You must remember Rosaline Ogunro. She released some hit songs in the 1980s and early 1990s. Well, do you remember that she was also a broadcaster before she became a famous singer?
She was in the studio when Dimka appeared on February 13th, 1976 and I will post her account of what happened and hopefully the bot will not attack it.
Friday 13 February 1976
I was the early morning duty continuity announcer on Friday 13 February 1976, exactly 45 years ago.
My shift commenced at 5:30 am and would have finished at 11:30 am.
Things were going on smoothly until about 7:20 am when a rather scruffy man with red eyes as though under the influence of alcohol or other substances, in army uniform and armed with a gun, walked into the continuity studio with another army officer and one of my colleagues, a producer in the Hausa Service of Voice of Nigeria.
The scruffy officer was later to announce that he was Dimka. He said as they came in, ‘any resistance from these people, shoot’. He then demanded to use my microphone. I got up and he took over my seat and my microphone. He then announced that there had been a coup and that the Head of State, General Murtala Mohammed had been killed. He proceeded to make the infamous ‘dawn to dusk curfew’. He read from a scrap of paper.
After the announcement he asked if I had military (martial music) to which I said no. The colleague who accompanied the officers left immediately and returned quite quickly with a compilation of martial music records possibly from the music library. He seemed to have pre-compiled them. I was commanded to play them after Dimka’s announcement. I was not overly scared at this point. I thought to myself, ’just do as you are told’ especially as the man was armed with a gun.
Dimka left the studio and returned 15 minutes later to repeat his announcement. As he walked out of the studio after the second announcement, I followed him and his ‘accomplices’ though at that time I had not realised my colleague was an accomplice. I walked out with them to see if I could find any senior staff member to report that there had been an incident in the studio. We met the Director General, Dr. Christopher Kolade at the door of the continuity studio. He had been in his office upstairs, had heard Dimka’s announcement and had come down to investigate. Dimka happily announced to him that the then Head of State had been killed and that he Dimka would be returning to make further announcements. Quick thinking Dr. Kolade advised him to record his statement on tape instead of broadcasting the same message live every 15 minutes. I believe that advice saved lives that fateful day because it removed him from that area of Broadcasting House for the time being. His recording was subsequently played at 15 minutes intervals and bridged with martial music as commanded.
I was made to understand that Dimka later returned to make a fresh recording in one of the studios downstairs. This must have been about 11:00 am. Not long after, as I later learned, the army arrived in full force and completely surrounded Broadcasting House, Ikoyi, Lagos and proceeded to open fire at the station.
When the firing started the walls were shaking and I could see dust falling to the floor of the continuity studio. It felt like a bomb had been dropped on the building. It was as though the building was being razed. Mind you I had never witnessed a bomb being dropped on a building before except on foreign films. I realised then, when the building started shaking that this was a serious matter.
There were 2 studio managers and myself in the continuity studio that morning.
When the shooting started I instantly turned off the martial music that I was playing. (My mum and dad happened to be listening to the Radio that morning and when that music stopped they thought I had been shot).
The firing seemed to be directed at the continuity studio. The studio managers and I were separated by a glass partition. I quickly went over to the studio managers when the shooting stopped briefly and suggested they came over to my side of the studio which was situated in the inner part of the studio. We hid under my console. Soon after, the shooting started again.
Some bullets tore through the heavy doors and the glass partition and struck the records rack where fill-up records were kept. It was my first time of seeing the metal objects called bullets. I took some home later, I believe three, as a reminder of what happened that day.
When the shooting subsided about 30 minutes later; I suggested coming out of our hiding and out of the studio as it appeared that the shooting was being aimed at this part of the building. We could see bullets all over the corridor floor outside the continuity studio. As we came out we knocked on office doors but realised they were all locked and no one was responding. We moved further out to where we could be seen: I was leading the group of three with our hands up. It was then we saw the entire building surrounded by soldiers with guns pointing at it from the metal railings outside the main gate. The first time the soldiers caught sight of us I thought I heard ‘fire’ and we ran back. We tried calling out again to staff in offices to see if we could hide there but no one answered and the offices were still locked! I said to my two colleagues ‘we have to get out of here; the studio is being shot at’. We tried one more time and heard ‘hold fire, civilians.’ We were then led by some fierce looking soldiers down the bullet ridden staircase. They demanded to know what we were still doing in the building and where we were when members of staff were being moved from the building. All studios are sound proofed so we did not hear staffers being moved and no one came by the Continuity studio to alert us. There must have been a lot of panic on that day and as a result we were left behind.
We were taken by the soldiers to a sand-filled swampy area away from the building where we found members of staff who were still at the station that morning lying on their stomachs, on the ground and soldiers standing over them with their guns. We were made to join them on the ground. I remember one of the soldiers enjoying what was going on and saying “I like this, I have not shot for a long time”. There was a sigh of relief when colleagues and bosses saw the three of us.
