It was on a Saturday night, about 2am, January 15, 1966. Lt Col Pam, his wife Elizabeth and all other members of his family have been asleep for several hours in their Nigerian Army residence at 8 Ikoyi Crescent, Ikoyi, Lagos, but awoke to behold the sight of soldiers, squatting decidedly towards their house. As a sign of loyalty, Lt Col Pam picked up the telephone in the bedroom and called the Nigerian Army GOC, Major General Aguiyi Ironsi.

Lt. Col JY Pam: “Sir, there have been gunshots around my house and there is a party of armed soldiers making its way towards my home.”

GOC: feigning alert “Ummm. Don’t worry. I will do everything I can to help. Good bye.”

Lt Col Pam dialled a second number. This time to Brigadier Maimalari, and repeated what he has just relayed to the GOC.
Unaware of the call, the fully-armed soldiers continued to make their way to Lt Col Pam home. Those approaching the kitchen chose to make their entrance by shooting through the door. A quick run up the stairs and the soldiers took over the bedrooms. By this time Elizabeth was no longer in doubt that something has badly gone wrong. As she ran to the children’s rooms in her distress and confusion, she screamed for her oldest child and daughter who was eight years old. “Kaneng ! Kaneng! Help me! Help me!” she called out.

Interesting story.

Please what does the op intend to achieve with this story.... Is it to start inciting people against each other Let us be vigilant about this bat-bingos

However, the invading soldiers had come face-to-face with her husband, Lt Col Pam, led by a man very familiar to him, Major (HC) Humphrey Chukwuka, his second-in-command, and Deputy Adjutant General (DAG)1 whom Major Benjamin Adekunle who was DAG 2 had earlier warned him to beware of and Major Anuforo.

SensetionalGoal:
Please what does the op intend to achieve with this story.... Is it to start inciting people against each other Let us be vigilant about this bat-bingos

You have been crying victim since 1967.


This topic is meant to set the record straight on who the real aggressors and belligerents were

Nzeogwu is very brutal being.. wondering why Yoruba people are hailing him online this days ..

A fine delta general

HitlerWasRight:
However, the invading soldiers had come face-to-face with her husband, Lt Col Pam, led by a man very familiar to him, Major (HC) Humphrey Chukwuka, his second-in-command, and Deputy Adjutant General (DAG)1 whom Major Benjamin Adekunle who was DAG 2 had earlier warned him to beware of and Major Anuforo.

Good story but where are your source and references?

The rest of the party comprised 2nd Lt G. Onyefuru, Sergeants NN Ugongene, H.Okibe, B.Anyanwu, L.Egbukichi and P.Iwueke.


Below is the conversation between Major Chukwuka and Lt Col. Pam.

Major Humphrey Chukwuka (HC): “Sir, we have come to take you with us.”

JY: “Why? What is the meaning of this?”

HC: “Sir, please come with us.”

JY: “Ok. Allow me to dress”

Lt. Col JY Pam at this point was joined by his heart-broken wife, Elizabeth as he retreated into the bedroom and changed swiftly into a pair of trousers, a vest and shirt and put on his watch. He returned to the waiting soldiers as Elizabeth pleaded with Major Chukwuka who was well known to her to spare her husband’s life. Elizabeth pleads: “please don’t kill him, please don’t kill my husband” HC: “No. We won’t Madam. Don’t worry. I will bring him back to you.”

Interesting
https://www.legit.ng/1082685-january-15-1966-coup-discussions-lt-col-pam-murderers.html

https://www.nigerianewspaper.com.ng/2017/01/january-15-1966-coup-conversation.html

Major Chukwuka, who had rather become impatient, began to march Lt Col Pam out of his home but not without first advising him to put on a coat because it was cold outside due to the harmattan season. As Pam was led out, Kaneng, his daughter, aware of the present danger, ran to her father and hugged him. Col Pam promptly turned to Elizabeth his wife and said in Hausa: “Liz, ki lura da yara,” which means “Liz, look after the children.” Those were his last words to his wife. It was also the last time he will have a glimpse of his family that comprised Jummai, six years; Yusufu, four years; identical twins Ishaku and Ishaya, one year nine months and Ibrahim (Gambo), four months and two weeks.

On the journey of a few kilometres from Ikoyi Crescent to the Federal Guards Officers Mess Ikoyi, Lt Col Pam sat in the back of a camouflage green Nigerian Army Land Rover under armed guard.
They remain in the premises of the Officers Mess for less than an hour when Major Christian Anuforo arrived from Apapa, where he had gone to execute Colonel Kur Mohammed. But upon discovery that it was Lt Col JY Pam who was under guard, Major Chukwuka expressed surprise that Lt Col Pam has not been eliminated. He thereafter ordered the driver to take the party to Ikoyi Golf Course. At a convenient point he ordered the driver to stop and for Lt Col Pam to disembark.

The conversation between Major Anuforo and Lt Col. Pam followed.

Major Christian Anuforo (CA): “You are to be shot Sir.”

JY: “Chris why?”

CA: “That is our decision”

JY: “I have a young family of six. This makes no sense.”

