₦airaland Forum

APCHARAM...come here NOW!!!!

OkCornel:
Maybe Siollun is another “Okoro” from Upper Iweka when he wrote this:


In Max Silloun’s book, “Oil, Politics and Violence: Nigeria’s Military Coup Culture” (page 54), he wrote:

“Contrary to popular myth, a coup was attempted in Enugu (East) and Benin (Mid-west). Overnight Major Ifeajuna sent orders to the first battalion in Enugu asking them to deploy soldiers to take over key installations and arrest government ministers in Enugu and Benin. As there was no military formation in the Mid west, no soldiers could be deployed directly from the region. For several hours the officers mulled over the strange but seemingly legitimate order (my explanation: operationally, the first battalion was under the command of the Lagos-based second brigade commanded by Brigadier Maimalari. Ifeajuna was the brigade major and could pass off instructions in that capacity, but they must be approved by Maimalari, a no-nonsense officer who trusted his brigade major. Alas, he was not aware of the illegality Ifeajuna was perpetrating in his official capacity). Finally, they took position at the Enugu airport in the early hours of the morning. A different company of soldiers under Captain Joseph Ihedigbo also headed to the Mid west region’s capital of Benin. The Igbo premier of the region Dennis Osadebey subsequently speculated that the life of the Eastern region’s premier, Dr. Michael Okpara, was spared because the head of state of Cyprus, Archbishop Makarios, was his guest at the time of the coup. A more plausible reason for Okpara’s survival is that the officer assigned to arrest him (Lieutenant Oguchi) was one of those who advocated a bloodless coup. As soon as Makarios departed to return to Cyprus, Okpara was arrested.”

APCHaram:
You are because only your lot can defend lies and dearest truth.

Same way you can believe I’m Igbo without any shred of evidence is exactly the same way you can conclude Siollun wrote something about Ironsi knowing the name of the coup plotters, and yet can’t provide us with screenshots from the same Siollun’s book.

I applaud your thought process.

You wise gaan.

APCHARAM has abandoned the thread. As expected from a COWARD

Since Igbos were ganged up against and removed from the helm of affairs, how come Nigeria continues to decline the most?

APCHaram:
The entire interview was posted here in a thread .

I will search for the link.

And reply to you again with it.

One thing I can recall from that thread was how many of you IP0B rats were insulting Chief David Ejoor .


The man survived three assassination attempts in Lagos , Enugu and later as Midwest military Governor in Benin.


Funny thing is that Ejoor as Military Governor of Midwest excerscing his full authority under Gowon's short lived Decree 8 that rescinded Ironsi's decree 34, that saw to regional armies, refused to have Northern troops invade Biafra through the Midwest. This was despite Gowon warning Ejoor that most of the Anioma officers under his command were sympathetic to Enugu and for this reason Gowon refused to arm the Midwestern region with weapons. Ojukwu sensing this weakness ordered officers under Ejoor to seize power from him and have him killed. It was after escaping from being killed by same Anioma officers loyal to Enugu that Ojukwu sent his Biafran troops to occupy the Midwest and instal the buffon Maj Okonkwo as a stooge puppet ordering him to declare Republic of Benin.

As we all know it's from the Midwest Ojukwu who had claimed to have secceded from Nigeria began his putsch to capture Lagos and the entire Western region.

It was idiocy fueled madness starting from Jan 15 till the end of the war in January 1970.

Let’s go by APCHARAM’s narrative.

If EBranch divulged the coup plot and the names of the coup plotters to the PM - Tafawa Balewa and Ironsi was part of the coup plotters.

Does it make any iota of sense for Tafawa Balewa to inform Ironsi of a coup plot he is involved in?

Common sense can detect bullshit theories from miles away.

APCHaram:
The entire interview was posted here in a thread .

I will search for the link.

And reply to you again with it.

One thing I can recall from that thread was how many of you IP0B rats were insulting Chief David Ejoor .


The man survived three assassination attempts in Lagos , Enugu and later as Midwest military Governor in Benin.


