Chyz*:

Neither the Ibos or the Igbos were the executions of the coup but men from various nigerian ethnic groups. The Igbos happened to be the most in numbers.However the soldiers that carried it out were were almost entirely northrners.

Proof please!

Chyz*:

Igbo leaders not being killed, um, a bunch of BS.Igbo leaders were also killed.

Proof Please!

Chyz*:


Nzeoqwu was from the Midwest. Asaba to be exact.Just thought you should know.

Sure. . . didnt some other Ibo Professor dude claim Nzeogwu was Hausa or Yoruba?

Chyz*:

Everybody and they mama knew that the failed Nzeogwwu coup was a nationalistic coup.This is more of a reason why there were no riots carried out after it.

Yup! Thats why every Hausa and they moms was feinding for Ibo blood (instead of a "Nationalistic" one) in July'66?!

Chyz*:


Cowards? Purely stereotyped to yorubas,even your mama would tell ya that, boy.

Yeah, maybe if they came from Medellin or Bogota!

Scat now, punk!

Fuxcking history revisionists!

bk.babe97y:


Proof please!

Proof Please!

Sure. . . didnt some other Ibo Professor dude claim Nzeogwu was Hausa or Yoruba?

Yup! Thats why every Hausa and they moms was feinding for Ibo blood (instead of a "Nationalistic" one) in July'66?!

Yeah, maybe if they came from Medellin or Bogota!

Scat now, punk!

Fuxcking history revisionists!

So would you like me to provide the proof from a non-nigerian or a nigerian? And which of the proofs will stop you from calling it lies or bias? Also, I would like your proofs also because you are the one who brought up the claims. Source to pls.

Chyz*:

So would you like me to provide the proof from a non-nigerian or a nigerian? And which of the proofs will stop you from calling it lies or bias? Also, I would like your proofs also because you are the one who brought up the claims. Source to pls.

give us proof abegi !!!!!!

Chyz*:

So would you like me to provide the proof from a non-nigerian or a nigerian? And which of the proofs will stop you from calling it lies or bias? Also, I would like your proofs also because you are the one who brought up the claims. Source to pls.

. . . . maaan, FUXCK OUTTA HERE!!!

Why some people keep interacting with this bk guy is beyond me.
Well emptiness should keep interacting with emptiness, that's all I'll say. Birds of the same feather . . .

bk.babe97y:

. . . . maaan, FUXCK OUTTA HERE!!!

Exactly, you'd render whatever proof that I have useless because it doesn't support your bias and useless claim. I am curious to find out how you came up with your assumption which caused me to reply you.Provide your proof and source. O and umm, northerners committing a massacre 6 months after their "beloved" religious leader is killed instead of the next day or even within that same month, highly unlikely. If he was most beloved by them and the emirs didn't think the failed coup was nationalistic they definitely would have sent their people to slaughter Igbos right after Saudana was killed.Believe that. Every nigerian knows the hausas don't waste time when it comes to riots. Riot 6 months later?!lol

Anyways go back to my other post and get it crackin.

Obiagu1:

Why some people keep interacting with this bk guy is beyond me.
Well emptiness should keep interacting with emptiness, that's all I'll say. Birds of the same feather . . .

My views exactly
Why anybody-Igbo, Hausa, Ijaw, Tiv, and even Yoruba would dignify it him with a response beats me.

Obiagu1:

Why some people keep interacting with this bk guy is beyond me.
Well emptiness should keep interacting with emptiness, that's all I'll say. Birds of the same feather . . .

naijaking1:

My views exactly
Why anybody-Igbo, Hausa, Ijaw, Tiv, and even Yoruba would dignify it him with a response beats me.

I guess its ok to suck ur own diyyck. . . .

I aint homo, but, guess what I think might feel better?

Both of u donging each other out!

Punkz!

Obiagu1:

Why some people keep interacting with this bk guy is beyond me.
Well emptiness should keep interacting with emptiness, that's all I'll say. Birds of the same feather . . .

I usually ignore this dude.Just felt like giving him a little stab at it today . I'm done tho, he's ignored for good.

bk.babe97y:

And, where did Katsumoto lie? Were Ibos not the executioners of the coup? Wasnt it an Ibo attempt to hold on to Power? Was it a matter of "statistical concidence and not tribalistic inclinations" that led to ONLY Non-Ibo leaders being killed by Ibo Coup plotting officers, too? Oh, throw in Ademoyega right after insinuating Nzeogwu aint from Eastern Nigeria?

And you wonder why everyone thinks yall a buncha deceitful, blood, thirsty thugs! Try telling the truth for once!

Wonder why no one in the current Nigerian Presidential elections chose a Ibo running mate, as much as they begged and schemed for it? Freaking race of deceitful cowards!

Guy, you are right on point!

I have read Ademoyega's "Why we struck" where he tried unconvincingly to portray the coup as a non-Igbo coup. That book is so full of contradictions.

