₦airaland Forum

This is a sorry example of African’s failure in human endeavor. If the heads still remain on the shoulders of dumbass Africans, why would this beautiful and talented girl even think of Europe much less risk the perils of crossing Mediterranean on a boat?

enomakos:
The nff hads yet to learn for the failure of the flamingo
what are the ladies still doing in nigeria

They can still get ready by training and staying in Nigeria. One of the problems that afflict Nigeria is lack of organizational acumen. The act of scheduling is the cornerstone of success. By now countries such as USA, SPAIN and JAPAN have already named their teams therefore Nigeria should have named its squad and embarks on serious trainings in order to incorporate cohesiveness. Rather it is still waiting for the invited players while the coaches are issuing datelines.

enomakos:
their poor perfermance hads nothing to do with the turf, the nff fails to exposed the girls

Do you mean a sight-seeing tour? I guess the exposures include making the kids comfortable on a synthetic turf. There is a great difference playing on natural turf and synthetic turf.

Rogersmith:
The Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Ibrahim Idris, has filed four counts of alleged N2.4bn shipping fraud against Innoson Nigeria Limited before a Federal High Court in Lagos.

The charge marked FHC/L/565c/16 filed before Justice Saliu Saidu has five others as defendants.

They are Innocent Chukwuma, Charles Chukwu, Maximian Chukwura, Mitsui Osk Lines and Anajekwu Sunny.

The police accused the defendants of conspiring among themselves to unlawfully falsify shipping clearance documents.

They were accused of uttering the allegedly falsified shipping documents by tendering same as collateral to Guaranty Trust Bank to allegedly obtain a loan of N2.4bn.

The police claimed that the defendants committed the offence at Apapa wharf on October 10, 2013.

The police prosecutor, who signed the charge sheet, U.S. Nwodo, said the offences are contrary to sections 1(2) (c) and 3(6) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act, Cap M17, Laws of the Federation 2004.

When the matter came up on Monday before Justice Saidu, the prosecuting counsel for the police, Mr. J.I. Ajakaiye, informed the court that he had served the charge sheet on all the defendants through their counsel.

He said he had served Innoson Nigeria Limited and Chukwuma since October 21, while the 3rd to 6th defendants were only served on Monday morning through their counsel.

Counsel for Innoson Nigeria Limited, Chief George Uwechue (SAN), confirmed the receipt of the charge sheet by his client but said he needed time to study it.

The other defence counsel, Prof. C. Mbadugha and Mr. Olusola Abioye, aligned themselves with Uwechue.

The prosecutor did not oppose the defence application for an adjournment.

Consequently, Justice Saidu adjourned further proceedings in the case till November 25, 2016.

http://punchng.com/igp-charges-innoson-with-n2-4bn-shipping-fraud/

I really do not know what of the geographical expression termed Nigeria. Police has no business charging anybody of crime bordering on exercise duties or shipping fraud. This is the job of Nigerian custom.

ceaz4r:
Of late, the call from the Southwest for a united South has started picking up Tempo . ... May amadioha strike such union!!

So you southwest people now sing 'United South' because your Tinubu is being treated badly? He has been side lined and schemed out of the national cake? You now preach united south because you have been relegated to the laundry basket, haven been used and dumped. SHAME!!...

You people owe this country an unreserved apology for what's happening to this country.

How very insulting of you Yorubas to think you can turn around to ask for a united front with the Igbos to fight for your selfish interest.

Has your Lion of Bourdillon suddenly lost his fangs & claws he can no longer attack his prey, hold and devour them, he now wants a rally round? What a disappointment! Or perhaps he is even suddenly too frail to even roar.

We Igbos stuck to our principle that we were not going to vote for Buhari, and maintained it.
Before the election that saw this confused government into office, you afonjas said that you don't need our votesa; and that the North and South West are enough to see that Buhari wins.
During the elections, when Kano state declared 2 million votes (without voids) in favour of Buhari, you jumped and celebrated.
After the elections, we registered our disappointments, but you called us sore losers. We raised objections to how appointments were being made, and you told us to our face that 'winners take all'. You say to us we have no political clout. Your master, Buhari, called us 5%, you jubiliated. We demonstrated peacefully on the streets that we want out of this contraption called Nigeria, but the soldiers shot and killed us in hundreds. What did the Yorubas do, they laughed and jeered at us; cheered and praised their master and General, Buhari.


Now their dreams and expectations are being smashed left, right, and center, they suddenly remember there is something the SE and SS can do. Suddenly the 5% people now have some political weight that is needed to upturn things!

Hmm... So much for the sophisticated afonjas.

The alleged idiotic call of United South by the south-western region of Nigeria can pick a Martian speed but such endeavor shall remain an illogical joke.

DaPuncline:
Bros which consolation are you talking about ? I keep giving you fact to affirm how Zik and Balewa populated the civil service, ministries with their alliance and you are here saying consolation. Balewa had to danced top Zik's tune coz hausas were less educated then and their political partner which are the igbos are better off academically so they needed them to run the affairs. Yorubas were doing well academically and churning out seasoned academicians but majority of them are Awoist which made never never to be considered by Zik and Balewa. The question I'm still asking you is are you saying there were no qualified yoruba academicians in the west before Zik-Balewa decided to choose igbo academicians as SW university VCs ? I guess that was the bedrock of our argument.

So you said no success was associated to Zik and your folks has been euologizing Zik for given them UNN and Niger Bridge inclusive.

So bros becos Zik fans in nigeria added the word "Africa" to his name so that made him greater than the lumubas, kenyattas, nkrumahs etc.

Nkrumah was a dock Clark when Azikiwe returned to Africa from USA.