Later that evening all other members of staff were allowed to go home. The afternoon and evening duty announcers did not show up because everyone had been advised in Dimka’s broadcast to stay at home. I was the only continuity announcer available so I was made to go back to the same studio to continue broadcasting to the nation. The two studio managers who went through the initial ordeal with me did not return to the studio with me. I cannot remember who replaced them at their desk but I think it was just now one instead of two.
I continued working as normal but as could be expected it was mainly about the coup the rest of the day; the News was all about it, interspersed with normal music this time (not martial/military) and reminding our listeners about the updated curfew; ‘dusk to dawn’ this time. I worked from 5:30 am till close down, just after midnight.
I was taken care of by the soldiers who provided me with hot dinner at about 10:00 pm, my first main meal of that day. I cannot remember what it was but it was delicious; I had not thought of food the whole day! After close down at 5 minutes past midnight, armoured vehicles accompanied our staff car to drop me off at home. My parents were delighted to see me safely back. They had been anxious all morning, afternoon and night with no word about their daughter. Not many people had land line phones; we did not. Mobile phones did not exist.
About three hours after being dropped at home the armoured vehicles and the office car returned to take me back to Broadcasting House to open the station. My parents would not let me leave home that morning but I told them not to worry, I would be alright. So, at the crack of dawn on Saturday, 14 February 1976 I was back in the same studio, opening the station once again at 5:30 am.
My very brave and courageous colleague and best mate, Siene All-well Brown who was not on the roster to work that morning risked everything and drove down to take over from me. She made it possible for me to go home to rest from the ordeal of the previous day.
I later heard that the command from high up in the Army ranks was to raze the entire building, but that another thought of the innocent civilians in the building and advised otherwise. I cannot say for sure who was involved in these decisions.
Dimka obviously escaped capture on that day but not the other accomplice officer who came to the studio with him. I understand he was shot dead.
I had only been at this job three years when this incident took place. I was frightened no doubt on the day of the coup but I kept my cool. I was later told by colleagues and listeners who heard me after I returned to the studio to get the station running again, that at no time did my voice betray any fright or discomfort.
I feel grateful that on that fateful day, Friday 13 February 1976 I did not let my nation down at its most critical time. I feel most grateful to God for sparing my life.
I had no idea my colleague who came to the studio with Dimka was involved in the coup until much later. He must have compiled the martial music in advance. He provided the records so quickly!
Dimka was arrested a few weeks after the coup and sadly that colleague was later executed by firing squad along with him and the other coup plotters.
I pray for peace and stability in our country Nigeria and in the whole world.
Account by Rosaline Ogunro nee Ogbangwor.
Rosaline Ogunro wrote something that you might have missed, so I'll emphasise it.
Coupists usually impose a dusk to dawn curfew. This means that there is restriction of movement and nobody should go out from 7pm (dusk/night time) till 7am (dawn/morning). Basically it's a night time curfew.
However, Suka Bukar Dimka's English was very poor and his coup speech was riddled with errors, so he declared a dawn to dusk curfew. In other words, he was saying that nobody should go out during daytime, but they could go out at night. It was obviously a mistake.
I have written about this before, but I'm now going to post a link to the interview, so that you can read it yourself.
I remember that there were all kinds of rumours back then (for example, some said that he was a mole), but all the rumours are false except for the one that said that he was already in the mortuary before they realised that he was alive. Believe it or not, some newspapers, magazines and websites still report that he died in the attack! This is more than 40 years later and they still report that he died!
Murtala Muhammed was going to work in his official car. Sitting in front were the driver, Sergeant Adamu Michika and the orderly, Sergeant Michael Otuwe. Sitting at the back were the ADC, Lieutenant Akintunde Akinsehinwa and the head of state, General Murtala Muhammed.
They were on Bank Road and got to the junction of Bank Road and Ikoyi Road, but the traffic warden stopped traffic from Bank Road from moving (actually, the traffic warden did not notice their car. There were around 4 or 5 cars between the traffic warden and the limousine).
The coupist shot the driver dead and continued firing into the car. Michael Owutu said that he immediately took cover and fell on the body of the driver. The head of state and the ADC also took cover. The coupists finished shooting and were heading to the radio station when the ADC opened the back door of the car. One of the coupists noticed the movement and shouted to his colleagues that they were not dead. They returned to the car and opened fire again. This time they killed the general and the ADC, but unknown to them, the orderly was still alive.
General Murtala Nearly Escaped The Coupists – Former Orderly
Fri, 12 Feb 2016 22:49:33 GMT
Today marks 40 years since the assassination of former head of state, General Murtala Mohammed in a failed 1976 coup de’tat. In this interview, the late General’s orderly, Master Warrant Officer Michael Otuwe (rtd), 69, in tears, narrates how the late charismatic leader almost escaped the coupists, and much more.