The Jan. 15, 1966 coup was an "Igbo-centric" coup. Apart from hurting no Igbo leaders in the coup, Ironsi himself (even though be became a beneficiary of the coup by accident)  justified this claim by promoting more Igbo officers than any other ethnic group in the army (part of what Ishola meant by "killing true federalism); the act that later became the fuel in the fire of Northern hatred for Easterners as expressed in the counter-coup of July 1966. No amount of deliberate falsehood and blatant distortion of facts can change this.

Chyz*:

Exactly, you'd render whatever proof that I have useless because it doesn't support your bias and useless claim. I am curious to find out how you came up with your assumption which caused me to reply you.Provide your proof and source. O and umm, northerners committing a massacre 6 months after their "beloved" religious leader is killed instead of the next day or even within that same month, highly unlikely. If he was most beloved by them and the emirs didn't think the failed coup was nationalistic they definitely would have sent their people to slaughter Igbos right after Saudana was killed.Believe that. Every nigerian knows the hausas don't waste time when it comes to riots. Riot 6 months later?!lol

Anyways go back to my other post and get it crackin.

You dont even deserve a response!

Funny how the only ones that believe all this crap is the Ibos themselves. Nobody else believes yall!

You need more people! punkz!

Chyz*:

I usually ignore this dude.Just felt like giving him a little stab at it today . I'm done tho, he's ignored for good.

"Usually" ignore me? When do the lies ever stop?

U biyytch aszz nigga, I dont even ever see u. . . .!

Yall can lie all u want, the fact is the rest of the world knows the truth and u guys are aszzed out!

Wonder why all the Presidential aspirants avoided Ibo running mates even tho you, Dede1, Onlytruth, Eziachi, Ezeuche, Andre Uweh (and his 500+ aliases) all claimed a Ibo V.P was tantamout to winning the elections?

See now how the rest of the country views u chest beating Gorillas?

Fools! lol

Beaf:

With due respect, the bolded is an immensely stupeed comment. True federalism requires several fundamental constitutional, societal, fiscal and organisational changes.

@beaf.You sound so much like a motor park tout.Always try to use logic in arguments and not unnecessary aggression.

The major characteristics of a weakling is indecision.Your Oga is from ND and knows the problems,why can't he just correct it or at least initiate a process towards that?He is actually my blood relative(surprised?).If I were him I would weaken the central Government and quit contesting this election.The key to survival of Nigeria is true federalism.

Abagworo:

@beaf.You sound so much like a motor park tout.Always try to use logic in arguments and not unnecessary aggression.

The major characteristics of a weakling is indecision.Your Oga is from ND and knows the problems,why can't he just correct it or at least initiate a process towards that?He is actually my blood relative(surprised?).If I were him I would weaken the central Government and quit contesting this election.The key to survival of Nigeria is true federalism.

thank you

Chyz*:

Neither the Ibos or the Igbos were the executions of the coup but men from various nigerian ethnic groups. The Igbos happened to be the most in numbers.However the soldiers that carried it out were were almost entirely northrners.

Igbo leaders not being killed, um, a bunch of BS.Igbo leaders were also killed. And to think Ademoyega was the only yoruba in the nationalist coup,is highly dumb.Also, when it came to numbers with in the coup plotters the northerners came in second. Hmmm, some "Igbo" coup indeed.

Nzeoqwu was from the Midwest. Asaba to be exact.Just thought you should know.

An Ibo attempt to hold on power,idk. An Igbo attempt to hold on to power, no. Everybody and they mama knew that the failed Nzeogwwu coup was a nationalistic coup.This is more of a reason why there were no riots carried out after it.


Deceitful, blood, thirsty thugs? Um,no.Pull down your skirt. Igbos- greedy, Yorubas- deceitful, Hausas- blood thirsty. Um,yea, that is the stereo type in nigeria, where are you coming from.ha ha.


Cowards? Purely stereotyped to yorubas,even your mama would tell ya that, boy.

As at January 1966, there were 330 officers in the Armed Forces.

Igbo (Other South) Yoruba North Total
104 43 67 116 330

Using the numbers above, Igbo had approximately 30% in the armed forces.

There were 25 coup plotters in the January 66 coup who were officers; 21 were Igbo (I can provide the list if you want it). Which means Igbo contributed 84% of officers. Of the four who were non-Igbo, three were junior officers(lieutenants). If your agreement were to be accepted, Igbo should have only contributed 30% of coup plotters.

Source: Robin Luckham, The Nigerian Military: A Sociological Analysis of Authority and Revolt, 1960-67 (Cambridge: At the University Press 1971):231.

Please list the Igbo elders who were killed in jan 66 or the Northerners who were coup plotters.

It is disingenuous to include NCOs as part of the coup plotters since NCOs only follow orders. For instance, Nzeogwu murdered sgt Oyeleke who refused to fire shots at Bello's house. Try to be informed before passing factually inaccurate information to others.

Katsumoto:

As at January 1966, there were 330 officers in the Armed Forces.

Igbo (Other South) Yoruba North Total
104 43 67 116 330

Using the numbers above, Igbo had approximately 30% in the armed forces.