T9ksy:
My bad................of course na, afterall every ibo man is a millionaire!

It will interest you to know that zik did try to implement free education in the Eastern region (1957) after Awo's, in the western region but fell flat on his face within a year upon the realization that he just can't raise the requisite levy to fund the venture.

Anyway, my initial post was in response to another poster who claimed that ibos invested heavily in education in the 50's.

The said "Free Education" established in western region of Nigeria was a useless endeavor.

CliffordOrji:
As a true Nwafo Igbo I am often perplexed whenever I read/hear my Ummuna brothers refer to Nnamdi Azikiwe as a Hero. For those who do not know; Nnamdi Azikiwe betrayed we Igbos. He was the one that composed the Biafran National Anthem, but ironically, during the heat of the Biafran civil war, Azikiwe ran away from Biafra. He defected to Nigeria and supported the Nigerian governemnt in the killing of his own Biafran people.

Obafemi Awolowo's free education policy amongst many others is an achievement the Yoruba's can regard to as the legacy of the defunct Western region; what can we Igbos point to as Nnamdi Azikiwe's achievment in the eastern region? Nothing !!

For those who do not know; prior to the 1950's, Nnamdi Azikiwe left Igboland, he went to Yorubaland and greedily fought both tooth and nail to become the leader of the western regional house of assembly at Ibadan. Awolowo's political party, A.G defeated Azikiwe's NCNC and disgracefully chased him back to Igboland. When he came back to Alaigbo what did he do for we Igbos? Nothing!! This particular university we are beating our chest about was built many years after more than five generation of Yoruba's had been going to the University in England. Even Chinua Achebe the greatest academia in Igboland had his own university education in Yorubaland at the University College of Ibadan

You need another rudimentary shot at history as a school curriculum. In addition, you should try to become an adult and embrace certain Igbo adages.

OAUTemitayo:
If you people could make ogunigwe, what stops you from producing your own food?
Why would you depend on an adversary to supply you food in wartime?
Don't you think that is fo.oli.sh.ness?

The above statement does not indicate you are capable of making either food or Ogbunigwe.

DickDastardly:
One of Nigeria’s oldest elder statesman has called on Nigerians to revolt against bad leadership in order to steer the country towards a sustainable development.

Premium Times reports that, Sule made the statement while hosting the senator representing Kaduna central senatorial district Shehu Sani.

Sule said Nigeria’s need for sincere leaders would not happen unless citizens summon the boldness to embark on a revolution.

He said the revolution would be geared towards a re-orientation of citizens’ mindset to issues.

“What we need today in Nigeria is leadership, not only Nigeria but also the rest of Africa needs good leadership. We want leadership, not ruler-ship,” Sule said.

The former minister of mines and steel also noted that the country needs leaders who have the fear of God in them, leaders who have the will to turn the table around and not rulers.

“I know the word revolution scares you. We must have a revolution. I am not calling for bloody or violent revolution, No. I am not calling for Tse-Tung revolution in China where over 70 million people were killed. I am not calling for the kind of revolution led by Mahatma Ghandi with his philosophy non-violent resistance. I am calling for bloodless, non-violent revolution.


“I am calling for a change of attitude, re-orientation. Who will have to bring about this? You are the answer. You are the panacea to our ills. You are the solution to our problems. You are the vehicles of change. You are the vanguard of this revolution. The future is yours. You shall mark it or mar it. You can make it or mar it.

“If you succumb to the machinations of greedy and irresponsible political leaders, you will inherit a bad future and you will be bad leaders in the future. Make no mistake about this – you are the future leaders, whether anybody likes it or not. You are the change, you are the future; you are the answer.”

Sule further warned that Nigeria’s new leaders cannot provide the required leadership needed and most seek intervention of elders in the populace to achieve this aim.

“But let this thing get into your head – you need the elders. As I said earlier, you alone cannot make it, listen to the elders. Seek their advice. In all countries of the world, there is always what they call an invisible government.

“There are some elderly experience people who are not interested in getting any position or money but they are interested in their own country. They want to see their children and their grandchildren become good leaders, respected leaders. These are the people that sit together and discuss the country and advise the government. In every country in the world they have this. We must have this too.”

He said: “New breed without the old breed will breed greed. Throughout history, you find out that the best or the most successful organisation has this kind of combination – the old and the young. The old cannot do it alone nor can the young. You need a combination of the two to complement each other.

“In the same vein, we have to go into history. The purpose of history is to know the past in order to adjust the present and plan for the future. If you ignore the old breed you are wiping out a whole generation and therefore creating a vacuum. Nature does not want a vacuum. Life is a continuous thing. There must be continuity.”

Some weeks ago, the former minister had accused Nigerian leaders of frivolous and extravagant lifestyles.

Sule said some leaders use public funds to send their mistresses to London to have a hairdo.

He said most of the money used by these corrupt leaders were proceeds of oil exploration in Nigeria.

Source:

https://www.naij.com/1015848-tension-elder-statesman-calls-revolution.html

What arrant nonsense from an ingrate. When Nigerians revolted on January 15, 1966 against a bad and corrupted government, Maitama Sule was among the goons that kicked against it. Nigeria has more confused Sule today than it has in 1966.

What stopped the old dude from crying his bloody eyes out of the socket?

The word, Nigeria, is very unpatriotic as ever. Any bill that comes out of Nigeria is simply unpatriotic.

Igboid:
"Of course,yam is well celebrated above other tuber crops especially among the Igbos and the Isobos are not left out in this generational practice".

This is the sweetest part of this Isobo people.

