₦airaland Forum

The January 15 1966 coup d’état toppled the government of President Nnamdi Azikiwe and Prime Minister Tafawa Balewa thereby rewriting the political, social and military history of the country.

The coup, though not completely successful, laid the foundation for coups and counter coups in Nigeria. Below are facts about what really happened and the miseries behold the coup.

1. It was the first coup in Nigeria and started the rise of military reign in Nigeria, it started the entrance of military men into nigerian politics and we all know that soldiers belong only in the battle field.

2. It was carried out by junior officers. The highest ranked ones were majors (so watch out for your junior colleagues at work cos they are the least u expect to betray u)

3. The planning started in August 1965, 4 Igbo and 1 yoruba Majors were beginning to plot a coup d’état against incumbent Prime Minister Abubakar Balewa.

4. It was one of the events that led to the Nigerian Civil War which started in 1967. The past will surely affect the future as your year 1 results will surely affect your CGPA

5.On January 15, 1966 Maj. Kaduna Nzeogwu decided to turn a night-time training exercise known as “Exercise Damisa” into a full blown military coup. Prime minister Tafawa Balewa will be like "I never expected it"

6.The coup was planned because according to the Majors, the men at the helm of affairs were running Nigeria aground with their corrupt ways. Everyone is blaming corruption but how will the corrupt be fighting the corrupt

7.The senior army officer, General Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi, then used the coup as a pretext to annex power, ending Nigeria’s nascent democracy. The Senior man told his junior officers to swerve to one side "coming through"

8.The officers involved on both sides of the coup are (CONSPIRATORS : Maj. Kaduna Nzeogwu (Igbo), Maj. Timothy Onwuatuegwu (Igbo), Maj. Emmanuel Ifeajuna (Igbo), Maj. Chris Anuforo (Igbo), Maj. Don Okafor (Igbo), Maj. Adewale Ademoyega (Yoruba), Maj. Humphrey Chukwuka (Igbo), Capt. Emmanuel Nwobosi (Igbo), Capt. Ben Gbulie (Igbo)and Capt. Ogbu Oji (Igbo).

Government officials includeVICTIMS) Prime Minister Abubakar Balewa † (Bageri), Premier Ahmadu Bello † (Fulani), Premier Samuel Akintola (Yoruba), Finance Minister Festus Okotie-Eboh (Itsekiri), Gen. Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi (Igbo), Brig. Samuel Ademulegun (Yoruba), Brig. Zakariya Maimalari (Kanuri), Col. Kur Mohammed (Kanuri), Col. Ralph Shodeinde † (Yoruba), Lt. Col. Yakubu Gowon (Ngas), Lt. Col. Abogo Largema (Kanuri), Lt. Col. James Pam (Berom), Lt. Col. Arthur Unegbe (Igbo), Lt. Col. Conrad Nwawo (Igbo) and Maj. Hassan Katsina (Fulani).

9. Nigerian soldiers led by Kaduna Nzeogwu assassinated 11 senior Nigerian politicians and two soldiers as well as kidnapping three others. CHAI

10. Some of those who were murdered in the 1966 coup include the Prime Minister of Nigeria, Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa; the Premier of Northern Nigeria, Alhaji Ahmadu Bello: the Premier of Western Region; Sir Samuel Ladoke Akintola ; the Finance Minister, Chief Festus Okotie-Eboh.

Xtra: My grandfather who was a Lt.Col at that time was been pursed by the conspirators for refusing to cooperate with them (he was a correct yoruba man ) hid in a man's cattle ranch in kaduna and the man helped him escape, that's how he met my grandma who was the man's daughter . Rest in peace grandpa

We already know all this.

rheether:
We already know all this.

You know everything like If you are given an exam on what was written, u will pass everything?

Major Kaduna Nzeogwu (Igbo) OK. please Which state is he from?

Major Kaduna Nzeogwu (Igbo) OK. please Which state was he from?

SleekyGee:
You know everything like If you are given an exam on what was written, u will pass everything?

Everything about the first coup in Nigeria.

OMG!!!

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