₦airaland Forum

In order to justify the tag of Igbo coup, the Western region media had a loose end in Fajuiyi!
How do they explain away the killing of Fajuiyi alongside Ironsi?
If Fajuiyi was marked to be killed by the Northern counter coup, and this fact escapes to the public, it would throw a spanner work in the Igbo coup falsehood they were cooking.
So they decided to manufacture the lies of Fajuiyi being killed because he wanted to defend Ironsi.

But the problem is that when you bury yourself, your hand will stay hanging as evidence.
There were other players who were present during Ironsi and Fajuiyi murder and they have all given the true account of events that happened that night and we all know the story of Fajuiyi sacrificing himself was a lie, yet this lie has been left to fester for long.
So today I will once again burst this lie, and tie Fajuiyi role in Nzeogwu coup to possible Awolowo link and reason why the North marked him for murder.
I will be providing my sources as well.😃

Capt. Andrew Nwankwo (rtd) said he was to die with his boss, but for fate. He was present when both Ironsi and Fajuyi were shot dead.

Tracking the 61-year-old former ADC down in his one story building residence in Abakaliki was not as difficult as getting him to recall the events that led to the death of his master 38 years ago.
He would start by taking you down memory lane when he served as a courier to late Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia, "I was manning the octopus-a helicopter that carries 105 artillery gun and six other machine guns.

"So when Ethiopia was at war with Somalia in 1964/65 we formed the defence group of the emperor, we also formed an attack force. When the emperor is going to the frontline to see what is happening, we ring him round to clear the way for him".
It was part of these that Ironsi saw and handed over his security to the young captain. "It was cool working with Ironsi, he understood everything about what I should do because he had commanded the UN forces in Congo, and that exposed him to the type of people he needed".

The coup
Recalling the events of that night, July 29, 1966, Nwankwo noted that they were in Ibadan, "we had a small detachment of 106 Artillery, Commanded by one Walbe from Plateau"
The Head of State had the previous day hosted traditional rulers from all parts of the country in the Ibadan Government House. "He wasn’t feeling quite well, he had a knee problem and had to go to bed early.

"Lieutenant Sanni Bello was the army ADC, and we were very close. So, we left that night to go and look out and came back late. Lt. Adamu who was the ADC to Fajuyi, Sanni Bello, Walbe and myself, we all slept together in one room that night".
"At about 4a.m the telephone rang, I picked it up and that was Adeola, the then commissioner of police, Ibadan he said he wanted to speak with Ironsi, I said I was the ADC, he said he wanted to speak with him because there was a coup and he gave me some names Orok and two others that had been killed in

Abeokuta.
"Immediately, I made a mental picture of it, and I knew that it was the northerners that were responsible. So, I handed the phone to Ironsi and they talked. I then alerted Adamu and Sanni Bello and said look, there is a coup and the trend is this way.


"Bello assured me that if it is his own people he will protect me, because, there was tension in the land such that we knew a coup was imminent. So, we agreed to protect each other depending on where it will be coming from. I later discovered that Walbe who was sleeping with us was part of the coup; he later became ADC to Gowon.

"Around 5:30 we heard gunfire, then Ironsi had called Col. Njoku to tell him about the coup. As Njoku was going out, he was short at, but he escaped with bullet wounds. It was Njoku, who was the commander of Lagos Garrison that alerted others outside the Government House, Ibadan.
"Fajuyi later sent me outside the government House to find out what was happening. I met Danjuma, who was then a major and he was my friend. He pretended he didn’t know what was happening, he was asking me, and I said I didn’t know. While I was trying to go back, one sergeant from Benue almost shot me, but Danjuma stopped him and spoke to him in Hausa. Danjuma later told me that he would like to see Ironsi, so that he could tell them what to do.

"It was then that Fajuyi came out to find out what was holding me, and there inside the Government House Danjuma ordered for his arrest and mine too. That was when I saw Walbe. Then Fajuyi asked me to take him to Ironsi so that they will obey him, that there should be only one person in charge. So, I took them to Ironsi, and major Newman, immediately he saw Ironsi, he seized his crocodile swagger stick, and then they started asking him about the January coup, he said he didn’t know about it that he only agreed to be Head of State so that he can restore confidence and normalcy. It was immediately they arrested Ironsi that they turned violent".