Funny thing is that Ejoor as Military Governor of Midwest excerscing his full authority under Gowon's short lived Decree 8 that rescinded Ironsi's decree 34, that saw to regional armies, refused to have Northern troops invade Biafra through the Midwest. This was despite Gowon warning Ejoor that most of the Anioma officers under his command were sympathetic to Enugu and for this reason Gowon refused to arm the Midwestern region with weapons. Ojukwu sensing this weakness ordered officers under Ejoor to seize power from him and have him killed. It was after escaping from being killed by same Anioma officers loyal to Enugu that Ojukwu sent his Biafran troops to occupy the Midwest and instal the buffon Maj Okonkwo as a stooge puppet ordering him to declare Republic of Benin.

As we all know it's from the Midwest Ojukwu who had claimed to have secceded from Nigeria began his putsch to capture Lagos and the entire Western region.

It was idiocy fueled madness starting from Jan 15 till the end of the war in January 1970.

Between Major General David Ejoor who was a near victim of the January 1966 coup and Ademoyega who was one of the coup plotters… who has a more accurate narrative of what transpired hmmm?

It’s pretty obvious who amongst the two had insider knowledge on how the coup was planned and the objectives of the coup.

OkCornel:
Between Major General David Ejoor who was a near victim of the January 1966 coup and Ademoyega who was one of the coup plotters… who has a more accurate narrative of what transpired hmmm?

It’s pretty obvious who amongst the two had insider knowledge on how the coup was planned and the objectives of the coup.

Now you are cherry picking .


David Ejoor was a target for elimination on D-day of the coup . He narrowly escaped being murdered in Lagos and he escaped to Enugu to find another conspiracy to have him arrested by the civilian police and from there eliminated. He returned back to Lagos to meet a hostile Ironsi who by then knew Ejoor had come to a conclusion on what the coup was all about and who were being targeted. Ejoor also suffered a mutiny in Benin by officers under his command who were loyal to Ojukwu in Biafra and not him as Military Governor of the Midwest.

Ademoyega was a useful idiot cajoled into joining a coup that had at its core an ethnic agenda. Ademoyega was out of the picture after Jan 15 and only came to realise his own folly like that of Banjo while sitting in a shared prison cell with ifeanjuna while Ejoor was out there thwarting the coup between Lagos and Enugu .

As for your foolish thread that seeks to wash off the stink of an ethnic agenda by claiming that the murder of one lone Ibo man who refused to go along with the coup and the lie that it was Ironsi who notified the PM of an impending coup while doing nothing whatsoever within his powers and authority as the Head of the army to reign in the mutinous officers ,this is pure bullshit. Who in the top military heriachy did Ironsi share his inteligence report with? Was it the two other most senior officers who were murdered on the early hours of January 15?

Also ,how come Ironsi who benefited from the same dastardly coup did nothing to have the main coupists court martialed, convicted and duly sentenced for high treason? Rather your Ironsi kept them safely in relative comfort in prison with no inkling to have them face justice? When you compare the speed and brutality at which Ironsi deployed in clamping down on the Adaka Boro led seccesionist movement and how same Ironsi secured his death conviction for daring to leave Nigeria while the murderers of Jan 15 were being held in prison with no inkling of being brought to face justice, then maybe it's high time you begin to see Ironsi as not the innocent benevolent character who stepped in to prevent Nigeria's collapse after the coup.

APCHaram:
Now you are cherry picking .


David Ejoor was a target for elimination on D-day of the coup . He narrowly escaped being murdered in Lagos and he escaped to Enugu to find another conspiracy to have him arrested by the civilian police and from there eliminated. He returned back to Lagos to meet a hostile Ironsi who by then knew Ejoor had come to a conclusion on what the coup was all about and who were being targeted. Ejoor also suffered a mutiny in Benin by officers under his command who were loyal to Ojukwu in Biafra and not him as Military Governor of the Midwest.

Ademoyega was a useful idiot cajoled into joining a coup that had at its core an ethnic agenda. Ademoyega was out of the picture after Jan 15 and only came to realise his own folly like that of Banjo while sitting in a shared prison cell with ifeanjuna while Ejoor was out there thwarting the coup between Lagos and Enugu .

As for your foolish thread that seeks to wash off the stink of an ethnic agenda by claiming that the murder of one lone Ibo man who refused to go along with the coup and the lie that it was Ironsi who notified the PM of an impending coup while doing nothing whatsoever within his powers and authority as the Head of the army to reign in the mutinous officers ,this is pure bullshit. Who in the top military heriachy did Ironsi share his inteligence report with? Was it the two other most senior officers who were murdered on the early hours of January 15?