There were 25 coup plotters in the January 66 coup who were officers; 21 were Igbo (I can provide the list if you want it). Which means Igbo contributed 84% of officers. Of the four who were non-Igbo, three were junior officers(lieutenants). If your agreement were to be accepted, Igbo should have only contributed 30% of coup plotters.

Source: Robin Luckham, The Nigerian Military: A Sociological Analysis of Authority and Revolt, 1960-67 (Cambridge: At the University Press 1971):231.

Please list the Igbo elders who were killed in jan 66 or the Northerners who were coup plotters.

It is disingenuous to include NCOs as part of the coup plotters since NCOs only follow orders. For instance, Nzeogwu murdered sgt Oyeleke who refused to fire shots at Bello's house. Try to be informed before passing factually inaccurate information to others.

During your University days, how many non-Yoruba friends did you have compared to Yorubas?
Presently in your life, how many close non-Yoruba friends do you have compared to Yorubas?

People, naturally, tend to stay closer to their brothers than others and are freer to engage in secret plots together than with outsiders. Language is one reason and culture it another.

So your logic of 30% Igbo participation in the coup as the only way to exonerate the Igbos from the accusation that it was an Igbo coup does not hold water at all.

@the topic, The assassination of Ironsi was an accident bound to happen because of what the North felt that Ironsi/Ifeajuna coup was an Igbo coup. Unification act by Ironsi was not the ulterior motive of the northerners in eliminating Ironsi.
@The obstructionist BK.B, I have always supported G.Ebere.J and as a result have had numerous enemies in this politics section. I have never argued or debated on topics about Igbo V.P slot.

Abagworo:

@beaf.You sound so much like a motor park tout.Always try to use logic in arguments and not unnecessary aggression.

The major characteristics of a weakling is indecision.Your Oga is from ND and knows the problems,why can't he just correct it or at least initiate a process towards that?He is actually my blood relative(surprised?).If I were him I would weaken the central Government and quit contesting this election.The key to survival of Nigeria is true federalism.

. . .But how can one use logic in discussion with a fool? Don't bandy around concepts you can only just about spell.

So to you a weak central govt = true federalism? That simplistic? Dude, thats bloody daft. What is even more daft is to think any President can do it by fiat. On second thoughts, daft is too light a word; lets settle for foolish, stupeed or cretinous.

Katsumoto:

As at January 1966, there were 330 officers in the Armed Forces.

Igbo   (Other South) Yoruba   North      Total
104       43                  67          116      330

Using the numbers above, Igbo had approximately 30% in the armed forces.

There were 25 coup plotters in the January 66 coup who were officers; 21 were Igbo (I can provide the list if you want it). Which means Igbo contributed 84% of officers. Of the four who were non-Igbo, three were junior officers(lieutenants). If your agreement were to be accepted, Igbo should have only contributed 30% of coup plotters.

Source: Robin Luckham, The Nigerian Military: A Sociological Analysis of Authority and Revolt, 1960-67 (Cambridge: At the University Press 1971):231.

Please list the Igbo elders who were killed in jan 66 or the Northerners who were coup plotters.

It is disingenuous to include NCOs as part of the coup plotters since NCOs only follow orders. For instance, Nzeogwu murdered sgt Oyeleke who refused to fire shots at Bello's house. Try to be informed before passing factually inaccurate information to others.

Factually inaccurate how,exactly? Explain, because you run your mouth too much and with bias. You can never prove this to be an Igbo coup,ever.Especially not with other officers participating in it. So you try to be informed and unbias. So in order for it not to have been an Igbo plot, what percentage was best to render it not being an Igbo coup? Also among senior officers, how many northern,western,MW, and eastern officers were killed respectively?

Obiagu1:

During your University days, how many non-Yoruba friends did you have compared to Yorubas?
Presently in your life, how many close non-Yoruba friends do you have compared to Yorubas?

People, naturally, tend to stay closer to their brothers than others and are freer to engage in secret plots together than with outsiders. Language is one reason and culture it another.

So your logic of 30% Igbo participation in the coup as the only way to exonerate the Igbos from the accusation that it was an Igbo coup does not hold water at all.

Are you suggesting that the Igbo coup-plotters who had been in the Army for at least 10 years only made friends with other Igbo officers? Is that part of the problem?

Secondly, you ignore the ethnicities of those murdered. I will post a list later; I don't want to miss my flight.

Katsumoto:

Are you suggesting that the Igbo coup-plotters who had been in the Army for at least 10 years only made friends with other Igbo officers? Is that part of the problem?

Secondly, you ignore the ethnicities of those murdered. I will post a list later; I don't want to miss my flight.

It doesn't matter how many yrs they've been in the Army.
You still did not answer my question. If you have more non-Yorubas in your school days or presently in your life, then I must say you're the most unnatural human being on earth.

Even today in my life and during my school days, huge majority and close friends are all Igbos. Though I have non-Igbos, the closeness is not like it is with Igbos.
So If I were to plot a deadly mission, who do I confide in? Those close to me I trust more or those peripheral friends?