The road to the valley of death
They marched us down, Ironsi and myself, to where Fajuyi was. They used telephone cable to tie my hands behind and my legs, with a little space to walk. Same they did to Ironsi, but they removed his shirt, he wore only trousers, they also tied Fajuyi. Ironsi was in a Land Rover, Fajuyi in a mini bus and myself in another bus. They drove us towards Iwo Road, 10 km from Ibadan, there was a small forest were they stopped, marched us to the right hand side of the bush, Fajuyi was leading and as he tried to cross a small stream, he fell down, the soldiers were unruly, it appeared some of them had for the first time taken Indian hemp, so when he fell down some of them started beating him.

My escape
As Fajuyi fell down and they were beating him, Sanni Bello came to me and tapped me and said, we could do something now. It was providence, may be I was not destined to die. I took a few steps from them and jumped into a nearby ditch, all in a split of a second, Bello came and stood by the ditch and was shouting that I had escaped pointing at another direction. So the soldiers ran around that direction shooting into the bush, and when they felt they must have killed me, they shot Fajuyi and then Ironsi there, by the side of the stream. So Bello made sure that he was the last to leave the place.
The ADC, who was later elected senator in 1983 stated that the former Head of State could have escaped if not that he wanted to make sure that there was no bloodshed. He said if he sacrificed his life and prevented bloodshed in Nigeria, it’s better for him. Even his chaplain urged him to escape but he said No. Also many of his officers who were contacted instead of taking action ran away.
[b][/b]The ADC denied the prevailing story that Ironsi was tied to a Land Rover and dragged along the road. He maintained that he saw Ironsi and Fajuyi shot dead. "They shot him on the chest and it was a burst, so he would have died after the first shot".

So the above was the account of eye witness to Fajuiyi death, by the person of ADC to Ironsi Captain Nwankwo.
Notice at no point was Fajuiyi found begging for Ironsi, this is because Fajuiyi himself was marked for murder.
But the question is, why was he marked for murder in a supposedly "Igbo coup"?
This is the question the western region media didn't want to answer all these while.

But in next post, we will get that question answered through the account of "Walbe", the same Walbe in ADC Nwankwo account.

Fajuyi didn't participate in any coup...

Isawa Elaigwu: On 29th July, Lt Walbe and Major Danjuma were in effective contact at the State House after the change of guards. It was then that both officers walked up to Ironsi, saluted, and brought both Ironsi and Fajuyi downstairs. they were handed over to Lt Walbe(by Major Danjuma) to take charge. Lt Walbe and his troops took the two men to an area of bush at Ibadan where they subjected Ironsi to questions about the January coup and the Northern leaders and officers who died then. From the accounts of those who were there, Ironsi played the part of a very good soldier. Contrary to many publications suggesting that he made confessions, there seem to be no evidence of such confessions.
Similarly there was no evidence that Fajuyi was killed because he interceded for his host or that he refused to 'abandon his guest,' as reported by some publications.
. He was reported to have been very scared, and had been one of those marked down for elimination. By the time Major Akahan phoned Gowon in Lagos and received instructions to ensure that nothing happened to Ironsi, it was late. Even Major Akahan and Major Danjuma(then at Ibadan) had lost control over their boys."

Excerpts from the book "Gowon" by J. Isaka Elaigwu

...I'll book space..

Lt Walbe:
"As far as I am concerned it was a lie(Yoruba publications). We arrested him as we arrested Ironsi. We suspected him of being party to the January coup. You remember the Battle Group Course which was held at Abeokuta . . . Fajuyi was Commander of the Battle Group course. He ran the course. All those who took part in the January coup were those who had taken part in that course. It gave us the impression that the Battle Course was arranged for the January Coup, so he had to suffer it too. I am sorry about that but that is the nature of the life of the military man".

