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How Dimka Killed Murtala. by Kagarko(m): 8:02am On Feb 15, 2016 |
When Lt. Col. Bukar Dimka of the Nigeria
Army Physical Training Corps stepped out
of his official residence on Macpherson
Road, Ikoyi, in the early hours of February
13, 1976, he had one agenda in mind; the
killing of the then Head of State, Gen.
Murtala Muhammed.
He achieved that criminal act by gunning
down the Kano-born head of state a few
minutes after the latter left the Dodan
Barracks, Obalende, the official seat of
the Federal Military Government at the
time.
Muhammed’s official black Mercedes
Benz was riddled with bullets near a petrol
station on Bank Road, (now Murtala
Muhammed Drive) opposite the Federal
Secretariat, Ikoyi. Killed along with him
were, his ADC, Lt. Akintunde Akinsehinwa
and driver.
After the assassination, Dimka had made
a broadcast at the Nigerian Broadcasting
Corporation (NBC) studio in the following
words;
‘’Good morning fellow Nigerians, This is Lt.
Col. B. Dimka of the Nigerian Army
calling.
I bring you good tidings. Murtala
Muhammed’s deficiency has been
detected. His government is now
overthrown by the young revolutionaries.
Any attempt to foil these plans from any
quarters will be met with death.
Everyone should be calm. Please stay by
your radio for further announcements. All
borders, air and sea ports are closed until
further notice. Curfew is imposed from
6am to 6pm. Thank you. We are all
together.”
Two days after Muhammed was
assassinated, Dimka was declared wanted
for treason and murder by military
authorities. He was eventually caught at a
checkpoint at Abakaliki on March 5, 1976
and brought to Lagos the following day.
On March 6, 1976, the Federal
Government promptly issued a statement
on his arrest as follows: ‘’His arrest
followed a massive manhunt operation
mounted by a combined team of the Army
and Police in the area.
‘’The previous day, Lt. Col Dimka had
checked in at a local hotel in Afikpo under
the name of Mr. C. Godwin of the Federal
Ministry of Agriculture, Enugu. Later, on
his request, the hotel manager secured for
him a girl, Miss. Beatrice Agboli, with
whom to spend the night.
‘’A few hours later, the local Police
security was alerted and they closed up
on him. At about 10.30 pm, he bolted
away through the window of the toilet of
his hotel room into a nearby thick bush,
abandoning his car with a dangling
registration number ECC 6253.”
‘’The continuous joint manhunt operation
by the Army and Police resulted in his
subsequent arrest near Abakaliki.’’
Barely few hours after he was brought to
Lagos, he was interrogated by the military
Board of Inquiry led by Major Gen. E. O.
Abisoye.
However while Dimka was being quizzed,
32 people including Major Gen. Illiya
Bisalla, who had already been tried for
their roles in the attempted coup were
executed in Lagos on March 11, 1976.
The only civilian executed among them
was Abdulkarim Zakari, a graduate of
University of Ibadan, who was said to
have led Dimka and others into the studios
of the NBC on February 13, 1976. The
broadcaster was also cited as the man
who signed for martial music records from
the NBC library the previous night.
Just as the first batch of coup plotters
were executed, Dimka’s trial begun after
he was presented to the press on March
11, 1976.
Handcuffed, Dimka who wore a katftan
dress watched journalists listen to a tape
recording of his appearance before the
board of inquiry for about five minutes. He
confirmed that the voice on the tape was
his own and that it was a recording made
at his interrogation. He emphasised that
the statement was not made under
duress.
According to a Daily Times publication,
‘’13 Years of Military Rule 1966-79’’ the
highlights of Dimka’s confessional
statements included, ‘’Frankly speaking, I
should say the beginning of the coup idea
was around January this year (1976).’’
He said he had discussions with some
persons including former Head of State,
Gen. Yakubu Gowon in London and when
he returned to the country, he decided to
assign responsibilities to members of the
young revolutionaries conscripted into the
plan.
But Gowon, who was in exile at the time
denied any prior knowledge of the coup
attempt.
Dimka also claimed the coup plot was
hatched by young officers who resolved
not to involve any Lieutenant Colonel and
above except himself in a bid to effect a
change of government.
In his confessional statement, he said,
Gen. Bisalla had complained to him and
expressed his frustration that despite
being a member of the Supreme Military
Council (SMC), each time there was a
decision to be taken, he was either sent
to one place or the other.