It's common sense.

The composition of the plotters is not a valid point to use to prove that it was an Igbo coup, rather those killed. So I suggest to you to stop using the composition of the plotters.

As for the composition of those killed, that's where the problem is. But from what I've heard, Ifeajuna was the culprit. The major factor that made it seem like an Igbo coup. He virtually ruined the coup, failed to do his assigned duties and he tipped off his relation, Zik, who fled.

Katsumoto:

As at January 1966, there were 330 officers in the Armed Forces.

Igbo (Other South) Yoruba North Total
104 43 67 116 330

Using the numbers above, Igbo had approximately 30% in the armed forces.

There were 25 coup plotters in the January 66 coup who were officers; 21 were Igbo (I can provide the list if you want it). Which means Igbo contributed 84% of officers. Of the four who were non-Igbo, three were junior officers(lieutenants). If your agreement were to be accepted, Igbo should have only contributed 30% of coup plotters.

Source: Robin Luckham, The Nigerian Military: A Sociological Analysis of Authority and Revolt, 1960-67 (Cambridge: At the University Press 1971):231.

This is what one of my profs calls comparing apples and oranges in statistics.
Let's take it again:
Igbos 104
Yorubas 67
North 116

And your argument is that there were not mostly Igbo officers
You erroneuosly compared "North" with Igbos, Yorubas. If you had compared North vs east vs west, then we'll be ok, but you've tried to confuse the issue by trying to make us believe that the north is a single homogenous tribe like say the Igbos or the Yorubas.

If you really want to compare tribes, please begin thus: Igbo, Tiv, Berom, Yoruba, Ijaw, Hausa/Fulani, Edo, Kanuri, etc.
While the north represents a geographic expression like the east and the west, it was by no means a single tribe of people, so comparing the Igbos with the whole north is a statistical and political fallacy---another reason why anti-Igbo forces cannot possibly win any argument based on intellectual honesty.

So, until you find another source that show that Hausas, Yorubas, Beroms, Kanuris, or even Tivs were more in number in the army than Igbos at that time, my earlier statement that the superior numerical strength of Igbos in the officer cadre simply produced a statistical concidence rather than a tribal agenda remains to be debunked.

Obiagu1:

But from what I've heard, Ifeajuna was the culprit. The major factor that made it seem like an Igbo coup. He virtually ruined the coup, failed to do his assigned duties and he tipped off his relation, Zik, who fled.

Ahhhh. . . . . Now we getting somewhere!

So, now we all agree that Zik was tipped off.

Hey, U forgot to include that only Non-NdiIbo leaders got bloodied. . . .

naijaking1:


So, until you find another source that show that Hausas, Yorubas, Beroms, Kanuris, or even Tivs were more in number in the army than Igbos at that time, my earlier statement that the superior numerical strength of Igbos in the officer cadre simply produced a statistical concidence rather than a tribal agenda remains to be debunked.

. . . . . riiiiiiggghhhtttt! Do we also blame the Murder of all Non-Ibo leaders on this "Statistical Coincidence"?

Beaf:

. . .But how can one use logic in discussion with a fool? Don't bandy around concepts you can only just about spell.

So to you a weak central govt = true federalism? That simplistic? Dude, thats bloody daft. What is even more daft is to think any President can do it by fiat. On second thoughts, daft is too light a word; lets settle for foolish, stupeed or cretinous.

Typical beaf-nsiman-ma_j_blige.You remain a barely literate retard and you do not belong in my class.

BEAF and ABAGWORO
Please ceasefire, you both belong to nairaland's finest. I hold both of you in high esteem.
Godbless.

naijaking1:

This is what one of my profs calls comparing apples and oranges in statistics.
Let's take it again:
Igbos 104
Yorubas 67
North 116

And your argument is that there were not mostly Igbo officers
You erroneuosly compared "North" with Igbos, Yorubas. If you had compared North vs east vs west, then we'll be ok, but you've tried to confuse the issue by trying to make us believe that the north is a single homogenous tribe like say the Igbos or the Yorubas.

If you really want to compare tribes, please begin thus: Igbo, Tiv, Berom, Yoruba, Ijaw, Hausa/Fulani, Edo, Kanuri, etc.
While the north represents a geographic expression like the east and the west, it was by no means a single tribe of people, so comparing the Igbos with the whole north is a statistical and political fallacy---another reason why anti-Igbo forces cannot possibly win any argument based on intellectual honesty.

So, until you find another source that show that Hausas, Yorubas, Beroms, Kanuris, or even Tivs were more in number in the army than Igbos at that time, my earlier statement that the superior numerical strength of Igbos in the officer cadre simply produced a statistical concidence rather than a tribal agenda remains to be debunked.