Excerpts from the book "Gowon" by J. Isawa Elaigwu

From Lt Walbe account and ADC Nwankwo account, we can rationally deduce the following:

1. Fajuiyi was marked to be killed by the North because they reckoned that he was the one who trained all the boys who participated in the coup, he ran a course which all those who were involved did.
Infact the only reason Fajuiyi wasn't personally involved in the coup was because he went on overseas course during the execution, but he supported the coup fully. So much for an Igbo coup.


2. The Western region media lied about the circumstances surrounding Fajuiyi death because that's all they always do, lie! Twist truths sell falsehood.
It was easier to do that that admit that Hausa-Fulani came to their region and killed their military governor in Fajuiyi! They didn't want to confront the implications of that, they were more interested in looking for ways to sell Igbo coup agenda and to pin Akintola( the same man who distablized their region and led to Awolowo imprisonment) death on the Igbo and push on with that agenda.
Their modus operandi hasn't changed till today.

3. If they could lie about Fajuiyi death, what else can they not lie about?


My Questions though:

Could it be that Fajuiyi was Awolowo link to the coup, could it be he was working for Awolowo incognito. He allegedly trained the boys involved in the coup, a coup that conveniently killed all Awolowo enemies!
Remember Awolowo has history of coup before, he was imprisoned for the crime of financial misappropriation and treasonable felony! Balewa accused him of hatching plans to overthrow his government.

Also remember that Awolowo actually was accused by IBB of trying to overthrow his government after Jakande ratted him out, and he was given the option of going to prison or exile by IBB government?
https://www.legit.ng/1169589-what-led-death-chief-obafemi-awolowo.html

Every other regional leader was killed , except those not reachable. Zik was outside the country, Okpara was entertaining international visitors and couldn't be reached without harming them. But Awolowo was most vulnerable he was in prison and easily reachable, yet he wasn't killed, why was that?
Could it be he was the masterminder of this coup and had Fajuiyi as his agent who brainwashed young soldiers like Nzeogwu and co into a suicide mission?

Why has this aspect of history not been explored before now? What was Awolowo role in this coup?

pazienza:
Capt. Andrew Nwankwo (rtd) said he was to die with his boss, but for fate. He was present when both Ironsi and Fajuyi were shot dead.

Tracking the 61-year-old former ADC down in his one story building residence in Abakaliki was not as difficult as getting him to recall the events that led to the death of his master 38 years ago.
He would start by taking you down memory lane when he served as a courier to late Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia, "I was manning the octopus-a helicopter that carries 105 artillery gun and six other machine guns.

"So when Ethiopia was at war with Somalia in 1964/65 we formed the defence group of the emperor, we also formed an attack force. When the emperor is going to the frontline to see what is happening, we ring him round to clear the way for him".
It was part of these that Ironsi saw and handed over his security to the young captain. "It was cool working with Ironsi, he understood everything about what I should do because he had commanded the UN forces in Congo, and that exposed him to the type of people he needed".

The coup
Recalling the events of that night, July 29, 1966, Nwankwo noted that they were in Ibadan, "we had a small detachment of 106 Artillery, Commanded by one Walbe from Plateau"
The Head of State had the previous day hosted traditional rulers from all parts of the country in the Ibadan Government House. "He wasn’t feeling quite well, he had a knee problem and had to go to bed early.

"Lieutenant Sanni Bello was the army ADC, and we were very close. So, we left that night to go and look out and came back late. Lt. Adamu who was the ADC to Fajuyi, Sanni Bello, Walbe and myself, we all slept together in one room that night".
"At about 4a.m the telephone rang, I picked it up and that was Adeola, the then commissioner of police, Ibadan he said he wanted to speak with Ironsi, I said I was the ADC, he said he wanted to speak with him because there was a coup and he gave me some names Orok and two others that had been killed in

Abeokuta.
"Immediately, I made a mental picture of it, and I knew that it was the northerners that were responsible. So, I handed the phone to Ironsi and they talked. I then alerted Adamu and Sanni Bello and said look, there is a coup and the trend is this way.


"Bello assured me that if it is his own people he will protect me, because, there was tension in the land such that we knew a coup was imminent. So, we agreed to protect each other depending on where it will be coming from. I later discovered that Walbe who was sleeping with us was part of the coup; he later became ADC to Gowon.