Also ,how come Ironsi who benefited from the same dastardly coup did nothing to have the main coupists court martialed, convicted and duly sentenced for high treason? Rather your Ironsi kept them safely in relative comfort in prison with no inkling to have them face justice? When you compare the speed and brutality at which Ironsi deployed in clamping down on the Adaka Boro led seccesionist movement and how same Ironsi secured his death conviction for daring to leave Nigeria while the murderers of Jan 15 were being held in prison with no inkling of being brought to face justice, then maybe it's high time you begin to see Ironsi as not the innocent benevolent character who stepped in to prevent Nigeria's collapse after the coup.

There’s nothing like cherry picking.

Between Ademoyega who was an insider and part of the coupists OR David Ejoor who was a potential victim of the coup, who is better placed to give an account of what happened in the January 1966 coup?

Use your brain.

Very soon you will tell us Ademoyega is an “Okoro” from upper Iweka because his narrative doesn’t align with the lies you’ve been spoon fed.

You go bark tire.

OkCornel:
Let’s go by APCHARAM’s narrative.

If EBranch divulged the coup plot and the names of the coup plotters to the PM - Tafawa Balewa and Ironsi was part of the coup plotters.

Does it make any iota of sense for Tafawa Balewa to inform Ironsi of a coup plot he is involved in?

Common sense can detect bullshit theories from miles away.

The E-Branch dossier had notified the PM of an impending coup and had penciled down those who were to carry it out .


Other than the Generals Coup that ousted Shagari,every other coup prior and that to come were carried out by junior and mid ranking officers.

The coup that saw to Gowon seizing power from Ironsi was carried out by junior northern officers led by Murtala.

The coup that ousted Gowon was carried out by mid ranking officers led by Shehu Yaradua.

The coup that ousted Murtala was led by colonel's led by Dinka and the aim of the Dimka Middle belt Christian officers was to see to Gowon being reinstated as HoS. The only coup that was carried out solely for the benefits of those who orchestrated and carried out the plot was the mid ranking officer coup led by Gideon Okah that sought to displace the northern Muslim hegemony in the military .

Every coup in Nigeria outside the Generals coup had at its core an ethnic agenda and it all started with the divisions caused in the military by the Jan 15 Ibo coup

APCHaram:
Now you are cherry picking .


David Ejoor was a target for elimination on D-day of the coup . He narrowly escaped being murdered in Lagos and he escaped to Enugu to find another conspiracy to have him arrested by the civilian police and from there eliminated. He returned back to Lagos to meet a hostile Ironsi who by then knew Ejoor had come to a conclusion on what the coup was all about and who were being targeted. Ejoor also suffered a mutiny in Benin by officers under his command who were loyal to Ojukwu in Biafra and not him as Military Governor of the Midwest.

Ademoyega was a useful idiot cajoled into joining a coup that had at its core an ethnic agenda. Ademoyega was out of the picture after Jan 15 and only came to realise his own folly like that of Banjo while sitting in a shared prison cell with ifeanjuna while Ejoor was out there thwarting the coup between Lagos and Enugu .

As for your foolish thread that seeks to wash off the stink of an ethnic agenda by claiming that the murder of one lone Ibo man who refused to go along with the coup and the lie that it was Ironsi who notified the PM of an impending coup while doing nothing whatsoever within his powers and authority as the Head of the army to reign in the mutinous officers ,this is pure bullshit. Who in the top military heriachy did Ironsi share his inteligence report with? Was it the two other most senior officers who were murdered on the early hours of January 15?

Also ,how come Ironsi who benefited from the same dastardly coup did nothing to have the main coupists court martialed, convicted and duly sentenced for high treason? Rather your Ironsi kept them safely in relative comfort in prison with no inkling to have them face justice? When you compare the speed and brutality at which Ironsi deployed in clamping down on the Adaka Boro led seccesionist movement and how same Ironsi secured his death conviction for daring to leave Nigeria while the murderers of Jan 15 were being held in prison with no inkling of being brought to face justice, then maybe it's high time you begin to see Ironsi as not the innocent benevolent character who stepped in to prevent Nigeria's collapse after the coup.

At the bolded, I’ve faulted Ironsi for his tribalism, alongside Nwafor Orizu, and the Igbos in the North on these threads.

https://www.nairaland.com/8318912/foiled-january-15-1966-coup

If Ironsi was part of the coup plotters;

1. Why didn’t the EBranch identify him as one of the coup planners?

2. If the EBranch divulged the names of the coup plotters to the PM as you alleged and Ironsi was part of them, how does it make any iota of sense for the PM to inform Ironsi of a coup he’s involved in?