Not to join sides, because I actually disagree strongly with Katsumoto's theories regarding the coup, and we have argued it already in another thread, but this line of argument has already been run through here:

https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria?topic=583162.msg7516599#msg7516599


The truth is that there are 50-100 or more "tribes" (ethnic groups) in the Middle Belt + North (http://www.onlinenigeria.com/tribes/) not just the ones we always mention, so it could not possibly be the case that the author of that book could do an ethnic group based listing unless that author was okay with letting a list meant only to demarcate the military into 4 major blocks for the purposes of the discussion of Nigeria's politics to clumsily run into several pages of unnecessary detail just to mention that an individual from the Rishuwa  or Jarawa tribe is identified as being specifically from that tribe and not just from the North when that would not have any relevance to the author's purpose.

But if you really must have a source

http://books.google.com/books?id=XdWJXwp5v_QC&pg=PA98&dq=1954+lagos+western+region&hl=en&ei=3plDTfW2D9T1gAfsosiTAg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2&ved=0CDEQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=1954%20lagos%20western%20region&f=false

^^^

scroll down to p. 100 and you'll see the ratios.

The 1962 quota system which saw more qualified Eastern soldiers being passed over for promotion in order to roughly satisfy some officers quota was one of the contributing reasons for the coup, hence the tribal imbalance. If more Westerners had been in the same position, I suspect that more of them would have been involved in the coup, so I don't see the preponderance of Igbos among the coupists as being evidence of an "Igbo plot" for that and other reasons which I won't go into here. 

I suspect that even if the British had not made the army lopsided towards North and North-central since early colonial times, the issue of demanding that a certain amount of officers be Northern ("one of their own" to the non-officers) would still have arisen simply because of people like Ahmadu Bello and other "North first, then others" types.



@ topic,  Ironsi's defiance of that quota system was not the only thing that cost him his life. Promulgating a unification decree when the government already had a moderately strong center without any vote on such a decision is just extremely unwise.

Andre Uweh:

BEAF and ABAGWORO
Please ceasefire, you both belong to nairaland's finest. I hold both of you in high esteem.
Godbless.

WHAT?!!!

Obiagu1:


It doesn't matter how many yrs they've been in the Army.
You still did not answer my question. If you have more non-Yorubas in your school days or presently in your life, then I must say you're the most unnatural human being on earth.

Even today in my life and during my school days, huge majority and close friends are all Igbos. Though I have non-Igbos, the closeness is not like it is with Igbos.
So If I were to plot a deadly mission, who do I confide in? Those close to me I trust more or those peripheral friends?

It's common sense.

The composition of the plotters is not a valid point to use to prove that it was an Igbo coup, rather those killed. So I suggest to you to stop using the composition of the plotters.

As for the composition of those killed, that's where the problem is. But from what I've heard, Ifeajuna was the culprit. The major factor that made it seem like an Igbo coup. He virtually ruined the coup, failed to do his assigned duties and he tipped off his relation, Zik, who fled.

Guy, the facts are so glaring.

If the composition of the coup plotters should be dismissed as a pointer to the fact that it is an Igbo coup, how about the fact that all the political victims of the coup were all non-Igbo? Okpara and Zik lived and the excuses were that Zik was out of the country (after a tip off, of course) and Okpara did not resist arrest. Did Balewa resist arrest? Even Admoyega posited in his book that Balewa was wasted along the road to Abeokuta after he surrendered to them. He didn't resist arrest, yet he was killed. Ironsi attended the same function with Balewa yet he was allowed to go scot - free.

The fact is incontrovertible, and I stand to be corrected, that the Igbos were the architect of the mistrust ruining our political system today.

PhysicsMHD:


Not to join sides, because I actually disagree strongly with Katsumoto's theories regarding the coup, and we have argued it already in another thread, but this line of argument has already been run through here:

https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria?topic=583162.msg7516599#msg7516599


The truth is that there are 50-100 or more "tribes" (ethnic groups) in the Middle Belt + North (http://www.onlinenigeria.com/tribes/) not just the ones we always mention, so it could not possibly be the case that the author of that book could do an ethnic group based listing unless that author was okay with letting a list meant only to demarcate the military into 4 major blocks for the purposes of the discussion of Nigeria's politics to clumsily run into several pages of unnecessary detail just to mention that an individual from the Rishuwa  or Jarawa tribe is identified as being specifically from that tribe and not just from the North when that would not have any relevance to the author's purpose.

But if you really must have a source

http://books.google.com/books?id=XdWJXwp5v_QC&pg=PA98&dq=1954+lagos+western+region&hl=en&ei=3plDTfW2D9T1gAfsosiTAg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2&ved=0CDEQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=1954%20lagos%20western%20region&f=false

^^^

scroll down to p. 100 and you'll see the ratios.

The key point to watch in the numbers I posted was the percentage of Igbo officers in the Army as at Jan 1966. Amongst all the tribes, they had a majority but they did not have a majority when all the tribes are added together. They had 30% which is significantly less than 50%. I repeat in case you missed it; Igbos had 30% officers in the Army but 84% in the first coup.

