₦airaland Forum

johnie:
Watching this video, particularly the scene of the then Lagos State military governor, Adekunle Lawal in front of the Shitta Bey mosque on Martins Steet where chants of "Gowon Ole!, Dimka Ole!" can be heard in the background I remember some of the very nasty songs sung about the coup plotters. Some of the songs made references to the coupists' family members.

That impressed greatly upon me such that anytime a failed coup is uncovered, my greatest sympathy go to the families of the coupists.

I was glad that General Christopher Musa, made reference to the military supporting the family members of the alleged coupists in a recent interview he granted on Channels TV.

That's why I said that people that long for military rule do not know what they are wishing for. Coups are horrible things. Many innocent people are tortured and executed because they are roped into coups. Talking to someone, transfering money to someone, doing everyday things can get you in trouble if the person is accused of planning a coup.

Many innocent people are also killed during active coups.

It's also a terrible thing for soldiers because they don't know who is a friend or a foe.

JuanDeDios:
Well, it's hard to celebrate them, given all the bad things they've done.

Yeah, but I just wish them well

CORRUPTION

I posted this on August 2nd, 2025.

Background

I have told you that it is not easy to govern Nigeria. You'll be demonised no matter what you do.

Murtala Muhammed is one of the most loved leaders that Nigeria has ever had. He was loved because he associated with the masses and did what they wanted him to do.

Simplicity

Murtala Muhammed did not use any sirens and did not have any motorcades. He waited patiently in traffic like any other Nigerian. He went to Sandgrouse Market in disguise to find out the cost of food and how the economy was affecting the masses. His government did not jail critics, instead, just like any other Nigerian, he sued the journalist that wrote fake news against him.

Foreign policy

Murtala's regime spoke up clearly in support of the liberation movements. Nigerians loved this because for the first time ever the country was speaking with its own voice on the world stage. It wasn't just following what the world powers (east or west) said. The government went as far as giving fighter jets to Angola and giving money to the liberation movements.

Welfare

The government promoted the idea that it was a big father that would take care of Nigerians (its children) and so it took over state TV stations, universities, private newspapers, etc. in the interest of Nigerians.


Corruption

People believed that there was corruption and misuse of funds during the Gowon era. State governors rode in long stretch limousines, politicians were sponsoring people to write petitions against government officials, etc. There was also a feeling in the Army that soldiers who actually fought in the Civil War were not being compensated and that soldiers that did not actually fight were enjoying all the benefits (it was in order to counter this narrative that Gowon later made Murtala and Obasanjo ministers).

Everybody knew that Gowon was not corrupt, but they felt that he was afraid to take action against corrupt officials.

Nigerians loved Murtala because he showed that he was not afraid to take action. Everybody was investigated.

So many people were sacked, even people that could not have been sacked. I'll give you an example that I have already written about (this is a summary).

Everybody respected the chief justice and everybody knew that he was an authority on the law. Normally the head of state cannot sack him, but Murtala's government sacked him. The chief justice was not corrupt, so why and how did they sack him?

Everybody was investigated and while investigating the chief justice the government discovered that he had sat as a judge over a case that involved his brother. There was no claim that he was biased or that justice was not done, but the government was not happy that he adjudicated that case. He should have recused himself. The government wanted to fight corruption and it felt that it needed a chief justice that was beyond reproach, so it removed the chief justice. How? How did they remove the chief justice.

The government announced that the chief justice was retiring for health reasons. The American ambassador to Nigeria went to visit the chief justice to find out how he was doing. The chief justice said that there was nothing wrong with his health and he didn't know why he was retired. He just heard on the radio that he had been retired.

So many people were investigated and sacked and all kinds of properties were seized. The problem was that this was perceived as an attack on the Nigerian dream. Murtala was demonised because some people felt that he was attacking the Nigerian dream. What is the Nigerian dream?