Daily Trust: Why did you join the army?
Master Warrant Officer Michael Otuwe (rtd): I am an Igala man form Olamoboro local government of Kogi State. I attended Ankpa Primary School and Ankpa Model Secondary School before I joined the profession I cherished most, the army. I joined the army on September 11, 1967, at Ikeja Military Cantonment in Lagos and that is where we underwent the mandatory six months training on the eve of the Nigerian Civil War. After the training I was posted to the Nigerian Army Signal Corps and incidentally, Muratla Ramat Mohammed was a Colonel then and the Inspector of Signals.
DT: How did he make you his orderly, did you lobby or somebody introduced you to him?
Otuwe: He told me that he noticed how immaculate I was in my army dress when we do master parade. He picked me to be his orderly when I was a Lance Corporal. I was young and I just have to be clean. I was with Murtala in all his posting and during the civil war as he was made the first General Officer Commanding Two Division of the Nigerian Army and beyond.
DT: How many years did you work with the late national hero as his orderly?
Otuwe: I worked with him till he was killed and that was 11 years and within the period he had only three children – Aisha, Zakari and Fatima.
DT: What is the secret behind your success in the civil war?
Otuwe: He was an organiser of men and their welfare. He was smart and hardworking and thought of Nigeria first before anything. He was always consulting his close ally, the chief Imam of the Nigerian Army, Brigadier Ndayawo who was also at the battle front.
DT: What were some of the exploits of your master that the public do not know?
Otuwe: He was gifted. I remember one occasion when Biafran soldiers encircled us, he did a wonderful tactical manoeuvre and retreated that baffled even we that were with him. When many wanted to surrender, he made a quest to fight and to win for Nigeria to continue as a united country. If you broke the law, he dealt with you accordingly. He had a good retentive memory and did not forget anything.
DT: Is it true that most of his colleagues were envious of him because of his exploits during the civil war?
Otuwe: I cannot really tell, even though it was something that was not in the open.
DT: How did you survive the many ambushes against the life of the General?
Otuwe: We encountered many ambushes and attacks but one of the most memorable one was when we were encircled at Ukpo Junction in Abbagana where Murtala did a tactical manoeuvre and withdrew and prepared for a defensive attack that led to the capture of many towns and cities. But all the Nigerian soldiers that captured Onitsha fell into a trap as they were encircled and fell to the fire-power of Biafran troops. We went to Asaba in speed boats and down to the northern region in Idah in present day Kogi State to prepare for attacks that eventually lead to the capture of more cities. In 1968 there was a reshuffle that took General Murtala back to Lagos as Minister of Communications an Inspector of Signals. That mean he was doing two jobs at the same time.
DT: How did you brief your wife about your schedule of duty?
Otuwe: (Laughter) She was married to a soldier and she had become part of the system as when she saw us at home, it meant we were off duty.
DT: How did your children react about the absence of their father?
Otuwe: Most of my children almost forgot me as I left home at dawn and came back late in the night. They saw me only on weekends even though I used to go to the house of the head of state even during weekends and even before he became the head of state.
DT: Is it true that Murtala once travelled from Lagos to Kano by road when he was head of state?
Otuwe: He didn’t do that while I was with him.
DT: Is it true that he used to camouflage and go round Lagos without being acknowledged?
Otuwe: Yes! It is true as I and his ADC, Lieutenant Akintunde Akinterinwa, once followed him to survey prices, the rising cost of goods. He wore a track suit, a face cap and dark goggles and rode a horse to a filling station, disembarked, tied it and entered Sangross (Lagos Island), then Ajegunle and later Agege markets. The ADC pretended that we are not together and the ADC was writing the prices and I was pretending as a window shopper. A market woman told him to give other buyers chance as people were more disciplined then as everybody queued for his or her turn then. After two weeks goods and meat came in ships. People tagged the meat as ‘Murtala Meat.’
DT: What happened the day he was assassinated?