PhysicsMHD:


[b]The 1962 quota system which saw more qualified Eastern soldiers being passed over for promotion in order to roughly satisfy some officers quota was one of the contributing reasons for the coup, hence the tribal imbalance. [/b]If more Westerners had been in the same position, I suspect that more of them would have been involved in the coup, so I don't see the preponderance of Igbos among the coupists as being evidence of an "Igbo plot" for that and other reasons which I won't go into here. 

I suspect that even if the British had not made the army lopsided towards North and North-central since early colonial times, the issue of demanding that a certain amount of officers be Northern ("one of their own" to the non-officers) would still have arisen simply because of people like Ahmadu Bello and other "North first, then others" types.

You are actually proving my point; was that not sufficient motive to label it an ethnically motivated coup? Igbo officers were passed over for promotion to support the quota system. Were Yoruba officers like Obasanjo, Adekunle, and Rotimi not passed over for promotion as well?

Let us look at other facts
1. The PM, Premiers of the West and North Regions, senior military officers from the West and North as well as others making a total of 27 people who died that night; only one was Igbo. Are you suggesting that the make-up of the plotters(predominantly Igbo) and the make-up of the victims (predominantly non-Igbo) was a mere coincidence?

2. There was a constitutional crisis in Jan 1965 in which Zik refused to swear-in Balewa; Zik called in the service chiefs and he was politely told the limit of his powers by Sir Adetokunbo Ademola (Chief Justice) and the service chiefs. Admiral Wey told him that they reported to the PM. After realising the extent of his powers, Zik swore Balewa in. This was exactly one year before the coup.

3. The union of NPC and Akintola's NNDP meant that more posts and appointments went to Yoruba sons at the expense of Ndigbo after the 1964 elections

4. Zik was tipped off by his alleged cousin Ifeajuna, the real leader of the coup. Zik was in fact cooling off in the West indies while his colleagues were being slaughtered.

5. After murdering Balewa and organising the murder of others, Ifeajuna ran to the East and the first place he went to was to Enugu to parley with Okpara (premier of the East, an Igbo man). I have been waiting for someone to explain this; perhaps you can. Please do not sidestep this point.

I have given you fact-supported motive as well as facts which support my position. Please don't come back with conjecture; I am not interested in what-ifs, supposing, if they wanted to, etc statements. If you can supply any new facts, I may be willing to change my position.


Something else that a lot of people miss. The coup had two very different objectives. The first objective as epitomised by Nzeogwu and Ademoyega was a noble one but this two (Nzeogwu and Ademoyega) were only recruited approximately 3 months to the coup. The second objective was an ethnic one and was camouflaged by the first objective. People naively or disingenuously use the first noble objective to excuse the brutal manner of the assassinations which betrays the second objective. Even Nzeogwu and Captain Nwobosisi acknowledge that there was an ethnic undertone with the execution of the coup in Lagos.

A write-up which supports some of my points as well as add to the original discussion about Ironsi.

'The majority of those murdered were northerners, accompanied by some westerners and two Midwesterners.No easterner lost his or her life.On January 16, rather than approve the appointment of Zanna Bukar Dipcharima, a politician of northern origin, as acting Prime Minister, the acting President, Nwafor Orizu, himself of eastern origin, handed over power to Major-General JTU Aguiyi-Ironsi, the GOC of the Nigerian Army, also of eastern origin. This was allegedly at the behest of the rump cabinet, allegedly to enable Ironsi put down the revolt which, as of then, had already failed in southern Nigeria.Until it became apparent recently in separate testimony by Alhaji Shehu Shagari and Chief Richard Akinjide, it had always been publicly assumed in the lay Press that the hand-over was voluntary although unconstitutional - since no such provision existed in the Nigerian constitution.However, it does seem that as far back as 1969, Martin Dent pointed out the involuntary nature of the so-called hand-over in an academic paper, based on an interview with Alhaji Shettima Ali Monguno.

In July 2000, at a public book launching ceremony in Nigeria, Chief Richard Akinjide stated: “Talking on the first coup, when Balewa got missing, we knew Okotie-Eboh had been held, we knew Akintola had been killed. We, the members of the Balewa cabinet started meeting. But how can you have a cabinet meeting without the Prime Minister acting or Prime Minister presiding. So, unanimously, we nominated acting Prime Minister amongst us. Then we continued holding our meetings. Then we got a message that we should all assemble at the Cabinet office. All the Ministers were requested by the G.O.C. of the Nigerian Army, General Ironsi to assemble. What was amazing at that time was that Ironsi was going all over Lagos unarmed. We assembled there. Having nominated ZANA Diphcharima as our acting Prime Minister in the absence of the Prime Minister, whose whereabout we didn't know, we approached the acting President, Nwafor Orizu to swear him in because he cannot legitimately act as the Prime Minister except he is sworn-in. Nwafor Orizu refused. He said he needed to contact Zik who was then in West Indies.