Use your brain, even if it’s for a little bit.

APCHaram:
The E-Branch dossier had notified the PM of an impending coup and had penciled down those who were to carry it out .


Other than the Generals Coup that ousted Shagari,every other coup prior and that to come were carried out by junior and mid ranking officers.

The coup that saw to Gowon seizing power from Ironsi was carried out by junior northern officers led by Murtala.

The coup that ousted Gowon was carried out by mid ranking officers led by Shehu Yaradua.

The coup that ousted Murtala was led by colonel's led by Dinka and the aim of the Dimka Middle belt Christian officers was to see to Gowon being reinstated as HoS. The only coup that was carried out solely for the benefits of those who orchestrated and carried out the plot was the mid ranking officer coup led by Gideon Okah that sought to displace the northern Muslim hegemony in the military .

Every coup in Nigeria outside the Generals coup had at its core an ethnic agenda and it all started with the divisions caused in the military by the Jan 15 Ibo coup

Did the EBranch identify Ironsi as one of the coupists? Yes or No.

Reminder: You are yet to provide the screenshot from Siollun's book where the EBranch communicated names of the coup plotters to the PM.

Meanwhile, see screenshots from Segun Johnson’s book again. Read the first two paragraphs.

APCHaram:
Your Max Solihull has it documented in his book .

Go and read it and see where he stated categorically that it was the E-Branch of the once very professional Nigerian Police that provided strong Inteligence of an impending coup to both the PM and Ironsi.

Ironsi never informed anyone and the PM expected Ironsi to act and quell the mutiny .

Ironsi got it because he was Azikiwe's Candida within his chain of command.

But Ironsi did nothing and even the PM had resigned his fate in God's hands and that's why his demeanour throughout his abduction and kidnap by the idiot ifeanjuna showed that he knew very well he was facing a losing battle knowing full well that Zik who was instrumental in seeing Ironsi who was the least qualified among the 3 most senior officers nominated by the outgoing British military commander becoming the head of the army , would have resisted as President in seeing Ironsi removed .


Note that Brig. Mailamiri was spoken of among the three officers being nominated as the most qualified professional soldier to take over from the outgoing British Maj General in his brief to Azikiwe. Ironsi came a distant third after the Yoruba guy who was second in the list. But Zik chose the incompetent Ironsi. And that's why Ejoor was right to say that the coup was an Ibo coup that was being plotted from the day of
independence.

Zik as president had the sole powers to appoint heads of the military , police , judiciary and even VCs of universities and he went about appointing only his fellow ibos in most of the positions he could .

It was Ogundipe that was most Qualified because of his good knowledge of Military Matters and he was well respected in the Army.
Maimailari was good but too young and needed more years of experience

Gen Ironsi was Azikiwe's Candidate and got it because Azikiwe was Balewa's Govt Coalition partner

OkCornel:
There’s nothing like cherry picking.

Between Ademoyega who was an insider and part of the coupists OR David Ejoor who was a potential victim of the coup, who is better placed to give an account of what happened in the January 1966 coup?

Use your brain.

Very soon you will tell us Ademoyega is an “Okoro” from upper Iweka because his narrative doesn’t align with the lies you’ve been spoon fed.

You go bark tire.

Ademoyega was an idiot and a useful one at that .

Ademoyega's memoirs only detailed his naive revolutionary ideals that drove him to join the coup not knowing there was a deeper ethnic agenda behind it.

The real motive for the Jan 15 coup was to prevent the creation of COR region and to have the newly discovered oil wells in the Niger Delta secured under a centrist Ibo civilian and military dictatorship .

The coup had the then head of the British MI6 and owner of Royal Dutch Shell, Baron Victor Rothschild as its main sponsor. And it all began in 1965 when Rothschild sent one of his thugs (Ronnie Kray) to Enugu to fine tune the plot.


At the end of the day Rothschild got to fund the war on both sides for his own benefits . Who ended up owing Nigeria's oil wells due to the huge debt incurred in protracting that war? The Rothschild banking family. Who ended up dumping their excess obsolete WW2 equipment in return for securing oil slots and revenue ? The British government through its state owned BP. BP and Shell will later form a merger in the form of Shell BP.