Otuwe: He was assassinated on July 29, 1976 (Starts shedding tears). He ruled for six months from July 29, 1975 to February 13, 1976. He was a very good man as he did not allow the goods (personal effects) of General Gowon to be thrown out but to be removed gently and for the house to be renovated before he relocated from Dodan Barracks. That was why he was shuttling from Ikoyi without pilot cars, motorbike outriders, armed military and security bodyguards among others. He only rode in the official Mercedes Benz car with two flags the national flag on the left and the armed forces flag on the right. On that fateful day, we passed through Federal Secretariat in Ikoyi which was undergoing renovation and covered with zinc. When we reached Alagbgon Junction the traffic man did not notice the flags, he would have allowed the traffic in our direction to continue moving, but he stopped the five or six cars in front of us then I saw some people in agbada (Babanriga) and when they lifted them up they brought out AK-47 rifles and fired at us. Already a masked man had got the driver, Sergeant Adamu Michika, in the head and he feel on the arm-rest where the suit case containing the General’s mufti was. I took cover and fell on the driver. The General and the ADC also took cover. When the assassins left and were heading to National Broadcasting Corporation – Radio House – to announce the takeover, one of the Majors turned and saw when the ADC opened the door to help the General, the Major shouted and notified his colleagues that they were alive. This made them to turn and rush back and emptied there bullets in us. I was the only survivor as I was shot in the arm and the hip. The troops loyal to General Murtala came after the soldiers and they took us to the mortuary. I recovered from coma when the breeze from the air conditioner and the pain woke me up. A mortuary attendant notice that I raised my hand and he alerted a doctor who said I was alive and they took me to Dodan Barracks and then to a hospital on Awolowo Road Ikoyi.
DT: How long did you take to fully recover and go back to work?
Otuwe: I spent six months to recover and resumed work with the Nigerian Army Signal Corps. Where I worked with Generals Adenaju, Raji Rasaki and lastly Tanko Ayuba.
DT: Have you ever been honoured?
Otuwe: No, not at all.
DT: Where are you staying now?
Otuwe: I am now staying in a rented two bedroom house in Maraba in Nasarawa State. The street has no name not to talk of house number. But I am working in the office of Riskua Murtala Muhammed in Maitama.
DT: When did you retire from the army?
Otuwe: I retired on the December 31, 1999 as a Master Warrant Officer.
DT: Are any of your children in the armed forces?
Otuwe: Not yet as they are schooling in high institutions.
I've posted all these before, but I want to put everything in one post.
What did Murtala Muhammed do?
Initially, during the First Republic, there wasn't much security around the president and prime minister. Then Tafawa Balewa was killed and it changed everything. There was overwhelming security around Ironsi and Gowon.
Murtala Muhammed changed all of that.
1) He did not move into Dodan Barracks. He continued to live in the official residence of the minister of communications (he was minister of communications in Gowon's government). The house was on 2nd Avenue in Ikoyi.
2) There was no electricity generator in that house. He suffered power outages just like everybody else. Obasanjo and Danjuma had to put a lot of pressure on him to buy a generator, because they thought that it was a security risk.
3) He went to Sandgrouse Market in disguise, in order to find out the prices of things and see how it affected the masses.
4) During the Gowon era, the head of state, first lady and chief of staff (military vice president) often rode in stretch limousines. Murtala stopped the practice. Only the head of state used a stretch limousine.
5) No government official was allowed to use sirens or motorcades. The head of state did not use any sirens or motorcades. He waited in traffic like everyone else.
Murtala Muhammed was killed when his limousine was waiting for traffic at the junction of Bank Road and Ikoyi Road. The assassins opened fire on his limousine and left. His ADC opened the door to return fire and the assassins returned and shot at the limousine again.
There were only 4 people in the car, the driver and orderly in front and the ADC and Murtala at the back. Only the orderly survived (because the driver fell on him when he was shot).
That's why students unions rioted when he was killed.
The Obasanjo Administration resumed the practice of having motorcades and guards for senior government officials.
Fifty years after the passing of General Murtala Muhammad, his example still weighs heavily on our sense of duty as public servants.
He led with clarity and firmness. He expected discipline from the civil service and carried Nigeria’s voice with confidence beyond our borders, especially in matters of justice and African unity. His life remains a reminder that leadership is not about time spent in office, but about resolve and the courage to act when called upon.
Today, at this milestone anniversary, I am reminded of the standard he set. Government must be principled, focused, and united in purpose. The most meaningful way to honour his memory is to keep working toward a nation that lives up to those values.
zuby4real10: Na that first presidential visit in 37years confused me cos I thought all the 3 former presidents visited there officially? Abi na my English no strong reach wetin OP wrote?
There is a differebce between a state visit, a working visit and a private vsit.
State visit: The host is the monarch (king/queen). It is usually mainly ceremonial. The visitor will ride in the royal carriage, etc. I watched President Babangida's state visit in 1989.
Working visit: The prime minister is the host. It's usually mainly about business and government issues.
Yesterday, we had a productive and engaging meeting with the national executives of the Renewed Hope Agenda and the City Boy Movement, convened by Seyi Tinubu. The meeting provided an important platform for constructive discussions on strengthening coordination and aligning our collective efforts towards advancing President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope vision across the country.
We remain committed to working together in unity and purpose to support initiatives that promote national development and the success of our shared objectives.
Politics › Re: Governor Sanwo-Olu Lays Wreath At Murtala's Cenotaph (Photos) by naptu2(op): 9:17am On Feb 08