Under the law, that is, the Interpretation Act, as acting President, Nwazor Orizu had all the powers of the President. The GOC said he wanted to see all the cabinet ministers. And so we assembled at the cabinet office. Well, I have read in many books saying that we handed over to the military. We did not hand-over. [b]Ironsi told us that "you either hand over as gentlemen or you hand-over by force". Those were his words. [/b]Is that voluntary hand-over? So we did not hand-over. We wanted an Acting Prime Minister to be in place but Ironsi forced us, and I use the word force advisedly, to handover to him. He was controlling the soldiers. [b]The acting President, Nwafor Orizu, who did not cooperate with us, cooperated with the GOC. [/b]Dr. Orizu and the GOC prepared speeches which Nwafor Orizu broadcast handing over the government of the country to the army. I here state again categorically as a member of that cabinet that we did not hand-over voluntarily. It was a coup. “ Corroborating Akinjide’s account, according to Shehu Shagari, in his Book “Beckoned to
Serve”, “…, ….At about 7.00 am, I returned to Dipcharima’s residence to meet with some NPC ministers who had gathered there. Dipcharima was then the most senior NPC minister available. We received the latest reports on the situation, first from Alhaji Maitama Sule, Minister of Mines and Power, who had visited the PM’s residence by bicycle! We then heard from Alhaji Ibrahim Tako Galadima, the acting Minister of Defence, who had brought along with him Chief Fani-Kayode.

However, we decided to recognize Dipcharima, a Kanuri from Bornu, as our interim leader; and to ask the acting President, Dr. Orizu (President Azikiwe was away on leave), to appoint Dipcharima acting Prime Minister. [/b]We also summoned Major General Ironsi and gave him full authority to use every force at his disposal to suppress the rebellion. He moved his headquarters temporarily to the police headquarters at moloney street to facilitate easy communication with army units in the regions.  While at Dipcharima’s residence, we contacted the British High Commission and requested for military assistance in the event that our loyal troops should require any. [b]The response was positive, but the British insisted that the request must be written by the PM; or, in his absence, by a properly appointed deputy. We, therefore, drove to the residence of Dr. Orizu, and requested him to appoint Dipcharima acting prime minister. Dr. Orizu requested to see our NCNC colleagues to confirm whether they supported our proposition, and they joined us soon afterwards. They had apparently been caucusing at Dr. Mbadiwe’s residence. He (Mbadiwe) was their choice of acting Prime Minister. This was naturally unacceptable to us since the NPC was the major governing party.

While we were at Orizu’s residence, Major-General Ironsi, who had seemingly secured Lagos, came in with some armed escorts. He requested for a tete-a-tete with Orizu. The two had a 40 minutes discussion in another room, while we waited anxiously in the sitting room, with the armed soldiers standing and staring at us. When Major-General Ironsi finally emerged, he talked to Dipcharima sotto voce; and then drove off with his troops. Dr. Orizu then joined us, regretted his inability in the circumstances to oblige our request. He suggested we all return to our homes and wait until we were required. All efforts to get any clarification failed, and we left in utter desperation.

In fact [b]President Azikiwe’s personal physician, Dr. Humphrey Idemudia Idehen, abandoned him abroad when he got tired of the “health trip”, having run out of his personal estacode allowance, unaware that there may have been a good reason why Azikiwe did not want to return to Nigeria, after their original planned return date in December 1965 passed.Not even the Commonwealth Leaders’ Conference hosted for the first time by the country in early January was incentive enough for the President to return, for obvious reasons of protocol.[/b]However, after the coup, in a statement to the Press in England on January 16, among other things, Azikiwe did not condemn the coup per se, but said: “Violence has never been an instrument used by us, as founding fathers of the Nigerian Republic, to solve political problems. ….I consider it most unfortunate that our 'Young Turks' decided to introduce the element of violent revolution into Nigerian politics. No matter how they and our general public might have been provoked by obstinate and perhaps grasping politicians, it is an unwise policy……, As far as I am concerned, I regard the killings of our political and military leaders as a national calamity….”

Major Ifeajuna was later to be accused by Major Patrick Nzeogwu, leader of northern operations, of bungling or ignoring an apparent understanding to assassinate General Ironsi in Lagos - an oversight, or “misguided consideration” (to use Nzeogwu’s words)that caused the failure of the coup.Indeed, Nzeogwu bluntly declared publicly that the execution of the coup in the South was tribalistic. Captain Emmanuel Nwobosi (rtd), leader of operations in the Western region, has since corroborated the view that operations in Lagos were compromised by nepotism.[b]For this and other reasons, over the years, some analysts have come to view Nzeogwu, who was recruited two full months after the plot was already in progress, as a tool in a plot he never fully understood.[/b]Indeed, in offering condolences for the death of the Sardauna of Sokoto, ex-Senate President Nwafor Orizu told Alhaji Shehu Shagari that Major Nzeogwu was “an unknown entity among the Ibos (sic) in the Eastern region.”

http://www.citizensfornigeria.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=33&Itemid=45

Katsumoto:

A write-up which supports some of my points as well as add to the original discussion about Ironsi.