These people hold unto their Isobo identity, but still identify with the rest of the Igbo nation, even though we have not done anything for them, most of us don't even know of their existence before today.
No "my papa say we came fronm Bini trash. No we no be ibo we be Isobo people trash. No Ibos want our land trash, that we normally get from morally bankrupt set of people who deny brotherhood on the altar of transient economic and political gains.

Just as honest and as cool as they come. Chukwu bless Isobo people.

Are Ohanaeze Ndiigbo aware of these Igbos at the fringes of Igboland? What program exactly have they ever conducted in these parts of Igboland to show these our brothers that they are part of us and to give them a sense of belonging.

What is exactly the function of Ohanaeze Ndiigbo? Someone remind me again.

I guess you are calling the wrong group to embark on purification of Igbo land.

gidgiddy:
I believe that the British should have conducted a referendum in 1960 to allow the ethnic nationalities decide if they want to carry on with the British invented idea called Nigeria. Of course, nobody could have foresaw the calamity that would come later in the shape of a civil war.

I think there should be 3 referendums.

The first, to determin those who wants to continue with 'one Nigeria' and those who want to go.

The second referendum will be held amongst those who decide to leave Nigeria so that they can decide who they want to stay with eg, It could be that Itsekiri,Isoko and Ijaw want to be together as a separate country or maybe all the Igbos and Igboids of Delta and Rivers all prefare to be together or maybe Efik/Ibibio/Ogoja/ Calabar/Oron want Oyono Republic. Or maybe everbody wants to be together

A third and last referendum will be held amongst the group(s) that have decided to be together, on what sort of constitution, system of Government, and terms of being together.

Has it not occurred to you that British was not in the business of giving the colonialized people a template for success?

drss2:
dis is not a comspiracy. there ar proves dat nigerian army ar working hand in hand with fulani terrorist to wipe out villages across middle to make way for fulani land grab. real id cards of serving military personel from northern extraction have been found in locations fulani terrorist attack, even before arrival of nigerian army to repel d attackers.

This is a similar strategy employed by the Fulani- led NPC in 1964 and ably aided by the Birom and Kanuri folks which constituted as one of the factors that led to the January 15, 1966 coup. When the war finally broke out, it was the same Joseph Tarka of UMBC that went to London, New York and informed the undiscerning crowds that he hailed from the minority ethnic group whose land holds the crude oil. It must be remembered that J. S. Tarka's trip to New York was sponsored Mobile Oil Corporation.

Daniel1990:
It is a pity that northern Christian are endangered species in their home land they are my greatest concern in the north_for they have no where to go_ they have to survive in all front; political survival, religious survival, domination survival, military/herdsmen survival, cultural survival, stereotypical survival_ they are only useful during election, their women and girls are sex object for the feudalists_ too pathetic.

They are not endangered species but plain stupid.

anonimi:
I thought that the Benin Kingdom was so rooted in its own tradition and had plenty of MAGICAL powers.
Why would the King need a car from oyinbo people who captured his ancestor and sent him on exile
Is he and Benin people so shameless with absolutely no dignity whatsoever for themselves?


[img]http://revealinghistories.org.uk/inc/img.php/tpl/uploads/images/galleries/403/kingofbenin1.jpg/371/1/fill[/img]

The bolded in red goes to all Africans. The dudes have no shame.

olapluto:
I saw a picture of the girl's training and I was a bit more optimistic than I was before. Good to see players like Tessy Biawo, Adeboyejo, etc. They are good quality players. I also think Ajibade will start if she makes the team.

Where the Falconets training on a synthetic turf? The Flamingoes looked completely sorry on the synthetic turf in Jordan.

Orkpekyandega:
It's ok. Let us keep calm and wait for what the Falconets will come up with.

Who knows.

There is no need to wait because the Falconets are not from Japan or USA. Granted that Peter is a very good coach but he cannot perform miracles without the help of Nigerians. All the teams in the tournament in Papua New Guinea have already named their squad and under intensive preparation for the show while Nigeria has not even assembled a practice squad.

onatisi:
Sacrificing your future or anything that pertains to you for Nigeria is an example of absolute stupidity because the Nigerians you sacrificed yourself for will definitely turn around to insult and abuse you. Eg mko abiola

You could not be more correct with above post. It is foolhardy on the part of Mikel to sacrifice his place in Chelsea F.C. for nonsensical Nigeria.

It is all about preparedness which Africans in general and Nigerians in particular lacked. Is anybody in any form of illusion while Africa has dangerously lacked behind in any human endeavor? If something is done quickly, Nigerians will get the same result from pending U-20 girl’s tournament in Papua New Guinea as did U-17 in Jordan.

Nigerians should realize that individualism does not win a match. The girl, named Ajibade, must understand that sometimes her teammates are better positioned to score a goal than her useless effort trying to score among sea of legs.

solok:
LETTER FROM LT.COL. OJUKWU TO LT. COL.BANJO

22nd AUGUST 1967

From: The Military Governor,

Republic of Biafra Enugu,

22nd August, 1967.

My dear Victor,

1. For some time now, you and I have been discussing the circumstances that have led to the current and inevitable disintegration of what was the Federation of Nigeria. We have been fully convinced that the aim of the Hausa/Fulani complex has ever been, and will ever remain, the total domination of every other part of what was known as the Federation of Nigeria. It is impossible to forget that the crisis which led to the army take over in January 1966, the coup of the Northern soldiers led by Gowon in July 1966, the wholesale and indiscriminate massacre of the people of what is now Biafra- and, to a less degree, the people of the Mid-West and West, including the Yorubas, were all the direct result of Hausa/Fulani attempt to subjugate and use as tools, the gallant people of Western Nigeria namely the Yorubas. We do not need to remind ourselves of the heavy losses in life and property suffered by the Yoruba people in their fight for justice and freedom during 1965.