Nigerian dream

The Nigerian dream was that you would get a government scholarship to attend school. You would graduate from school and there would be a government job waiting for you. That government job would give you an official flat or house (depending on your level), an official car and driver or a ride on an official shuttle bus (depending on your level) and you would work for the government until you retire. Government would pay you a pension when you retired and it would be enough to sustain you till you died.

You see, we inherited the British notion of a permanent civil service. Permanence meant that your boss, even the minister, could not sack you. You were hired by the Civil Service Commission and your promotion, retirement and entitlements were handled by the commission. If you did anything wrong your boss could only report you to the commission which would investigate you. Your boss could not sack you, only the commission could sack you (and it was very difficult. They need evidence). The best your boss could do is have you transferred to another ministry or department. This was put in place so that politicians could not punish civil servants for political reasons.

But Murtala came along and sacked so many civil servants. That's why some people say that Murtala destroyed the Civil Service. They say that Civil Servants were not corrupt because they knew that government would take care of them. However, Murtala came and sacked so many civil servants that people began to think that they should steal whatever they could because they could be sacked the next day (steal now because no salary or pension tomorrow).

However there were also many people that liked the purges. They believed that corruption was destroying Nigeria and they loved the fact that Murtala was doing something about it. In fact, one of the reason that the Buhari regime immediately became popular in 1984 was because they said that they were a continuation of the Murtala Regime.

SAP and the Nigerian dream

One of the goals of SAP was to destroy that Nigerian dream. Think about it, the government was employing so many people, paying them salaries, yet these people were not bringing one kobo into the Nigeria economy. They were not earning money for Nigeria. It would be better if they were in the private sector and earning money for the country.

Governors

All the 12 governors were investigated and only 2 were cleared of corruption allegations. Only Brigadier Mobolaji Johnson of Lagos and Brigadier Oluwole Rotimi of the Western State were cleared of corruption.

The government seized property from other governors and stripped some of them of their ranks. (General Babangida returned some of the properties and restored their ranks in the 1980s).

But wait a minute, I told you about the Adeyemi Bero case, how come Governor Mobolaji Johnson was not indicted?

The government thoroughly investigated Brigadier Johnson and discovered that he was not corrupt and that he did not know what some indicted officials were doing.

CORRUPTION (2) The Eko Court Affair

Chief Joseph Omotoso Adeyemi-Bero was one of the original 4 civil servants that joined Governor Mobolaji Johnson to begin the Lagos State Government. He was seconded from the Federal Civil Service.

Chief Adeyemi Bero served as permanent secretary in many ministries in the Lagos State Government.

The Gowon regime was overthrown on July 29, 1975 and the new administration led by General Murtala Muhammed, began investigating everybody. Nobody was spared.

Only 2 of the 12 governors were found not guilty of corruption. Many civil servants and senior government officials were sacked. Everybody was investigated.

The government found that Chief Adeyemi Bero owned Eko Court. "Where did a civil servant get the money to build such high rise buildings"? Therefore, the government seized Eko Court from him and gave it to the Lagos State Government. Chief Adeyemi Bero sued the government (after the return to civilian rule in 1979).

President Ibrahim Babangida was returning seized properties and restoring people's ranks. He restored Gowon's rank and returned properties that were seized from the Ojukwu Family. He also returned Eko Court to Adeyemi Bero.

However, the Lagos State Government said that a mistake was made and Eko Court should not have been included in Babangida's decree. The legal battle started all over again.

Chief Adeyemi Bero had died, but his family continued the battle.

The Supreme Court eventually ruled that Eko Court should not have been returned to the Adeyemi Bero Family and that it belongs to the Lagos State Government.

---

Further reading:

Governor Mobolaji Johnson mentioned Adeyemi Bero in the interview that I posted on this thread.

It was either Governor Tinubu or Governor Fashola (I can't remember which) that named the auditorium at the Lagos State Secretariat after Adeyemi Bero.

naptu2:
By now you guys should know that this is just a waste of time. Your arguments will always fall flat because it is built on nothing.