It's sad to see how the greed of Ibo politicians like Zik saw to a once promising debt free nation end up owing huge debts merely ten years after independence.


This is why I will continue to say the coup of 1966 was a civilian coup ochestrated by Enugu to secure the oil wells for themselves under the current quasi Marxist centrist system.

You know nothing.

christistruth01:
It was Ogundipe that was most Qualified because of his good knowledge of Military Matters and he was well respected in the Army.
Maimailari was good but too young and needed more years of experience

Why wasn’t Ogundipe selected?

OkCornel:
Why wasn’t Ogundipe selected?

Pure Politics

Ironsi was Azikiwe's Candidate being from his Tribe
And Zik was the Coalition partner in Balewa's FG

christistruth01:
It was Ogundipe that was most Qualified because of his good knowledge of Military Matters and he was well respected in the Army.
Maimailari was good but too young and needed more years of experience

Ogundipe was glossed over because he was seen as being too politically exposed as he was known to have been hobnobbing with politicians to secure his placement as head of the army during the Nigerianization phase.

APCHaram:
Ademoyega was an idiot and a useful one at that .

Ademoyega's memoirs only detailed his naive revolutionary ideals that drove him to join the coup not knowing there was a deeper ethnic agenda behind it.

The real motive for the Jan 15 coup was to prevent the creation of COR region and to have the newly discovered oil wells in the Niger Delta secured under a centrist Ibo civilian and military dictatorship .

The coup had the then head of the British MI6 and owner of Royal Dutch Shell, Baron Victor Rothschild as its main sponsor. And it all began in 1965 when Rothschild sent one of his thugs (Ronnie Kray) to Enugu to fine tune the plot.


At the end of the day Rothschild got to fund the war on both sides for his own benefits . Who ended up owing Nigeria's oil wells due to the huge debt incurred in protracting that war? The Rothschild banking family. Who ended up dumping their excess obsolete WW2 equipment in return for securing oil slots and revenue ? The British government through its state owned BP. BP and Shell will later form a merger in the form of Shell BP.

It's sad to see how the greed of Ibo politicians like Zik saw to a once promising debt free nation end up owing huge debts merely ten years after independence.


This is why I will continue to say the coup of 1966 was a civilian coup ochestrated by Enugu to secure the oil wells for themselves under the current quasi Marxist centrist system.

You know nothing.

Buhahaha, keep it coming.

1. Segun Johnson is an Okoro from Upper Iweka
2. Ademoyega who was one of the coup plotters is now a useful idiot and naive.

Because their narratives doesn’t align with yours.

Oya, show us the screenshot from Siollun’s book where the EBranch

A) Communicated the names of the coup plotters to the PM.

B) Identified Ironsi as part of the coup plotters


We are patiently waiting.

OkCornel:
Why wasn’t Ogundipe selected?

The British Major General wrote a brief on every potential candidate for the position and he dismissed Ogundipe for being too politically exposed for the position.

The brief written for Ironsi was far from flattering and it detailed him being a mor0n.

APCHaram:
Ogundipe was glossed over because he was seen as being too politically exposed as he was known to have been hobnobbing with politicians to secure his placement as head of the army during the Nigerianization phase.

Ogundipe was Apolitical.

You are talking about Ademulegun
ironsi was hobnobbing with Azikiwe big time

OkCornel:
Buhahaha, keep it coming.

1. Segun Johnson is an Okoro from Upper Iweka
2. Ademoyega who was one of the coup plotters is now a useful idiot and naive.

Because their narratives doesn’t align with yours.

Oya, show us the screenshot from Siollun’s book where the EBranch

A) Communicated the names of the coup plotters to the PM.

B) Identified Ironsi as part of the coup plotters


We are patiently waiting.

You go cry tire.

I see this Segun guy has joined Ademoyega and Banjo as your preferred Af0nja heroes.

Tueh!

Keep grasping at straws.

christistruth01:
Pure Politics

Ironsi was Azikiwe's Candidate being from his Tribe
And Zik was the Coalition partner in Balewa's FG

Read this

christistruth01:
Ogundipe was Apolitical.

You are talking about Ademulegun
ironsi was hobnobbing with Azikiwe big time

Ok. Maybe I got my characters confused.