"Around 5:30 we heard gunfire, then Ironsi had called Col. Njoku to tell him about the coup. As Njoku was going out, he was short at, but he escaped with bullet wounds. It was Njoku, who was the commander of Lagos Garrison that alerted others outside the Government House, Ibadan.
"Fajuyi later sent me outside the government House to find out what was happening. I met Danjuma, who was then a major and he was my friend. He pretended he didn’t know what was happening, he was asking me, and I said I didn’t know. While I was trying to go back, one sergeant from Benue almost shot me, but Danjuma stopped him and spoke to him in Hausa. Danjuma later told me that he would like to see Ironsi, so that he could tell them what to do.

"It was then that Fajuyi came out to find out what was holding me, and there inside the Government House Danjuma ordered for his arrest and mine too. That was when I saw Walbe. Then Fajuyi asked me to take him to Ironsi so that they will obey him, that there should be only one person in charge. So, I took them to Ironsi, and major Newman, immediately he saw Ironsi, he seized his crocodile swagger stick, and then they started asking him about the January coup, he said he didn’t know about it that he only agreed to be Head of State so that he can restore confidence and normalcy. It was immediately they arrested Ironsi that they turned violent".

The road to the valley of death
They marched us down, Ironsi and myself, to where Fajuyi was. They used telephone cable to tie my hands behind and my legs, with a little space to walk. Same they did to Ironsi, but they removed his shirt, he wore only trousers, they also tied Fajuyi. Ironsi was in a Land Rover, Fajuyi in a mini bus and myself in another bus. They drove us towards Iwo Road, 10 km from Ibadan, there was a small forest were they stopped, marched us to the right hand side of the bush, Fajuyi was leading and as he tried to cross a small stream, he fell down, the soldiers were unruly, it appeared some of them had for the first time taken Indian hemp, so when he fell down some of them started beating him.

My escape
As Fajuyi fell down and they were beating him, Sanni Bello came to me and tapped me and said, we could do something now. It was providence, may be I was not destined to die. I took a few steps from them and jumped into a nearby ditch, all in a split of a second, Bello came and stood by the ditch and was shouting that I had escaped pointing at another direction. So the soldiers ran around that direction shooting into the bush, and when they felt they must have killed me, they shot Fajuyi and then Ironsi there, by the side of the stream. So Bello made sure that he was the last to leave the place.
The ADC, who was later elected senator in 1983 stated that the former Head of State could have escaped if not that he wanted to make sure that there was no bloodshed. He said if he sacrificed his life and prevented bloodshed in Nigeria, it’s better for him. Even his chaplain urged him to escape but he said No. Also many of his officers who were contacted instead of taking action ran away.
[b][/b]The ADC denied the prevailing story that Ironsi was tied to a Land Rover and dragged along the road. He maintained that he saw Ironsi and Fajuyi shot dead. "They shot him on the chest and it was a burst, so he would have died after the first shot".

Interesting

iamnotillicit:
Fajuyi didn't participate in any coup...

So what did he participated in? Football match?

That Awolowo's coup was a terrible one

They couldn't defend their son Fajuyi, who was brutally killed in his own Yorubaland, so they created a story about him sacrificing his life to save Ironsi. Their Lagos ibadam express way mercenary press houses ran with it. All because they will never confront the fulani..

MadPolitician:
They couldn't defend their son Fajuyi, who was brutally killed in his own Yorubaland, so they created a story about him sacrificing his life to save Ironsi. Their Lagos ibadam express way mercenary press houses ran with it. All because they will never confront the fulani..

You get the point.

Fajuiyi ran a course called " Battle group course" in Abeokuta, and all those involved in the coup attended that course.

This looks like a breeding program. Who was pulling the ropes, who was Fajuiyi working for?
Why was nothing done to explore this Battle group course, and those who were behind it?
I have my hunch that it would have led straight to the man imprisoned in Calabar!

This needs to be moved to the front page.

@Fergie001

Ngozi123:
This needs to be moved to the front page.

@Fergie001

pazienza:
You get the point.

MadPolitician:
They couldn't defend their son Fajuyi, who was brutally killed in his own Yorubaland, so they created a story about him sacrificing his life to save Ironsi. Their Lagos ibadam express way mercenary press houses ran with it. All because they will never confront the fulani..