CA: “I have no choice. I am simply obeying orders.”

JY: “Allow me to say my prayers.”

CA: “Please do.” Dawn has not broken, and Lt Col Pam, 32, knelt on the soft, cold grass. His last thoughts were obviously for his devoted wife Elizabeth and their children. “Lord save them. Lord bless them and Lord keep them.” Shortly after, Anuforo’s gun cracked and two bullets flew out in the first volley, hitting his Pam’s chest and jaw.

Major General Ironsi became the Head of State the very next day.


Now tell me Ironsi knew nothing of the coup .

🙂

Pam's daughter is in the Court of Appeal now... May his soul RIP

Hon. Justice Jummai Hannatu Sankey, her birthday was a day before her dad was murdered.

fergie001:
Pam's daughter is in the Court of Appeal now... May his soul RIP

Hon. Justice Jummai Hannatu Sankey, her birthday was a day before her dad was murdered.

Humphrey chukwuka is the only one of the coupists still alive

HitlerWasRight:


You have been crying victim since 1967.


This topic is meant to set the record straight on who the real aggressors and belligerents were

Keep quiet bat-bingo you are the aggressor here digging up old wound for what exactly

I can see, emotion is running high indeed!! May God heal the land.

fergie001:
Pam's daughter is in the Court of Appeal now... May his soul RIP

Hon. Justice Jummai Hannatu Sankey, her birthday was a day before her dad was murdered.

This one is small self.the most painful was the killing of gen maimalari and col abogo lagerma.anuforo and majo ifeajuna were too brutal.you can't see why the North has not forgiven the south east

Creamypie:
Humphrey chukwuka is the only one of the coupists still alive

Are you serious?

Hmmm

To what end was the bloodshed, couldn't it have been bloodless like what happened in Niger.

It makes no sense whatsoever.

Wikipedia

In August 1966 some troops (of northern origin) from the 4th battalion at Ibadan.
After attending a funeral in Benin, learned that Anuforo and other January 15 conspirators were in the Benin prison.

The 4th battalion troops then broke into Benin prison to exact revenge for what they perceived as an ethnic based January 15, 1966 coup that had many northern casualties.[5]

Anuforo and other soldiers in detention such as warrant officers James Ogbu and B. Okuge, Sergeants Chukwu, Ogbuhara, and Ndukife, were tortured and killed.

SensetionalGoal:


Keep quiet bat-bingo you are the aggressor here digging up old wound for what exactly

The level of stinking hypocrisy from you guys is just too much.

The problem is because only you guys have been running havoc since 1970 with your warped revisionism which has seen you see the toga of victimhood for yourselves while ignoring or denying the senseless Jan 15 Ibo coup that was staged for your greedy ambitions.

We will force the truth on you and put an end to the lies from your war generation and that of your upper iweaka historians that have bred another generation of biafran he-goats .

Ironsi was very aware of the coup and he was a part of it

Ejoor's encounter with Ironsi .....


On 9th of January, Lt Col Ejoor the commanding officer of the 1st battalion in Enugu received a signal in the name of Brigadier Maimalari that he was invited to a three day Brigade Training Conference on the 12th – 14th in Apapa, Lagos. The battalion was handed to him on 26th December by Lt Col Adekunle Fajuyi who was transferred to Abeokuta to head the Garrison there. He left for Lagos on 10th of January and was booked into room No 17 Ikoyi Hotel. (Lt Colonel Fajuyi confirmed later to Mr Bell, the British Deputy High commissioner in Ibadan on 22nd January that he too received the signal for the conference and was booked into Ikoyi hotel too. But he refused and chose to stay in the VIP chalets of the officers’ in Apapa. He was slated for assassination too). When Ejoor came back from the day’s proceeding on 13th January, the air conditioner was left on all day and so the room was extremely cold. He opened the windows and changed into his nightwear only to discover that a lady on the balcony of the block of flats nearby was staring directly into his sacred affairs.

The following morning, he asked at the reception for a change of room. After the conference, he went to Maimalari’s residence for the cocktail at 7:30pm. He and the driver of his staff car were travelling back to Enugu the following morning and he wanted his driver to get enough sleep for the 490km trip. Ejoor went to seek Maimalari’s permission to leave at 9pm. The Brigadier refused. Ejoor then went to appeal to Colonel Kur Mohammed whom the Brigadier usually handed the Brigade over to when he was absent from the country. Maimalari, like Catholic theology, consented after much saintly intercession. Ejoor left Abogo Largema at the party not knowing that was the last time they would see each other.

By 7am the following day, his driver who went to sleep at Camp in Apapa came banging on his door. He told him there had been terrible happenings the like of which he had not seen or heard before. He said there the Prime Minster and many other officers had been kidnapped. Ejoor stared not only with disbelief but with deep confusion. He was convinced that his driver was drunk early. Just then Largema’s driver too came and showed them shells he found in front of his master’s room. All the three went to the Largema’s room upstairs to find trails of blood which had hardened into a carapace on the corridor.

