₦airaland Forum

WAS THE JANUARY 15, 1966 COUP A YORUBA COUP?

SHALL I BEGIN?

We are intellectuals, are we not? And as scribes of political history, we must wield the quill of inquiry with the precision of a surgeon's scalpel, dissecting myths from reality, speculation from fact. In the crucible of historical analysis, sentiments must give way to reason.

Now, let us assume—but not concede—that the January 15, 1966, coup was a Yoruba coup, as suggested by General Ibrahim Babangida, even though he himself admitted his assertion was more of a naive conjecture than a conclusion rooted in facts. Let us then, with lanterns of logic, trace the footprints in the sands of time, separating shadows from substance.

1. If Yorubas plotted the coup, why is it that none of the major victims fell to a bullet fired by a Yoruba man? History is not a game of riddles; facts are stubborn things. Where is the Yoruba hand on the trigger that night?

2. A Yoruba coup, yet the Yorubas supposedly turned the sword against their own and spared Igbo civilian and military leaders? Is this not akin to the farmer setting fire to his own barn while leaving his neighbor’s untouched? The Premier of the Western Region, Chief S.L. Akintola, was felled, yet the Eastern Premier, Dr. Michael Okpara, remained unscathed. Zik, conveniently abroad for medical leave, was seen on a Caribbean cruise, paying visits to Papa Doc Duvalier in Haiti. Is it not said that "when the rat is laughing at the cat, there is a hole nearby"? How does this puzzle fit together? Unegbe, the Igbo who fell was never a target but fell for lack of cooperation as a quarter master...

3. A Yoruba coup, yet the primary beneficiary was an Igbo man—Major General Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi. The tale is told that he was miraculously warned to safety by an Igbo officer, Major Obienu. If the house was burning, why was he the only one who seemed to have the wind in his favor? The Yoruba say, "When a handshake goes beyond the elbow, it is no longer a greeting."

4. Even after the dust settled, why did Ironsi not move decisively against the coupists? He held the reins of power for six months, yet he neither executed nor tried them. Was it because he was privy to the plot all along? Was the much-talked-about "mission to release Awolowo" merely a smokescreen, a masquerade concealing the true dancers behind the veil?

5. When the Northern officers struck in July 1966 in what history calls the "Revenge Coup," why did their wrath not turn against the Yorubas? They had firsthand information; they knew where the wind blew from. If the Yoruba were the architects of January's coup, why did the North not sharpen their swords in that direction? The hunter always knows the footprints of the antelope he chases.

APPENDIX – THE VICTIMS AND THE EXECUTIONERS

1. Tafawa Balewa - Emmanuel Ifeajuna.

2. Brigadier Ralph Shodeinde – Onwuategwu.

3. Brigadier Samuel Adesujo Ademulegun – Onwuategwu.

4. Sir Ahmadu Bello – Nzeogwu.

5. Chief S.L. Akintola – Nwobosi.

6. Major Largema - Ifeajuna.

7. Brigadier Maimalari - Ifeajuna and Ezedigbo.

To whom it may concern, the ethnic identity of any coup is defined not by the tribe of the foot soldiers, whose names history often forgets, but by those who conceived the plot and pulled the strings. The Yoruba say, "The drum does not sound on its own; there is always a hand behind it."

There was the Niger Delta Coup by Gideon Orkar. They were not all Niger-Deltans...

If we must tell the story, let us tell it as it is, not as the echoes of revisionist history wish it to be.

"When the Northern officers struck in July 1966 in what history calls the "Revenge Coup," why did their wrath not turn against the Yorubas? They had firsthand information; they knew where the wind blew from. If the Yoruba were the architects of January's coup, why did the North not sharpen their swords in that direction? The hunter always knows the footprints of the antelope he chases"

zero8zero:
Another question ipob cannot answer.

BloomingDale:
The July 1966 counter-coup, in which Northern officers targeted Igbo officers, stemmed from a complex interplay of factors rooted in the political and ethnic tensions of the time. Here's a breakdown of the key reasons:

* Perception of Ethnic Bias:
* The January 1966 coup, though carried out by a mix of officers, was perceived by many in the North as an "Igbo coup" due to the high number of Northern political leaders killed, and the fact that the head of the new military government was an Igbo, General Ironsi.
* This perception was fueled by existing ethnic rivalries and fears of Igbo dominance.

* Reactions to Ironsi's Policies:
* General Ironsi's subsequent policies, particularly the unification decree (Decree No. 34), were interpreted by many Northerners as an attempt to consolidate Igbo power and undermine the regional autonomy of the North.
* This decree created great resentment in the northern regions of Nigeria.

* Revenge and Retaliation:
* The killing of Northern political leaders in the January coup created a strong desire for revenge among Northern officers.
* The July counter-coup was, in part, a retaliatory action for the perceived injustices of the January coup.

* Breakdown of Military Unity:
* The January coup shattered the fragile unity of the Nigerian military, exposing deep ethnic divisions within its ranks.
* This breakdown of trust and cohesion created an environment where ethnic conflict could escalate.

In essence, the July 1966 counter-coup was a violent reaction to the perceived ethnic imbalances created by the January coup and the subsequent policies of the Ironsi regime.