2. Sharing.our belief that the people of Yorubaland have a right to live a life of equality and self-respect and justice free of domination and dictatorship from any quarter, you have both identified with the cause of the Biafra struggle for survival and expressed your determination to see the people of Yorubaland freed from Hausa/Fulani domination.

We, the people of Biafra, for our part are willing and have decided to give you and the people of Yorubaland every assistance to achieve your aim.

3. After clearing the whole question with my Executive Council, I, as the Commander in Chief of the Biafran Armed Forces, have decided to place at your disposal Biafran forces, for the liberation of

Yorubaland on the following clear conditions:-

(i) You will have nothing to do with the Military Administrator in the Mid-West Territory during your sojourn there prior to your move to the West.

(ii) The willingness and preparedness of Biafra to assist any part of the former Federation of Nigeria wishing and willing to liberate itself from the Hausa/Fulani domination, does not in anyway whatever

imply any inclination on her part to compromise her sovereignty or preserve what remains of the defunct Federation of Nigeria. In other words, our sovereignty and break with Nigeria is irrevocable. Nothing must, therefore be said or done by you or any member of the Liberation Army to give a contrary impression.

(iii) Biafra is determined to maintain and safeguard her sovereignty and ensure that her integrity and safety are never again threatened.

(iv) Biafran troops will, after the liberation of the Yorubaland, remain in that territory only for as long as we in Biafra consider it necessary for the Yorubas to consolidate their position and sovereignty against any external threat.

(v) On the liberation of the Yorubaland, you will be appointed as the Military Governor of that territory.

(vi) The liberation of Western Nigeria will be a prelude to the liberation of all Yorubas up to the River Niger and the severance of all connections between the West and the North at Jebba.

(vii) During the period of Biafrans troops’ presence in your territory, all political measures, statements or decrees shall be subject to the approval, in writing by myself or on my authority.

(viii) Should our troops arrive and liberate Lagos, the government of the Republic of Biafra reserves the right to appoint a Military administrator for the territory. Such an Administrator will remain in office until a merger of that territory with Yorubaland is effected by Biafran troops.

(ix) As soon as possible after your appointment as the Military Governor of Western Nigeria and separation of that territory from Nigeria, you and I must meet to discuss:

(a) the duration of stay of Biafran troops in your territory;

(b) the areas and subjects of cooperation between the liberated sovereign states of Western Nigeria, or by what name it may call itself, and Biafra.

4. I do not need to remind you that Biafra regards all Yoruba as friends. As such everything should be done, to ensure the minimum force and loss of life are involved in achieving the objective of liberation.

5. It is essential, in order to avoid misunderstanding or confusion, that all subsequent requests for support be formally made to me by you in writing.

6. Will you please signify in writing, your acceptance of the above conditions so that you may leave for Western Nigeria and lead the army of liberation.

Yours very sincerely,

signed Lt. Col. Odumegwu Ojukwu,

Military Governor and Commander in Chief of Biafran Armed Forces.

culled from " A Break in the Silence : Lt. Col. Victor Adebukunola Banjo, pp.66-68, by F. Adetowun Ogunsheye, Spectrum Books, Ibadan, 2001" . Provided by Prof. Olufemi Ojo.

When shall Nigerians stop being stupid? Ojukwu cannot and never address himself as the Military Governor and Commander in Chief of Biafran Armed Forces. The above junk reminds me of the crap published in the 1967 Western Nigeria regional gazette that Lt Col Fajuyi volunteered to die with Maj Gen. Ironsi. What a joke.

Most Nigerians are simply deluded and gullible. I bet my last cent that Obiano’s successor will definitely inform some of these jackasses that Obiano took Anambra State to the cleaners. This is vicious cycle of idiocy only found in Africa.

Nigerians girls lacked tactical awareness, vision and preparedness. Synthetic fields are slower than natural fields. They are more likely to slow the roll of ball than the natural fields hence the girls seemed to misjudge their kicks during string of passes. The problem lies more likely on lack of preparation, which is very Nigerian, than on anything else. In addition, Nigerian society sucks because it tends to shower misplaced praises on a goal scorer instead of collective efforts in winning a match.

wizjid69:
The girls are just strong with very little tactical awarerness.
Can't see anything like coaching strategy or even a team shape in the team.
They can't even string 5 passes together.
They should enjoy their time in Jordan and return home.

You could not be more correct. The girls could play if they were given proper training and education devoid of Africa.

MayorofLagos:
That evening, Nzeogwu went back to the airport to pick up his best friend Major Olusegun Obasanjo the Officer Commanding the Field Engineers who had just finished his course in India and flew in via London. Obasanjo’s deputy Captain Ben Gbuile was supposed to pick him up at the airport but he was busy mobilising for the Revolution. And so he telephoned Nzeogwu who promptly came to the airport. Though they slept together in the same room, Nzeogwu never told him of the death awaiting certain personalities.

The following day, 14th January, Bernard Floud a British MP and director of Granada TV (now ITV) which partly owned the Northern Region Television Station was staying at the plush Hamdala Hotel in Kaduna. He had met with the Sardauna briefly to discuss funding and expansion of the television reach. They were supposed to meet the following day Saturday 15th January to continue the business talk. But there would be no tomorrow.

Per the bolded, the jokers seemed not able to get their facts correct. Obasanjo was not the Officer Commanding the Field Engineers.