Dimka said ‘’ Bisalla told me that whatever
will happen he want us to go ahead, and
work out the details.’’
Explaining how responsibilities were
distributed, the leader of the coup plot
said ‘’ When I met Major Rabo, he said
that he had finally distributed
responsibilities. Major Rabo was for target
one- Head of State, Lt. Dauda was for
target two- Lt. Gen. Obasanjo, Lawrence
Garba was for target three- Lt. Gen.
Danjuma.
‘’Major Gagara was for Ilorin and Sokoto,
Jos had nobody. The main centres of
operations were Kaduna, Ibadan, Benin
where there are Radio stations’’.
He also listed the targets of attack, that
is, those to be eliminated as the Head of
State, the four GOCs, Col. Babangida, Col.
Bajowa, Col. Mohammed of Sokoto, Col.
Ibrahim Taiwo of Kwara, Col. Abdullahi of
Jos and Col. Jemibewon of Ibadan.’’
Dimka also confessed before the military
board of inquiry how Zakari showed him
the NBC broadcasting section on February
12, a day before the coup attempt.
On how the ex-Head of State was killed,
he said ‘’ I stood at George Street with
Major Rabo to wait until such a time when
the Head of State’s car was coming out.
There, one Capt. Malaki who was to give
the warning order. Capt. Malaki was to be
on the watch to signal Major Rabo and Lt.
William Seri on the approach of the
vehicle. So I came up and I was at the
petrol station waiting.
‘’I was behind while we were talking when
the Commander –in-Chief’s car passed. In
fact, I did not even see it until when
Malaki said the car has passed. So, we
rushed in and then followed and the car
was held somewhere just opposite the
petrol station.
‘’Lt. Seri was approaching the car when
we stopped and Major Rabo rushed to
him, then the firing started. ‘’
Dimka confessed that after the Head of
State was assassinated, he went to the
NBC and made his broadcast that the
young revolutionaries had taken over the
government.
At the end of his trial, coup leader and a
number of others were found guilty of
treason and murder. Their death
sentences were confirmed by the
Supreme Military Council.
Dimka and seven others were eventually
executed by firing squad at Kirikiri Prisons
on May 15, 1976, for their part in the
abortive coup. Also executed among the
squad was the former Governor of the
then Benue Plateau State, Joseph
Gomwalk. However, two NCOs, Sgt.
Clement Yildar and Corporal Dauda Usman
escaped and were never found. They were
declared wanted by the authorities.
The situation led to the promulgation by
Olusegun Obasanjo regime of certain
retrospective decrees and new military
laws justifying mass executions for coup
participation. |
Re: How Dimka Killed Murtala. by INTROVERT(f): 8:06am On Feb 15, 2016 |
Sauce |
Re: How Dimka Killed Murtala. by Nobody: 8:07am On Feb 15, 2016 |
Ok |
Re: How Dimka Killed Murtala. by mubalex50(m): 8:27am On Feb 15, 2016 |
D good and fruitful trees don't last in d forest. R.i.p late gen muritala |
Re: How Dimka Killed Murtala. by HopeAtHand: 10:21am On Feb 15, 2016 |
If Dimka had simply killed IBB, he would have saved us alot of trouble. If you plan a coup, ensure it meets its completion. 1 Like |
Re: How Dimka Killed Murtala. by Henrodah(m): 10:38am On Feb 15, 2016 |
INTROVERT: 13years of Military rule...Contains all newspapers and articles written and published during those trying times. I wish the youths of nowadays will see it worthy and learn about our young country nigeria....my dad was tried and freed in this same coup, way before I was born..Nice one Op. 3 Likes |
Re: How Dimka Killed Murtala. by Nelkoko: 11:09am On Feb 15, 2016 |
D head of murtala is still in d shrine in ma village... Am a strong na man i know wat am saying |
Re: How Dimka Killed Murtala. by seankay(m): 12:19pm On Feb 15, 2016 |
SOJA kill SOJA |
Re: How Dimka Killed Murtala. by Raheeqilmaktoom: 2:19pm On Sep 18, 2023 |
Henrodah: A source or point from where it can be accessed please. Thanks. |
Re: How Dimka Killed Murtala. by Henrodah(m): 9:50am On Oct 25, 2023 |
Raheeqilmaktoom: The 13 years of military rule is a book . |
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