But that aside, the only reason Ironsi made the list was because he was the most senior officer and the brief about him was not flattering at all.

OkCornel:
Read this

Read this

christistruth01:
Read this

Very good. He never said Aguiyi Ironsi was incompetent as APCHARAM alleged.

1. Ironsi was out of Nigeria the past 3 years, as a military adviser in London and also heavily involved in the UN peacekeeping efforts in the DRC civil war.

2. As a result of the above, was out of touch with recent developments in the Nigerian Army.

3. Never served directly under that British dude. So couldn’t be in a position to evaluate Ironsi’s suitability for the post.

christistruth01:
Read this

You see how we are having a civil discussion devoid of tribal sentiments and focused on the facts on ground?

Let’s maintain that decency, unlike a certain somebody on this thread.

I don’t give a damn about anyone’s tribe. Nobody chose the tribe they were born into. I’m only concerned with the truth.

OkCornel:
Very good. He never said Aguiyi Ironsi was incompetent as APCHARAM alleged.

1. Ironsi was out of Nigeria the past 3 years, as a military adviser in London and also heavily involved in the UN peacekeeping efforts in the DRC civil war.

2. As a result of the above, was out of touch with recent developments in the Nigerian Army.

3. Never served directly under that British dude.

Gen Ironsi was not Competent for the Position

It was Politics

Balewa was only trying to please his Coalition Partner Azikiwe

Ogundipe,Ademulegun , Maimailari were infantry Officers

Ironsi's career was in Clerical dept

Who do you think was more qualified?

christistruth01:
Gen Ironsi was not Competent for the Position

It was Politics

Balewa was only trying to please his Coalition Partner Azikiwe

Ogundipe,Ademulegun , Maimailari were infantry Officers

Ironsi's career was in Clerical dept

Who do you think was more qualified?

Ironsi was recruit who was commissioned into the Army by the British and he never attended any officer staff training course.

He was not fit for the position and ought not to have risen beyond the rank of a Major before being shown the way out.

Ojukwu also had no business in the army and him joining the NCO cadre after returning from Oxford were he was a card carrying member of the British Communist party , Oxford campus branch joined the army as a recruit to stage a future insurection within the NCO rank in what would have been reminiscent to other communist/Marxist uprisings.

The likes of ifeanjuna also had no business being in the army as he was known as a radical hot headed Zikist Marxist in Ibadan .

christistruth01:
Gen Ironsi was not Competent for the Position

It was Politics

Balewa was only trying to please his Coalition Partner Azikiwe

Ogundipe,Ademulegun , Maimailari were infantry Officers

Ironsi's career was in Clerical dept

Who do you think was more qualified?

Bro… a “clerk” was dispatched for a UN peacekeeping operation in the DRC civil war Congo?

That being said, Ogundipe appeared most qualified for the role based on the British commanders recommendation.

However, the army being strictly hierarchical favoured Ironsi for the role given he was the oldest in service amongst the candidates.

If he wasn’t qualified for that role, he wouldn’t even be in the running to start with.

Meanwhile, this is from Max Siollun’s book - The Inside Story of Nigeria. Ironsi was the most decorated of all the officers vying for the post of GOC

Ironsi’s father was even a Sierra Leonan. Lol.

Isn’t it interesting that a “clerk” was the first ever African to take command of the UN peacekeeping force in the DRC civil war? He was a Major General there, but reverted to Brigadier General on his return to Nigeria.

Another reason the January 1966 coup flopped was a difference in ideology among the coup plotters.

There were participants who were moderate that favoured a bloodless coup and jailing the corrupt politicians. However there were extremists who preferred outright elimination of the corrupt politicians.

The bloodthirsty villains that stood out were:

1. Anuforo
2. Onwuategwu
3. Nzeogwu (described as an incorruptible idealist even by his detractors)
4. Ifeajuna*

*to confirm his kill counts.

APCHaram:
The British Major General wrote a brief on every potential candidate for the position and he dismissed Ogundipe for being too politically exposed for the position.

The brief written for Ironsi was far from flattering and it detailed him being a mor0n.

🥱

Meanwhile, this is from Max Siollun’s book - The Inside Story of Nigeria. Ironsi was the most decorated of all the officers vying for the post of GOC

He was the first ever African to take command of the UN peacekeeping force in the DRC civil war. He was a Major General there, but reverted to Brigadier General on his return to Nigeria.