ran off leaving it to a 29 year old Gowon.

"....Following the coup, he returned to Nigeria, to serve as the Chief of Staff, Supreme Headquarters Nigerian Defence Forces (de facto Vice President) between January 1966 and August 1966. After the bloody coup which overthrew Aguiyi-Ironsi, he left the country for the United Kingdom.[6] He was criticized in some quarters for his refusal to seize the mantle of office of his supreme commander, who had been murdered in the August 1966 coup, and that this aggravated the pogroms that eventually followed. He was the most senior military officer after the death of Aguiyi-Ironsi, and the thinking was that he ought to have taken power himself..." Wiki...

Ogundipe was also a conservative soldier like Ironsi. I don’t think he would have performed any different from Ironsi if he had taken over.

I understand your bigoted angle but we don’t have to see everything as ethnic war. Ogundipe was not a part of the successful July counter coup and couldn’t have taken over. He sent Gowon to Ikeja immediately after the coup to negotiate with the mutineers led by Murtala but Gowon became a turncoat on the way and negotiated power for himself. So, what do you expect him to do? Fight when there is no single soldier who is ready to fight for him? Ojukwu was in Enugu telling him on phone to take over without sending a single soldier to fight for him. Is that how to take over? You think taking over government is a joke, right?

The coup that changed everything

illicit:
Danjuma said he lost control of events immediately after the arrest

His junior officer kind of threatened him....

Mutalar Mohammed, I think..?

Redcrafton:


Better than Gen Ogundipe that was "utterly competent"...but the coward ran away to London when he should have taken over...He ran off leaving it to a 29 year old Gowon.

"....Following the coup, he returned to Nigeria, to serve as the Chief of Staff, Supreme Headquarters Nigerian Defence Forces (de facto Vice President) between January 1966 and August 1966. After the bloody coup which overthrew Aguiyi-Ironsi, he left the country for the United Kingdom.[6] He was criticized in some quarters for his refusal to seize the mantle of office of his supreme commander, who had been murdered in the August 1966 coup, and that this aggravated the pogroms that eventually followed. He was the most senior military officer after the death of Aguiyi-Ironsi, and the thinking was that he ought to have taken power himself..." Wiki...

Not everyone can be irresponsible, bloodthirsty maniac like Ojukwu and Kanu, sensible people don't seize power, they wait for call time

seunmsg:


Ogundipe was also a conservative soldier like Ironsi. I don’t think he would have performed any different from Ironsi if he had taken over.

I understand your bigoted angle but we don’t have to see everything as ethnic war. Ogundipe was not a part of the successful July counter coup and couldn’t have taken over. He sent Gowon to Ikeja immediately after the coup to negotiate with the mutineers led by Murtala but Gowon became a turncoat on the way and negotiated power for himself. So, what do you expect him to do? Fight when there is no single soldier who is ready to fight for him? Ojukwu was in Enugu telling him on phone to take over without sending a single soldier to fight for him. Is that how to take over? You think taking over government is a joke, right?

Gen Oladipe Diya tried taken over...with hp many soldiers again...

See where it landed him...

Stop hating....as you find that your people were also grossly incompetent laced with absolute cowardice.

GreatTormentor:
Not everyone can be irresponsible, bloodthirsty maniac like Ojukwu and Kanu, sensible people don't seize power, they wait for call time

Like these great blood thirsty people...led by Gen Diya and Brig Olarewaju who tried to kill Abacha..?

Continue chocking in your hate.

This is what you get when you try to be Liberal.

seunmsg:
The man who should never have been head of state. He was a conservative soldier who had little or no idea on how to run a complex and diverse country like Nigeria. Grossly incompetent and was never prepared for office. No wonder he couldn’t last for more than 6 months.

Looking back now, I think things would have taken a different dimension if the original coupist of 15tb January, 1966 had formed the government instead of the reactionary government of Ironsi. Nzeogwu, Ifeajuna, Ademoyega etc were better educated and prepared for government. Maybe we would have avoided the bloody counter coup and the bloodier civil war that we are yet to recover from.

Grossly incompetent comes across as the Buhari you support

Redcrafton:


Like these great blood thirsty people...led by Gen Diya and Brig Olarewaju who tried to kill Abacha..?

Continue chocking in your hate.

You are Igbo, dragging words with you is effort in futility

The "idle hands" has hijacked an educative thread...

Redcrafton:


Gen Oladipe Diya tried taken over...with hp many soldiers again...

See where it landed him...

Stop hating....as you find that your people were also grossly incompetent laced with absolute cowardice.

Like I told you, everything is not ethnic war. My opinion about Ironsi and Ogundipe are devoid of ethnic sentiments. If you want to derail the thread by posting more irrelevant videos to stroke your empty ego, go ahead and enjoy yourself. It won’t change anything.

FarahAideed:

Grossly incompetent comes across as the Buhari you support

Still doesn’t change the fact that Ironsi was grossly incompetent and unprepared for the role of head of state.

seunmsg:


Still doesn’t change the fact that Ironsi was grossly incompetent and unprepared for the role of head of state.

Who was competent then to lead Nigeria?

Ogundipe the most senior ran off...

Who should have been the head of state in your reckoning.......tribal man?

How was he going to be prepared when he was trying to hold the country together...as a soldier?

Tell me one Nigeria leader who is compotent..

Even your current starboy is utterly incompetent...

..all he does and says are like...

...Nigeria can be a super power...
...Nigeria can be great in 50 years...
..We can change the economy in 30 years..
..Nigeria should never be poor....
...We will lift 10M Nigerians from poverty in 2030.
...Nigeria will change for good in 6 years...
..bla, bla, bla bla...
He is in government and acting as if he was outside...

seunmsg:


Like I told you, everything is not ethnic war. My opinion about Ironsi and Ogundipe are devoid of ethnic sentiments. If you want to derail the thread by posting more irrelevant videos to stroke your empty ego, go ahead and enjoy yourself. It won’t change anything.

Excuse me Sir, you played the tribal card with your initial comment.
Judging by what you said, that Ironsi was incompetent because he didn't last more than 6 months as head of state, then him together with Ernest Shonekan (3months) and Buhari(19months), a man you adore so much and sing his praise to high heavens.... belongs to the same class.

You are a known Igbo hater in this forum. Even Nnamdi Azikiwe, a man that stood for the oneness of Nigeria like no other, has received several curses from you on this forum.

Nzeogwu and Ifeajunwa that you are praising today, has also received curses from you just because they are Igbos.

I put it to you, that you are responsible for dreading this Educative thread with that your ethno-bigoted comment you made initially

[quote author=ImmaculateJOE post=107965058][/quote]

Was Gowon competent...? Ethnic man

seunmsg:
The man who should never have been head of state. He was a conservative soldier who had little or no idea on how to run a complex and diverse country like Nigeria. Grossly incompetent and was never prepared for office. No wonder he couldn’t last for more than 6 months.

Looking back now, I think things would have taken a different dimension if the original coupist of 15tb January, 1966 had formed the government instead of the reactionary government of Ironsi. Nzeogwu, Ifeajuna, Ademoyega etc were better educated and prepared for government. Maybe we would have avoided the bloody counter coup and the bloodier civil war that we are yet to recover from.

I agree with your submissions on the last paragraph, the original coup plotters would have been best suited to take over the government.

I believe they must have anticipated and prepared for the eventual outrage that will result from killing a man as influencial as Ahmadu Bello