Ejoor wanted answers. The person who handled the death of soldiers in the army was the Adjutant General. So he left for James Pam’s residence. The 30-year-old Mrs Elizabeth Pam said around 3am they noticed soldiers were crawling as they approached their house, climbing the telecom pole and scaling their fence. They were trying to avoid the sentries which they later caught and arrested unawares. They shot at the two front tyres of the car and at the kitchen door. She said James and the children were so terrified that they knew it was an omen of something very bad. Then Major Chukwuka who was a family friend appeared. When other junior officers complained that they were left to fallow while Chukwuwa was sent on too many courses, Pam said he believed in Chukwuka’s potentials as a professional soldier. Chukwuka saluted Pam in the bedroom.

‘Sir, you are needed at the office.’ Chukwuka told him. Pam thought it was a case of mistaken identity.

‘Lieutenant Colonel Pam. Get your coat we have to leave now.’ Pam asked Chukwuka and the other three soldiers in his bedroom to step outside for him to change. Pam picked up the phone and dialled Maimalari and Ironsi. After 5 minutes, Chukuwa and his men barged right in and took him downstairs unchanged. Pam resigned for the worst. His wife and children were screaming. What emergency had happened that soldiers had to shoot their way into his house? Chukwuka then assured his crying wife and screaming children, he would be fine. Elizabeth was born to John Daniel, a Ghanaian Christian and Hajara Ayashe, a Fulani Muslim in Kano on July 9, 1935. They had been married for 9 years. His final words to his wife as he was being bundled into the Land Rover was to look after their four little children. He had a strong feeling he would not come back.

As she spoke, Ejoor did not inform her of the blood of Largema at the Ikoyi hotel. He promised her that her husband would be found and brought home safely. He then left for Maimalari’s residence, found the place deserted and left for Ironsi’s house. It was there Mrs Victoria Ironsi told him Gowon had been there and said her husband, the GOC was in Ikeja. Ejoor promptly headed there.

Ironsi's story not adding up to Ejoor


According to Ejoor’s account of that day, when he entered the battalion HQ office, he saluted the GOC. As Ironsi turned around and saw it was Ejoor, he quickly drew his service pistol. Ejoor was stunned at Ironsi’s response to his cordial salute.

“Ha, David, are you with me or against me?” the GOC said.

Ejoor replied, “You are my commanding officer, whatever it is, I am with you.”

Ironsi said with the event of the past 4 hours things had been confusing. He did not trust any officer. He then began to narrate the event as he saw it. He spoke of how Pam warned him of an ongoing mutiny on phone, how he dressed up, tried to rouse the Federal Guards barracks, how on the way to Ikeja he met Captain Ogbo Oji and some of the mutineers on Carter Bridge – one of the two bridges connecting Lagos Island to the mainland – and how he bluffed his way through and proceeded to Ikeja to rouse the battalion.

Oji was an officer and he was too high to be manning a roadblock in particular when there was a severe shortage of officers for the Revolution. What happened was Oji was the second in command to Major Okafor whose Federal Guards unit was detailed to eliminate Maimalari. At some minutes past 4 o’clock, after Ademoyega drove over to tell them at Maimalari residence that the Brigadier had been killed, Okafor ordered Oji and four NCOs to check situation in 2nd battalion and see if Obienu’s unit had arrived from Abeokuta. En route, he waited on Carter Bridge to get the situation report from the unit Ademoyega posted there to prevent enemy forces from disturbing their Revolution and to ensure key targets did not escape. Oji did not even know there had been a mutiny within a mutiny, that their operational base at Federal Guards Officer’s Mess had been compromised, and that the convoy of his fellow conspirators was 15 minutes behind him en-route to Ikeja too. Then Ironsi turned up at the roadblock on the bridge in his staff car accompanied by escorts.

The 41-year-old Ironsi told Ejoor and Njoku that morning, he courageously challenged them and brushed past them to arrive at Ikeja. Oji was courageous enough to become the first of the mutineers to shoot someone in Ikoyi when he referred fatal bullets to Maimalari’s obstinate Guard commander. Two hours later, he could not repeat the same fate for the GOC particularly when the success of their Revolution depended on how fast they turned Ironsi into a corpse. To Ejoor, the mutineers may have done something unprofessional and irresponsible but they were not cowards. For the GOC to say he charged at them at a roadblock and just brushed past them may fit diverse storylines except the truth.

Creamypie:
Humphrey chukwuka is the only one of the coupists still alive

In 2000, Mrs Elizabeth Pam travelled all the way to enugu to meet her husbands killer humphrey chukwuka face to face.

My bad. Chris Anuforo was Col Pams killer and not Humphrey Chukwuka.

garfield1:


This one is small self.the most painful was the killing of gen maimalari and col abogo lagerma.anuforo and majo ifeajuna were too brutal.you can't see why the North has not forgiven the south east

The coup was uncalled for. It was an unfortunate and erratic decision.

HitlerWasRight:
Major General Ironsi became the Head of State the very next day.


Now tell me Ironsi knew nothing of the coup .

Ironsi was the Mastermind of the whole plot.

The same soilders who carried-out the plot were send to Ibadan for training prior the coup.