This argument comes from an earlier story that Murtala was present at Asaba and that he did all kinds of things. The argument was debunked and proven to be false because he was not even in Asaba in the first place.

It's simply because of the false story that people keep mentioning Murtala's name. Now let's look at facts.

One of you said that Murtala approved it because he did not reprimand his subordinates.

HOW DO YOU KNOW THATHE DID NOT REPRIMAND HIS SUBORDINATES??

HOW DO YOU KNOW THAT HE APPROVED IT??

The answer is that you don't know.

You say that Murtala was their commander.

OK, why is it only Murtala's name that is mentioned??

Joseph Akahan was the chief of army staff, but you don't mention him. Joseph Wey was the second in command, but he is not mentioned. Even people that were actually in Asaba are not mentioned, yet you continuously mention Murtala.

It's a waste of time, you cannot force him to be involved in something that he was not involved in, no matter how many times you repeat the propaganda. It's just not going to work.

Furthermore, these words that you guys come up with will also not work.

There was nowhere that I wrote about hero, achievement or celebration.

Posting words just so you can demolish them is another waste of time. I never used those words.

HOW DO YOU KNOW THATHE DID NOT REPRIMAND HIS SUBORDINATES?
By the mere fact that major Taiwo was promoted to col the following year.

And you are calling COAS, Joseph Akahan,why not call Gowon? Lol. If questions are to be asked about the conduct of soldiers,it will start from,who issued the command, their CO. It won't start from the COAS.

Many SS commanders claimed ignorance about atrocities committed by Himmler's SS but they couldn't escape culpability. That something happened that involved your division and you say it has nothing to do with him is a lie. This is not about demolishing anyone, it's about saying what is true.

Thanks for the well gathered and laid down important information in the live of Nigeria as a nation. As i read along, I was also trying to guess your present age because it seems you were a first party news picker to most of these events.

Really, you must have been residing within the corridors of power at that time or probably your parents were military personnel. I thank you wholeheartedly for that nice and great collection of those era in the built up to what we have today.

Also, if you look at it, that was post civil war era which ought to have made us more discipline as a nation, more wiser and decisive in our conducts and of course having a well structured developmental programs.

It's very obvious by the present situation of this great country that Nigeria never learnt any lesson from the sadness and pain of the civil War that happened. We never learnt tolerance, forgiveness, love, and even peaceful coexistence.

It's so sad and painful that we still have people that witnessed and even partook in all those painful past of this great country but wouldn't think right, wouldn't do the right thing. I am really really very tired of the direction we have decided to follow perpetually.

naptu2:
Murtala Muhammad ruled for only 6 months, from Tuesday, July 29th, 1975 to Friday, February 13th, 1976.

The Asaba massacre is a well documented historical fact.It has been fully documented by survivors, historians and commentators.It was carried out by troops of the 2nd infantry division under his command.

naptu2:
By now you guys should know that this is just a waste of time. Your arguments will always fall flat because it is built on nothing.

This argument comes from an earlier story that Murtala was present at Asaba and that he did all kinds of things. The argument was debunked and proven to be false because he was not even in Asaba in the first place.

It's simply because of the false story that people keep mentioning Murtala's name. Now let's look at facts.

One of you said that Murtala approved it because he did not reprimand his subordinates.

HOW DO YOU KNOW THATHE DID NOT REPRIMAND HIS SUBORDINATES??

HOW DO YOU KNOW THAT HE APPROVED IT??

The answer is that you don't know.

You say that Murtala was their commander.

OK, why is it only Murtala's name that is mentioned??

Joseph Akahan was the chief of army staff, but you don't mention him. Joseph Wey was the second in command, but he is not mentioned. Even people that were actually in Asaba are not mentioned, yet you continuously mention Murtala.

It's a waste of time, you cannot force him to be involved in something that he was not involved in, no matter how many times you repeat the propaganda. It's just not going to work.