OPCNAIRALAND:
Ifeajuna reckoned that to outgun Ironsi and keep the dream of the Revolution alive, they needed more than the armoured, mechanised and artillery support that Obienu had to offer; they had to mobilise an additional company strong infantry at least. Going to 4th battalion in Ibadan was out of the question because they had no loyalist there. All their efforts to recruit Majors Nzefili and Ohanehi in December failed. Besides, the soldiers were extremely loyal to their commander Abogo Largema whose remains they had just tossed into the bush with Abubakar. The nearest military unit from which they could draw combat troops was 1st battalion in Apankwa Barracks in Enugu. Their commander, David Ejoor was supposed to be dragged out of the boot too and tossed into the bush like Largema, but he missed that fate by being unavailable in his allocated room in Ikoyi Hotel. They knew he was still in Lagos because he attended the Maimalari cocktail. Ifeajuna and Okafor decided to head back to Ikeja in order to proceed through Shagamu and race to Enugu to mobilise the battle ready troops. It was an impromptu journey that would have been inconceivable was Abubakar still with them.

 

In August 1962, the Federal Guards was formed and 150 of its initial 200 elite fighters were deployed from the Enugu battalion. It was the largest battalion in the country with 26 officers and 843 NCOs. Major Okonweze, Ejoor’s second-in-command in Enugu was part of the coup plot. He would not hesitate to grant Ifeajuna’s request for troops to Lagos. Using the privilege of their military uniforms, Ifeajuna and Okafor went through all the security roadblocks unobstructed. Combat fatigue and the post-traumatic stress disorder occasioned by his killing of two personalities with whom he had emotional connection – Maimalari and Abubakar – was already bossing him into making extremely individualistic decisions which prevented him from finding a way to inform Anuforo and Ademoyega of his new move.

The bolded is a part of series of craps deposited all over this arrant nonsense.

MayorofLagos:
By Damola Awoyokun

Damola Awoyokun, an engineer and historian has perused hitherto hidden dispatches from British diplomats and intelligence officers on Nigeria’s first coup—a very bloody one—executed by Chukwuma Kaduna Nzeogwu and Emmanuel Arinze Ifeajuna on 15 January 1966. The coup in which political leaders and military officers of northern Nigeria extraction were majorly killed triggered a counter-coup and eventually declaration of Biafra and a civil war.
TheNEWS today shares the rare insight into the bloody event of 15 January 1966 and we believe it may serve as a good lesson as the drums of war are being sounded in some parts of our country

Kaduna

It was a soundless morning, dark, pulsating, starless. The harmattan spiked the 2am air with prickly cold and fog. With his finger to the trigger, the 28-year-old Major Patrick Chukwuma Nzeogwu addressed the soldiers from Charlie Company of the 3rd Infantry Battalion and some Nigerian Military Training College (NMTC) personnel. They were armed with fury, submachine guns, knives, grenades, torchlights, rocket launchers. Nzeogwu reeled about how the politicians had dragged the country to the cliff of fall and kicked it down into a worst-case scenario. He reeled about nepotism, large scale looting of public wealth, persistent poverty of the people, the yearnings of millions hollowed out by afflictions, the epidemic of insecurities, the Tiv riots, the Western Region’s daily bloodletting, the country’s tireless race to the bottom instead of high up to the plane of regard.

He pointed to Sardauna’s residence right behind him as the ultimate symbol of the filth Nigeria had become. His fellow soldiers were stunned. They did not know they had been turned into reluctant rebels. They thought this was supposed to be another night’s training exercise the brigade high command had approved for them which they started two weeks previously. Nzeogwu then asked the soldiers to concentrate on how to be necessary and to feel proud that they were the ones called upon to rescue the nation, to show the way, to be the new founding fathers of a better Nigeria. In other words, like Homer’s Illiad, he was asking them not to see the epic bloodbath that was about to start as an outbreak of evil, but their generous contribution to the redemption and welfare of the nation.

They Charged Forward

Four hours earlier around 10 o’clock, the last lights in the Sardauna’s household had gone out. They were expected to wake by 4am to eat suhur, the predawn meal to begin the fast. Ramadan started on 23rd December 1965. A week earlier, the Prime Minister Mallam Tafawa Balewa Abubakar met the Queen and the British Prime Minister Harold Wilson. He had invited all the Commonwealth Prime Ministers for a special meeting in Lagos from 11- 12 January to resolve Rhodesian crises. It was the first of its kind outside London. On 19 December, he went to the small village of Arondizuogu in Orlu for the commissioning of his trade minister, Dr Ozumba Mbadiwe’s Palace of the People. Built by Italian contractors, it was a three-storey affair resplendent with blue terrazzo walls, swimming pool and a fountain, grand conference halls and event rooms, red carpet and gilt chairs. All these in a village where most houses were still born of mud and thatched roofs.

Since the first tarred roads were constructed in 1890s in Lagos, and the first dual carriage way in Nigeria – Queen Elizabeth Road – appeared in 1956 in Ibadan, no road in Arondizuogu or in Orlu had ever been graced with bitumen before. Yet Mbadiwe situated the grand palace there as a source of pride for his people. At the commissioning ceremony, the Eastern Premier, Dr Okpara never saw the project as a white elephant planted by megalomania and watered by corruption, rather he hailed the project as “a great achievement for one of the priests of pragmatic socialism to have been so clever to accommodate this building within the context of pragmatic African socialism.” The press placed the value of the house at least half a million pounds. Mbadiwe said it was “at most £40,000.” After the commissioning, Abubakar then proceeded to his farm in Bauchi for his annual leave. On Tuesday 4th of January, he joined the retinue of well-wishers in Kaduna airport to bid farewell to his in-law and godfather, the Sardauna, who was going to Saudi Arabia to perform Umra, a lesser hajj, in the company of 184 other state-sponsored pilgrims. The cost of the one-week pilgrimage to the government was around £17,000.