Slytiger:
There was a reason court martial did not happen.

This event was later tagged an "ibo coup" by other ethnic groups in the country based on some chains of coincidences :

i. The Killing patterns – only one of the 22 casualties is of Ibo origin, while notable Ibo politicians like the Premier of Eastern region and military personnel like Ironsi were unharmed.

ii. The handing over of the government to Ironsi by Orizu (the acting president and the senate president who could have called for the formation of another civilian government) made it look like it was planned out all along.

iii. The unification decree of May 1966 promulgated by Ironsi, leading to the abolition of regional system of government. Historically speaking, the West and North have always believed in the regional system of government as the best form of government for a multiethnic like Nigeria, however this was taken away by Ironsi, leading to a massive outrage and pogrom in the North.

iv. The coup plotters, though kept in jail but were not sentenced.

Catualities.
Civilians
- Prime Minister Abubakar Tafawa Balewa
- Premier Ahmadu Bello
- Premier Samuel Ladoke Akintola
- Finance Minister Festus Okotie-Eboh
- Ahmed Ben Musa (Bello's Senior Assistant " secretary for Security)
- Hafsatu Bello
- Mrs Latifat Ademulegun (pregnant)
- Zarumi Sardauna
- Ahmed Pategi (Bello's driver)

Military and police
- Brig. Samuel Ademulegun
- Brig. Zakariya Maimalari
- Col. Ralph Shodeinde
- Col. Kur Mohammed
- Lt. Col. Abogo Largema
- Lt. Col. James Pam
- Lt. Col. Arthur Unegbe
- Sergeant Daramola Oyegoke (Refused Nzeogwu's order in the attack on the Sardauna's lodge and according to the police report was murdered by Nzeogwu)
- Police Constable (PC) Yohana Garkawa
- Lance Corporal Musa Nimzo
- PC Akpan Anduka
- PC Hagai Lai
- Philip Lewande

What’s Aguiyi-Ironsi’s place in history?
The composition of the administration’s advisory team was also another source of discontent. Chief among them was Francis Nwokedi, an Igbo man and former permanent secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs, who had become close to him during his days in the Congo. Others were Pius Okigbo (economic adviser) and Lt. Col Patrick Anwunah who was later Chairman of the National Orientation Committee. The most common complaint against the appointments was that, although highly qualified and distinguished, they were either all Igbos or Igbo speaking.

On February 12, Ironsi took his most sensitive decision when he put Nwokedi in-charge of the establishment he set to work out the details of his unified Nigeria. He had also replaced the Attorney-General, Dr. Teslim Elias, with Gabriel Onyiuke, also of Igbo extraction. Similarly, Dr. Pius Okigbo became the Economic Adviser. Then, contrary to Katsina’s advice, he attempted to appoint Prof. J. C. Edozien from the University of Ibadan as the Vice Chancellor of the Ahmadu Bello University, instead of Prof. Ishaya Audu. When he effected promotions in the Army, of the 21 officers promoted from Majors to Lieutenant-Colonels, 18 were Igbo-speaking.

SeverusSnape:
Why are they still harping on this issue?

It wasn't an Igbo coup, It wasn't a Yoruba coup too. IGBO and YORUBA officers participated in it. So no need to keep beating around the bush. As an insider, IBB has laid the matter to rest, Let everyone rest and move on.

zero8zero:
Another question ipob cannot answer.

PresidObi:
1. If Yorubas plotted the coup, why is it that none of the major victims fell to a bullet fired by a Yoruba man? History is not a game of riddles; facts are stubborn things. Where is the Yoruba hand on the trigger that night?


Others from other tribes executed their targets, the yoruba who were supposed to knock off Igbo officials relented, so that the coup will be blamed on the Igbo.

BloomingDale:
Buhahaha. Them don burst una yansh wide open. Did I not make the prediction sometime last year that Nigeria will be split down the middle and Yoruba and Arewa will form one country? The universe is aligning to carry out my prediction. Dey play.

ChiefJusticeFuc:
If the ipobidient dunces had any functioning brain cells in their vapid empty skulls they should ask IBB, who was privy and part and parcel of the northern junior officers under Murtala who staged a mutiny against Ironsi , why the northern officers singled out Ibo officers to be eliminated ?

fuckingAyaya:
They can't even bear 1% of the stigma they stamped on others.

flokii:
From some of the accounts I read about the coup, most of the supposed coup plotters whose names are.now flying around as against the ones documented in history like Ifeajuna, Anuforo, Nzeogwu and co. didn't have prior knowledge about the coup plot.. they were deceived by Nzeogwu that it was an exercise they were going for only to get to the scene and the "exercise" turned to something else, with some of the innocent soldiers who opposed the brutal killings by Nzeogwu getting killed themselves.

There is no way it could have been a Yoruba coup cos no record of any Yoruba soldier pulling trigger on anyone on that sad night.. the Igbo soldiers fired all the shots and it was the reason the July 1966 Northern counter coup targeted only Igbos.

PresidObi:
Others from other tribes executed their targets, the yoruba who were supposed to knock off Igbo officials relented, so that the coup will be blamed on the Igbo.