Furthermore, these words that you guys come up with will also not work.

There was nowhere that I wrote about hero, achievement or celebration.

Posting words just so you can demolish them is another waste of time. I never used those words.

I only read the first sentence and I realised that you have nothing to offer.

[b]WAS IT MURTALA THAT PROMOTED IBRAHIM TAIWO??

HAVE YOU EVER HEARD OF ARMY COUNCIL IN YOUR LIFE??

There's no need for me to waste my time with you, you don't even know what you are writing about.

Rybnyk:
HOW DO YOU KNOW THATHE DID NOT REPRIMAND HIS SUBORDINATES?
By the mere fact that major Taiwo was promoted to col the following year.

And you are calling COAS, Joseph Akahan,why not call Gowon? Lol. If questions are to be asked about the conduct of soldiers,it will start from,who issued the command, their CO. It won't start from the COAS.

Many SS commanders claimed ignorance about atrocities committed by Himmler's SS but they couldn't escape culpability. That something happened that involved your division and you say it has nothing to do with him is a lie. This is not about demolishing anyone, it's about saying what is true.

higgs doesn't even have anything to say. He couldn't answer my questions and he simply repeated what he had previously posted.

These people have nothing to offer, so why waste my time?

God bless Lt. Col Buka Suka Dimka for eliminating this mass murdering scum from the face of this earth.

I can always predict what they will do.

What else do you want me to say? It is just like people who say that the Nazi genocide of jews didn't happen despite the preponderance of evidence.You can come to Asaba and see the graves.Historical records are clear on what happened. Eye withness survivors accounts are clear.But ofcourse you can continue denying the obvious. As someone recently said,we have a culture of denial in Nigeria, even though you are taking it to a ridiculous level.

naptu2:
higgs doesn't even have anything to say. He couldn't answer my questions and he simply repeated what he had previously posted.

These people have nothing to offer, so why waste my time?

higgs is still mentioning me. How can you just repeat the same things that you previously wrote, things that have been debunked and expect me to take you seriously?

I am not going to read your post because you have nothing to offer.

No wahala.
You are obviously not ready for a factual and logical conversation.

naptu2:
higgs is still mentioning me. How can you just repeat the same things that you previously wrote, things that have been debunked and expect me to take you seriously?

I am not going to read your post because you have nothing to offer.

That's just one of the troll's alternate accounts. I am obviously not going to read its post.

MORE ON THE CORRUPTION PROBES

This is one of my old posts.

CHECK OUT THIS LIE!!!



This is how people spread terrible lies! The lie has so many retweets and I won't be surprised if it ends up on Nairaland's home page.


The liar said that two chief justices of Nigeria have been removed by fiat, both of them were removed by Muhammadu Buhari, both of them were southerners and they were both replaced by northerners.


Can you believe this crazy lie?


The first chief justice that was removed from office was Professor Taslim Olawale Elias and he certainly was not removed by Buhari.

Professor Elias was one of the giants of the legal profession in Nigeria. He had taught law in universities all over the world. He was the dean of the faculty of law at the University of Lagos and he had been the attorney general and minister of justice in Nigeria from 1960-1972 (intermittently. He left a couple of times and returned to the same position).

General Yakubu Gowon made him the chief justice of Nigeria in 1972, when Sir Adetokunboh Ademola retired. He is the only person that has become chief justice of Nigeria without first being a judge.


However, Murtala Muhammad overthrew Gowon in 1975 and started an anti-corruption campaign and many government officials were sacked. Taslim Elias was one of the people that was removed, but the government did not accuse him of corruption. In fact his case initially seemed strange.

The government said that Taslim Elias retired for health reasons. However, when the American Ambassador visited him to see how he was doing, Taslim Elias said that there was nothing wrong with his health, he did not resign and he did not know why he was removed.