Arrant nonsense. The above junk is a full display of idiocy.

logica:
I posted this for those who always like to portray the murderers who conducted the January 1966 coup as patriots and heroes. They were nothing but low-down dirty murderers and traitors. They used to come eat at Ademulegun's house. They also used to visit the Sardauna often (Nzeogwu for one was one of the Sardauna's pets). A pregnant woman was murdered in front of her daughter. Heroes indeed.

What you posted is a glorified junk.

logica:
The first 1966 coup: Though painful, I’m happy I witnessed the killing of my parents-– Ademulegun-Agbi


Saturday, January 15, 1966 is arguably one of the days to remember in the history of Nigeria. It was the first military coup, and it took place barely six years after Nigeria gained independence from Britain.

Some senior military officers, including the then Chief Instructor at the Nigerian Defence Academy in Kaduna, Major Kaduna Nzeogwu, his co-conspirators, Major Timothy Onwuatuewgu, Major Emmanuel Ifeajuna, Major Adewale Ademoyega and Major Chris Anuforo, among others, made attempts to overthrow the democratic government in place at the time, headed by Nnamdi Azikiwe as the President and Abubakar Balewa as the Prime Minister.

The President was away in the Caribbean on vacation, thus, the Prime Minister and other ministers were inadvertently the target of the coup.

These UK-trained military officers began plotting the coup in August 1965 because, according to them, the leaders at that time were corrupt and living in flamboyance at the expense of the citizens.

The violent coup began as a mere night-time training exercise for junior officers, known as ‘Exercise Damisa’ and it was held close to the premises of Ahmadu Bello, the then Premier of the Northern region, but it turned out to be one of Nigeria’s bloodiest coups, as many government officials and soldiers were killed.

On that Saturday, the coup plotters had spread themselves across their target areas: Kaduna, Lagos and Ibadan, where they murdered the likes of Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, Sir Ahmadu Bello, Brig. Samuel Ademulegun, who was then the commander of the 2nd Brigade, Col. Ralph Shodeinde, Chief Samuel Akintola, Festus Okotie-Eboh, Brig. Zakariya Maimalari, and others.

Interestingly, Mrs. Solape Ademulegun-Agbi, the only daughter of Brig. Ademulegun, witnessed the gruesome killing of her father and mother by the mutinous soldiers.

Even though she was just six years and one month old at that time, now at 57, the mother of two, who is now a school proprietress, tells TUNDE AJAJA in this interview what happened that night

January 15, 1966 is a day to remember in your family. What are the memories you still have about that day?

It’s amazing you asked this question, because the memory of that day never went away. You would imagine that memories of the parties and the fun I have had in the past had all gone away, but memories of that day just didn’t go anywhere.

You were six years old at that time, what do you remember about that day?

We were living in Kaduna and my dad was the General Officer Commanding, 1st Division, Kaduna. The house was on Kashim Ibrahim Road in Kaduna, and from what I gather, the house is still there. It was a lovely day and there was nothing to suggest that anything was going to happen. My father travelled, I don’t recall where he went but he had just come back that day. I’m sure if he knew something like that was about to happen, he would have taken some precautions. He wasn’t aware. So, evening came and we all went to bed. I shared my parents’ bedroom that night because I had chicken pox and I had calamine lotion all over my face. My younger brother, Goke, was sleeping in a cot in the room while my elder brother, Kole, was in another room. We were all asleep. In the middle of the night, we heard noises, and as I opened my eyes, soldiers were already in our bedroom upstairs; they were familiar with the house anyway because they always came around. How they even came in through the guards, I don’t know. Of course, the guards were soldiers too. I recognised a few of them because some of them had come in the afternoon, maybe to survey the house and see how their plan would work in the night.


What did your father do when he saw them?

We were all in bed. My father was putting on white singlet and his underwear. He asked what they were doing in the house, and then, he tried to reach for his drawer, as a trained military officer. I cannot recall now whether it was Onwuatuegwu or Nzeogwu, but I recall asking the person ‘uncle what are you doing here?’ My mother also wanted to play the heroine, by asking what they were doing in our house – our bedroom. They dealt with her first. They shot her on the chest and she started bleeding. Then they took my father out. While they took him out, my mum was gasping, trying to talk. She was calling my elder brother, who was in another room, apparently to give her last instruction. I think Kole came out of his bedroom but the atmosphere was so hostile and there was so much shooting such that he couldn’t even step in to see her or hear what mum was trying to say. She also called our housemaid, Gbele, but no one would show up at that time. Two soldiers stayed in the room with us. For a long time, she kept trying to talk but she was losing strength. While that was on, they brought my father back into the room, dead. He wasn’t shot in bed like some people reported. They took him out, shot him and brought back his corpse. So, we don’t know what happened when they took him out, but they just laid him there on the floor. My mum didn’t die very quickly; she was still gasping but her speech had become very weak and slow because blood was gushing out of her body. I know that if she had got help, she probably wouldn’t have died. When they were done, they left, because she was as good as dead anyway. When they left, my brother led us out of the house to the boy’s quarters where we were for the rest of the night.

The fact that you asked what the “uncle” was doing in the bedroom implies some familiarity. Which of them; Nzeogwu or Onwuatuegwu, used to come to your house before then?