YoruBads:
That Awolowo's coup was a terrible one

DiasGodinHeaven:
Interesting

Killerofpigs:
...I'll book space..

My friends, stop your collective wankfest. A book written by Elaigwu an ibo man 🤣🤣🤣

See below your David Hundeyin who earlier came out to deceive you praising IBB, has come back to confirm what he said. It's back to insulting IBB 🤣🤣🤣😂😂😭

Read below
https://www.nairaland.com/8350215/david-hundeyin-ibb-confirm-book

Putindbutt:
My friends, stop your collective wankfest. A book written by Elaigwu an ibo man 🤣🤣🤣

See below your David Hundeyin who earlier came out to deceive you praising IBB, has come back to confirm what he said. It's back to insulting IBB 🤣🤣🤣😂😂😭

Read below
https://www.nairaland.com/8350215/david-hundeyin-ibb-confirm-book

What was Awolowo's role in that coup, that's the question.
Why was Awolowo spared during the coup

[b] In order to justify the tag of Igbo coup, the Western region media had a loose end in Fajuiyi![b]

Stopped right here.


The junior officers led by Murtala which included IBB carried out a vengeance inspired mutiny targeting Ibo officers and the Ibo HoS.


You should be asking IBB why he and his fellow northern officers carried out that ethnic targeting plot.

ChiefJusticeFuc:
[b] In order to justify the tag of Igbo coup, the Western region media had a loose end in Fajuiyi![b]

Stopped right here.


The junior officers led by Murtala which included IBB carried out a vengeance inspired mutiny targeting Ibo officers and the Ibo HoS.


You should be asking IBB why he and his fellow northern officers carried out that ethnic targeting plot.

Why was Fajuyi killed during the counter coup?

And why was Awolowo spared during the first coup

LOL .. I like all these revelations.

If mouth wan tear, make e tear finish.

This is an opinion piece..

Nlfpmod..good day

IBB has opened the Pandora box and set the stage for Igbo and hausa genuine reconciliation.

Finally the wicked lies and blackmail the west has been using to create a wage between Igbo and huasa has been busted by IBB.

Come 2027, there will be a strong alliance between the East and North to recover power from tinubu definitely.

Justnation:
IBB has opened the Pandora box and set the stage for Igbo and hausa genuine reconciliation.

Finally the wicked lies and blackmail the west has been using to create a wage between Igbo and huasa has been busted by IBB.

Come 2027, there will be a strong alliance between the East and North to recover power from tinubu definitely.

My brother, IBB book revealed many long-held lies. It is shocking.

The region that lost nearly half of their populations are responsible for the coup, And God made sure they are were justifiably made to face the consequences of the desperation of their tactless idiotic leaders!

God bless the OP
This is very insightful

Wow

Shivisee1:
The region that lost nearly half of their populations are responsible for the coup, And God made sure they are were justifiably made to face the consequences of the desperation of their tactless idiotic leaders!

You sounds like someone who has run out of what to say about this insightful revelation, truth can never be hidden no matter how long it take, spit on betrayal tribe

What amuses me the most about the "Fajuyi died for Ironsi" tale is that it has no verifiable source. I once wrote a Yoruba media claim a palm wine tapper on a tree saw Fajuyi blocking soldiers from shooting Ironsi and they got fed up and shot them both. Who could imagine a Yoruba man with such bravery. Even a Yoruba soldier. Have we not repeatedly seen their generals cry like babies in the face of their subordinates?;Imagine Oladipo Diya or AbdulkarimnAdisa claiming bravery or laying down their lives for an Igbo man

Yoruba is known to be a betrayal

This same story has been posted on Nairaland a thousand times. There's nothing new you are going to disclose here.

ojobek:
Yoruba is known to be a betrayal

Yes, that is why Olusola Azikiwe heard about the coup and didn't warn his Prime Minister that a bloody coup was coming.
He conveniently ran away and let his friends die. What betrayal is more than this? These Yoruba people sef.
Should we talk about the relationship between the Sardauna and Nzeogwu? Did you say betrayal?