The mystery was resolved in one of Obasanjo's books. Obasanjo accepted that Justice Elias was one of the best legal minds that Nigeria has produced and that he was an honourable man. However, he said that the government had investigated and discovered that Professor Elias was the judge in a case in which his brother was involved. He said that their investigation showed that Justice Elias was deeply emotionally attached to his brother and he should have recused himself from the trial. For that reason, the government couldn't trust him with their anti-corruption campaign and so they retired him.

The government sought the advice of the attorney general of the federation before retiring him (the attorney general at the time was the man that collapsed and died at Ikoyi cemetery and that's the answer to my quiz)

In recognition of the fact that Professor Elias was a legal giant and an honourable man and in order to compensate him, the government nominated him to be a judge at the International Court at the Hague. Even though his nomination was late, the regime campaigned heavily for him and he served as a judge at the World Court from 1976 until his death in 1990.


Professor Elias was not replaced by a northerner! His replacement was Sir Darnley Alexander (a man that I knew personally) and Sir Darnley was not even a Nigerian. He was from the West Indies.


The chief justice of Nigeria at the time that Buhari became head of state was Justice George Sowemimo (of the Awolowo treason trial fame). Justice Sowemimo retired in 1985 and was replaced by Justice Ayo Irikefe, who was not a northerner (I also knew him personally).


Click this link to see the lie.
https://mobile.twitter.com/brian_efa/status/1119302957923819531


This is another in a series of lies. Check out the previous lie below.

greatseed:
AS a GenZ I won't blame you cos you can't understand the weight of this your statement on this issue! Thread wisely with your statements. A lot of your age mates are here, because they did not understand the intricacies of the past, they chose to not comment. Learn from them.

If Murtala is so good why is his impact not felt today in Nigeria ?

naptu2:
I only read the first sentence and I realised that you have nothing to offer.

[b]WAS IT MURTALA THAT PROMOTED IBRAHIM TAIWO??

HAVE YOU EVER HEARD OF ARMY COUNCIL IN YOUR LIFE??

There's no need for me to waste my time with you, you don't even know what you are writing about.

You really have a challenge comprehending. If murtala didn't support the order given by Ibrahim Taiwo, he would have reprimanded Major Taiwo and there's no way the army council will see him fit for promotion. But continue the mental gymnastics...

naptu2:
That's why I said that people that long for military rule do not know what they are wishing for. Coups are horrible things. Many innocent people are tortured and executed because they are roped into coups. Talking to someone, transfering money to someone, doing everyday things can get you in trouble if the person is accused of planning a coup.

Many innocent people are also killed during active coups.

It's also a terrible thing for soldiers because they don't know who is a friend or a foe.

Very true. People that long for military rule do not know what they are wishing for.

The case of Major Bamidele comes to mind.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fqPPI9DItpI?si=kpSiY2G0WrCePwVS

When the Vatsa coup happened. I was at the NYSC orientation camp.

The soldiers discussed the coup in hushed tones.

I remember the Sergeant (I think he was a Staff Sergeant) in charge of my platoon calling it kabu-kabu, maybe so we the civilians would not understand what they were referring to.

I think they would have been happy to be in the camp at the time of the coup, reducing the likelihood of them getting mixed up in it.

I also remember when the interrogation of Col. Lawan Gwadabe for plotting to oust the Abacha regime was broadcast on NTA.

Tears ran down my eyes as I watched him responding to his interrogator. I had no doubt in my mind that he must have undergone serious torture.

He was not the bold man I had come to love and respect - him, Col Abubakar Umar and Col. Adbulmumuni Aminu who formed what was the "three musketeers" of the Babangida Regime.

Ordinarily, he should be buried in an unmarked grave and forgotten!

Genocidal maniac

Ebubu6:
If Murtala is so good why is his impact not felt today in Nigeria ?