I think both of them. They used to come and eat pounded yam, because back then, going to your commander’s house was normal. The Army was one big family. Nzeogwu was the name in my head and I may not have known Nwaotuegwu by name because that was a long jaw-breaking name for a child. My father being from Ondo, pounded yam was our main meal. That was when I knew cow leg that Yorubas call bokoto. It used to have some little round bones in it. That, with pounded yam, were Nzeogwu’s favourite and he would come and eat with us. Nzeogwu used to carry me on his shoulders. Eventually when we moved on and I got to Army Children’s School, I met a young lady, called Femi Nzeogwu. I don’t know if she was his daughter or niece, but funny enough, we became pretty close, much as I said to myself that I wouldn’t have anything to do with anybody. So, Nzeogwu had a relationship with my dad and mum. But like I said, I don’t recall if he was there. But I recall seeing someone that I called uncle, which was a symbol of familiarity. I think one or two of the people who came that night were the same people who came during the day.

Who called your house during that attack?

The phone rang somewhere in between, and it was Mrs. Shodeinde. She called to warn my parents. I picked up the phone but it was late because the soldiers had divided themselves everywhere at the same time, because they also killed her husband. After they left, my brother took us to the boy’s quarters. Some people, especially the civilians found it very hilarious, especially describing the gunshots. That was a humour for them. They were laughing, while the others, especially the soldiers, genuinely sat back and wondered what was next for them. The soldiers knew it was a big problem, not just for them, but for the nation. So we were in the boy’s quarters till morning before the army sent someone to move us to Queen Amina Orphanage there in Kaduna, which was run by the white missionaries then. It was there they told me then that my parents had gone on a long journey. I don’t know if I believed them, having seen all the blood and how my mum was losing her breath. But, before we left the orphanage, one of the missionaries, a white young beautiful lady, took me to a burial ground in the area and explained what death meant to me. She told me if a person died, they would never come back and they had gone to be with God. I still didn’t understand. But I somehow knew that I wasn’t going to see my parents again.

What was in your mind when the shooting was going on?

What could be on the mind of a six-year-old? I was wondering ‘what is this? Uncle, what are you doing here? Who are these other men?’ I was used to having soldiers around the house but in that hostile manner, it was a different thing. On my mind, it was just a bad night; maybe a dream, maybe I was going to wake up the next day and everything would have gone away. But, that was the beginning of another life.

Did it cross your mind that they could kill you?

No, I wasn’t even scared. My brothers had always seen me as a tomboy, so I didn’t have such fears.

Do you remember yourself crying that night?

Oh yes, I did, because I was leaving without them. They were lying there while we were going to the boy’s quarters. My brother was dragging me and at a point, he carried me (He still looks out for me a lot, he still thinks I’m his baby), but I didn’t want to go because they were both there on the floor. I still wanted to talk to them, but they were not responding. I cried all the way to the boy’s quarters and even in the next morning when the army brought a Land Rover to take their bodies, I watched them take the bodies away. I wanted to go with them but I couldn’t. I have not stopped crying. Sometimes I see my friends whose parents are still alive and whose fathers were also in the army. When I see the relationship between them, I cry. It could be my silent, quiet tears, but I cry. When I listen to Michael Bolton’s ‘Fathers and Daughters Never Say Goodbye,’ I cry. Anytime I visit Ondo and I see his cenotaph, I cry. The tears from that day probably would never die until I’m no more in many years to come. And if it is true that the dead see one another, I’d see them again. Maybe all the love they couldn’t wait to give, we would have it then. Crying? I haven’t stopped crying.

Would you say you are happy you witnessed the incident or you wish you hadn’t slept with them that night?

That’s a very difficult question for me to answer. I’ve never stopped having my regret over that night. I still cry, even as a 57-year-old. You know why? I never got the chance to say goodbye (Crying). They too never got a chance to say goodbye. There is this song, ‘Fathers and Daughters Never Say Goodbye’, by Michael Bolton, I’m hooked to that song. A father promises his daughters so many things; I’ll be there for you when you grow up, when you get married, when you have children, when you have your first boyfriend; I’ll be there to tell you he’s the one or not. My dad wasn’t there for no fault of his and we never even got the chance to say goodbye. You would think that after 50 years, it would be a wound that has healed, no. I have my regret but I’m glad I witnessed it, because it would have been worse if I didn’t see them at all. I feel better. It would have been worse if all I have is the story, because we don’t even have a burial ground to visit. Where they were buried doesn’t even exist anymore. So, that’s enough memory for me, even though it’s painful. It’s painful but it’s okay. It would have been worse if I had nothing at all. I needed to have something and that’s the only goodbye I had. They couldn’t say it, I couldn’t say it, but at least I had that memory, that I saw them before they gave up the ghost. From what I gather, an expressway has gone over the place they were buried. So, we don’t even have a burial ground to go and put flowers. I’m glad that I saw it, but I wish I could have said goodbye.

Your mum who wasn’t a military officer was also killed. Was there ever a time she expressed her reservation about your dad being in the military?

I don’t think so; I think she actually liked it. She was a nurse, and I think at some point, she worked at 44 Nigerian Army Hospital in Kaduna. I think she was fine with his choice of work.

Was she truly pregnant at the time she was shot?

I think she was. With hindsight, I think she was. That would have been another younger brother or sister for me. I’m the only girl. Maybe I would have had another sister.

How was life after their death?