You would rather ask the impact he made during his time. He died in 1976, 50 yrs ago & ruled for only 6 months + before he was assassinated. Ask any elderly one around you about his 6momths reign. The citizens felt a relief & loved him. The Airport in Lagos, our first international Airport was named after him as one of our best edifice as at the time. That should ring a bell.

greatseed:
You would rather ask the impact he made during his time. He died in 1976, 50 yrs ago & ruled for only 6 months + before he was assassinated. Ask any elderly one around you about his 6momths reign. The citizens felt a relief & loved him. The Airport in Lagos, our first international Airport was named after him as one of our best edifice as at the time. That should ring a bell.

let him rot in hell. Is he not a coupist ?

Unfortunately they can't see this post, but they are going to help me increase the page and view count of my thread.

This is the origin of the photo with Professor Bolaji Akinyemi. A lot of state occasions were held at the Nigerian Institute for International Affairs (on Kofo Abayomi Street, Victoria Island) in the 1970s, '80s and early 1990s).

Saturday, October 18th 1975.

Footage of Nigerian military Head of State, Brigadier Murtala Muhammad opening the work of a fifty man committee to draft a new constitution - the first step towards returning the country to civilian rule.

Brigadier Muhammed named the panel of former politicians, lawyers, intellectuals, businessmen and journalists who will draw up the constitution after his October 1st speech which promised the country a return to democratic rule in October 1979.

Chief Rotimi Williams, a prominent lawyer who played a part in writing most of Nigeria's earlier constitutions, was made chairman of the committee. However, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, an eminent Nigerian politician and lawyer, failed to turn up at the meeting. He had earlier refused to serve on the committee saying his appointment was made without prior reference to him.

Transcript of part of Brig, Muhammad's opening address:

"In my National Day broadcast I outlined the political programme of the Federal Military government and prescribed measures necessary for achieving the aims of the programme. One of such steps whose responsibility it would be to produce an initial draft of a constitutional arrangement which would provide a sound basis for the continued existence of a united Nigeria. This is not the first time of course that we as a people have participated in the fashioning of a constitution for our country. First there was the experiment of a unitary government which was imposed by the colonial government then a federal system which carried us into independence and finally a modified version of Federalism which lasted rather tenuously until January 1966."

Source: Reuters News Archives.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CeEsFIUk1no?si=KbG5YSdG3uEWEpuQ

Loop

Demisexual:
His role in the 1966 northern counter-coup and the subsequent Asaba massacre, where over a thousand Igbo civilians were killed, has been widely condemned. Critics argue these actions constituted ethnic cleansing and were driven by revenge for the January 1966 coup that killed northern leaders.

His "with immediate effect" style of governance led to the dismissal of over 10,000 civil servants, many of whom were considered competent. This abrupt purge disrupted government operations and eroded institutional integrity, with critics calling it a "decapitation" of the civil service.


His death was divine retribution for past atrocities.

Like wise, the death of Aguiyi ironsi and ibo blothers was divine retribution for what they did in Jan, 1966

Ebubu6:
let him rot in hell. Is he not a coupist ?

The way Ojuku is rotting away in the pit hell

Ebubu6:
What is so special about this Murtala that we will not hear word abeg. Very soon Naptu2 will memorize and idolise late Buhari like Buhari was a nelson mandela. Did Murtala bring constant electricity or build world class hospital or even sign world class electricity bill or what exactly. Yoruba people will soon immortalize Tinubu. Nothing we no go hear for Nigeria

You are free to write your own tribute about 'Fear fear' Ojukwu

johnie:
Very true. People that long for military rule do not know what they are wishing for.

The case of Major Bamidele comes to mind.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fqPPI9DItpI?si=kpSiY2G0WrCePwVS

When the Vatsa coup happened. I was at the NYSC orientation camp.

The soldiers discussed the coup in hushed tones.

I remember the Sergeant (I think he was a Staff Sergeant) in charge of my platoon calling it kabu-kabu, maybe so we the civilians would not understand what they were referring to.

I think they would have been happy to be in the camp at the time of the coup, reducing the likelihood of them getting mixed up in it.

I also remember when the interrogation of Col. Lawan Gwadabe for plotting to oust the Abacha regime was broadcast on NTA.

Tears ran down my eyes as I watched him responding to his interrogator. I had no doubt in my mind that he must have undergone serious torture.

He was not the bold man I had come to love and respect - him, Col Abubakar Umar and Col. Adbulmumuni Aminu who formed what was the "three musketeers" of the Babangida Regime.

I just came across this


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fMUdu_eWMI4?si=9LpHwHiUKoT_MpFc

"It is only those who have neither fired a shot nor heard the shrieks and groans of the wounded who cry aloud for blood, more vengeance, more desolation. War is hell". - William Sherman, Soldier and former Commanding General of the United States Army

"I hate war as only a soldier who has lived it can, only as one who has seen its brutality, its futility, its stupidity". - Dwight D. Eisenhower, 34th president of the United States. Five-star General, Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force in Europe during World War II.

naptu2:
This is the origin of the photo with Professor Bolaji Akinyemi. A lot of state occasions were held at the Nigerian Institute for International Affairs (on Kofo Abayomi Street, Victoria Island) in the 1970s, '80s and early 1990s).





https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CeEsFIUk1no?si=KbG5YSdG3uEWEpuQ

Interesting.

I've always wondered at what occasion the picture was taken.

This was the inauguration of the Constitution Drafting Committee.

Some notable personalities are in that video.

Prof. was just 33 years old at the time.

Lt. Akintunde Akinsehinwa - Murtala's ADC stood and looked just like in the photo below, even with the swagger stick.

Chief F.R.A. Williams (QC, SAN) - led the "49 wise men", theConstitution Drafting Committee being inaugurated here and which birthed the 1979 Constitution.

Alhaji AbdulGaniyu Folorunsho (A.G.F.) AbdulRazaq, SAN - Lawyer and father of the current Kwara State governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq and former house of reps member, Khairat Gwadabe

Samuel.G. Ikoku - he defeated his father (Alvan, who appears on the 10 naira note) by 59 votes in an Eastern House of Assembly election in 1957.

Alh Shehu Malami - descendant of Usman dan Fodio, member of the Committee and later Nigeria's High Commissioner to South Africa

Mallam Aminu Kano - there's so much to say about this man. I dont know where to start. He fought feudalism in the north.

I think the person sitting beside Mallam Aminu Kano is Paul Unongo.

Ikoku and Kano were prominent gadflys.

Kano and Malami were in a way from opposite ends of the political spectrum.

AGF Abdulrazaq was also the first lawyer from northern Nigeria.

johnie:
Interesting.

I've always wondered at what occasion the picture was taken.

This was the inauguration of the Constitution Drafting Committee.

Some notable personalities are in that video.

Lt. Akintunde Akinsehinwa - Murtala's ADC stood and looked just like in the photo below, even with the swagger stick.

Chief F.R.A. Williams (QC, SAN) - led the "49 wise men", theConstitution Drafting Committee being inaugurated here and which birthed the 1979 Constitution.

Alhaji AbdulGaniyu Folorunsho (A.G.F.) AbdulRazaq, SAN - Lawyer and father of the current Kwara State governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq and former house of reps member, Khairat Gwadabe

Samuel.G. Ikoku - he defeated his father (Alvan, who appears on the 10 naira note) by 59 votes in a Eastern House of Assembly election in 1957.

Alh Shehu Malami - descendant of Usman dan Fodio, member of the Committee and later Nigeria's High Commissioner to South Africa

Mallam Aminu Kano - there's so much to say about this man. I dont know where to start. He fought feudalism in the north.

I think the person sitting beside Mallam Aminu Kano is Paul Unongo.

Ikoku and Kano were prominent gadflys.

Kano and Malami were in a way from opposite ends of the political spectrum.