Immediately after the orphanage, they moved us to Lagos. We went by train whereas when our parents were alive, we went everywhere by air and at worst, by road with my father driving. So, we went by train from Kaduna to Lagos, while my brother stopped at Abeokuta to resume school. My father’s brother, Mr. Johnson Ademulegun, who is also late now, came for us. The military contacted him to take us in while they made arrangement for where we would stay. He was in the police force. Throughout the journey, I didn’t close my eyes. My younger brother and uncle slept off. My eyes were wide open. He lived somewhere in Obalende barracks while the Army was still deciding where to put us and who would raise us. It was the worst few weeks of our lives. All I managed to take out of the house was my duck (Pepeye in Yoruba). Later on, the army figured out where to place us, but it wasn’t the same. We moved from corn flakes to pap. It reminded me of the life that I was used to. My younger brother had difficulty living with it. He was four then. It took him a little longer to put it behind. We moved from place to place. Dr. Akinsete and his wife, Mrs. Omowumi Akinsete (May her soul rest in peace) tried for us as well. They were fantastic. He’s still my father; he’s still alive. However, the army did their bit; they settled us down.

The coup plotters were your father’s friends, would you know why he chose not to be a part of the coup?

My father was a very disciplined officer. He was strict and stern. I think he stood on the vows he made, that he would defend his nation and his fellow officers. So, he wasn’t one who would do such or be a part of such a thing.

Those who plotted the coup said the government was corrupt and that was why they made that move. Would you know if your father shared that same view or he wasn’t used to sharing his views at home?


I wouldn’t know; I was just six. Even if he were to share his views at home, it won’t be with me. My dad was close to the Sardauna of Sokoto and we used to go to his house. I didn’t see any flamboyance. What I saw was a good Muslim leader who cared for his people, because we used to see many people outside there being fed. The word, Almajiri, existed then more than it does now. So, what I saw was a man who fed his people. If they considered that as flamboyant lifestyle, I wonder what they would say now with so many beggars and unemployed people. Perhaps, if someone would still be doing that now, there would be less beggars on the street.

One of your siblings later joined the Air Force, which is an arm of the military. Was there any form of resistance from the other siblings, considering what happened to your parents?

It was my first brother who later died, late Group Captain Francis Ademulegun. He was in aeronautical school in Germany when it happened, so he wasn’t even around, and what you don’t see may not really hurt you as much. However, he joined the Air Force, not the Army. So, there was no resistance.

Would you still wish to know who did the killing between Nzeogwu and Onwuatuegwu?

I think we should just let sleeping dogs lie. Of what use will it be? What is done is done. It can’t be undone. Nigeria is here, we thank God. I see one united nation, even with our ups and downs.

Have you forgiven the person?

Forgive? I would be a fool after 50 years to say I haven’t forgiven. We were not alone in this. Other people lost their fathers, maybe not everybody lost their mothers, but we didn’t suffer. Nigerian Army paid our school fees but we still missed our parents. If they were alive today, they probably would be in their 90s, but I would know they are there. I miss the fact that all I have are pictures in frames. There is also that song that ‘All I have is your picture in the frame’. Other than that, I’m a grandmother now. If I don’t let the past go, if I hang on to the past, then, I’m going to be carrying too much baggage. So, forgiveness? That happened a long time ago, the army more than made up for it. They made sure we got our first degrees. They did their best. The less enmity we hold and the less grudges we carry, the better for us.

Did you ever visit that house again after the incident?

I still want to visit the house, but I haven’t been to Kaduna in a long time. Somebody told me that my mother’s blood still keeps dripping from one part of the wall. Of course, they keep painting, but once the paint starts fading out, there would be a red-brownish patch on one part of the wall near the bed, which they put as my mother’s blood. I’ll visit that place one day, if whoever is there would allow me to go up and see.

The coup eventually failed…

(…Cuts in) Well, so they say, but those who died had died.

One can imagine that the fact that those who killed your parents didn’t taste that power would be a consolation for people like you. Did you see it that way?

Happy? That’s a tough word. I would have preferred that my parents were alive, even if the coup worked. Life really changed for us. So, being happy or unhappy over that was not an option. That it worked, that it failed, that there was a counter-coup the following July, so be it, but some people had gone, if it was time for others to go, so be it. We moved on, we were placed with the Akinsete family, we spent holidays everywhere. We stayed with Gen. Olutoye, who is now an Oba, the next day could be with Gen. Oluleye. We were loved everywhere, so there was no time to look back. The important thing was everyone wanted us to succeed.

How much has the event of that night affected you?


A lot, because I find it very difficult to trust. Even friendship was hard. It’s still a bit hard, because trust is a little difficult for me, owing to that event. If people were coming to your home to eat and fraternise with you, and suddenly they go behind and make up that dubious plan and then they show up and the next thing is you are dead. For many years, I find it difficult to be friends with the people from Eastern part of Nigeria, with all due apologies. Once you said you were Igbo, I had issues taking it in, but I grew past it. One of my best friends in the university was an Igbo girl, and one of my closest allies now is Igbo. It took me years to overcome that. That event made death seem like nothing to me. If they were talking a minute ago and the next thing they were gone, then it’s okay. It doesn’t matter at what age. It wasn’t like they were old when they left. My mum was 38 and I think my dad was 42. So, basically, the problem I had was that of trust. If people try to get too close, I have a problem with that. A lot of people don’t understand because I wouldn’t know who to trust and I would rather just be myself and keep my memories. I don’t want anybody infiltrating my head. So, I made myself to be a workaholic. I enjoy working and being around children. To keep that memory, I have buildings in my school that I named after my parents. These have kept me going. I’m a very fulfilled mother and grandmother.




http://punchng.com/first-1966-coup-though-painful-im-happy-witnessed-killing-parents/

The above crap is pure conjecture and fruitless attempt at narrative full of deceptions.

Hagm0nd:
ademulegun killed by an IBO man, his statue stands in ondo city roundabout,fajuyi died protecting an IBO man,yet they call us cowards and traitors.
time will tell

Are you this ignorant or poorly educated?