'The majority of those murdered were northerners, accompanied by some westerners and two Midwesterners.No easterner lost his or her life.On January 16, rather than approve the appointment of Zanna Bukar Dipcharima, a politician of northern origin, as acting Prime Minister, the acting President, Nwafor Orizu, himself of eastern origin, handed over power to Major-General JTU Aguiyi-Ironsi, the GOC of the Nigerian Army, also of eastern origin. This was allegedly at the behest of the rump cabinet, allegedly to enable Ironsi put down the revolt which, as of then, had already failed in southern Nigeria.Until it became apparent recently in separate testimony by Alhaji Shehu Shagari and Chief Richard Akinjide, it had always been publicly assumed in the lay Press that the hand-over was voluntary although unconstitutional - since no such provision existed in the Nigerian constitution.However, it does seem that as far back as 1969, Martin Dent pointed out the involuntary nature of the so-called hand-over in an academic paper, based on an interview with Alhaji Shettima Ali Monguno.

In July 2000, at a public book launching ceremony in Nigeria, Chief Richard Akinjide stated: “Talking on the first coup, when Balewa got missing, we knew Okotie-Eboh had been held, we knew Akintola had been killed. We, the members of the Balewa cabinet started meeting. But how can you have a cabinet meeting without the Prime Minister acting or Prime Minister presiding. So, unanimously, we nominated acting Prime Minister amongst us. Then we continued holding our meetings. Then we got a message that we should all assemble at the Cabinet office. All the Ministers were requested by the G.O.C. of the Nigerian Army, General Ironsi to assemble. What was amazing at that time was that Ironsi was going all over Lagos unarmed. We assembled there. Having nominated ZANA Diphcharima as our acting Prime Minister in the absence of the Prime Minister, whose whereabout we didn't know, we approached the acting President, Nwafor Orizu to swear him in because he cannot legitimately act as the Prime Minister except he is sworn-in. Nwafor Orizu refused. He said he needed to contact Zik who was then in West Indies.

Under the law, that is, the Interpretation Act, as acting President, Nwazor Orizu had all the powers of the President. The GOC said he wanted to see all the cabinet ministers. And so we assembled at the cabinet office. Well, I have read in many books saying that we handed over to the military. We did not hand-over. Ironsi told us that "you either hand over as gentlemen or you hand-over by force". Those were his words. Is that voluntary hand-over? So we did not hand-over. We wanted an Acting Prime Minister to be in place but Ironsi forced us, and I use the word force advisedly, to handover to him. He was controlling the soldiers. The acting President, Nwafor Orizu, who did not cooperate with us, cooperated with the GOC. Dr. Orizu and the GOC prepared speeches which Nwafor Orizu broadcast handing over the government of the country to the army. I here state again categorically as a member of that cabinet that we did not hand-over voluntarily. It was a coup. “ Corroborating Akinjide’s account, according to Shehu Shagari, in his Book “Beckoned to
Serve”, “…, ….At about 7.00 am, I returned to Dipcharima’s residence to meet with some NPC ministers who had gathered there. Dipcharima was then the most senior NPC minister available. We received the latest reports on the situation, first from Alhaji Maitama Sule, Minister of Mines and Power, who had visited the PM’s residence by bicycle! We then heard from Alhaji Ibrahim Tako Galadima, the acting Minister of Defence, who had brought along with him Chief Fani-Kayode.

However, we decided to recognize Dipcharima, a Kanuri from Bornu, as our interim leader; and to ask the acting President, Dr. Orizu (President Azikiwe was away on leave), to appoint Dipcharima acting Prime Minister. We also summoned Major General Ironsi and gave him full authority to use every force at his disposal to suppress the rebellion. He moved his headquarters temporarily to the police headquarters at moloney street to facilitate easy communication with army units in the regions. While at Dipcharima’s residence, we contacted the British High Commission and requested for military assistance in the event that our loyal troops should require any. The response was positive, but the British insisted that the request must be written by the PM; or, in his absence, by a properly appointed deputy. We, therefore, drove to the residence of Dr. Orizu, and requested him to appoint Dipcharima acting prime minister. Dr. Orizu requested to see our NCNC colleagues to confirm whether they supported our proposition, and they joined us soon afterwards. They had apparently been caucusing at Dr. Mbadiwe’s residence. He (Mbadiwe) was their choice of acting Prime Minister. This was naturally unacceptable to us since the NPC was the major governing party.

While we were at Orizu’s residence, Major-General Ironsi, who had seemingly secured Lagos, came in with some armed escorts. He requested for a tete-a-tete with Orizu. The two had a 40 minutes discussion in another room, while we waited anxiously in the sitting room, with the armed soldiers standing and staring at us. When Major-General Ironsi finally emerged, he talked to Dipcharima sotto voce; and then drove off with his troops. Dr. Orizu then joined us, regretted his inability in the circumstances to oblige our request. He suggested we all return to our homes and wait until we were required. All efforts to get any clarification failed, and we left in utter desperation.

In fact President Azikiwe’s personal physician, Dr. Humphrey Idemudia Idehen, abandoned him abroad when he got tired of the “health trip”, having run out of his personal estacode allowance, unaware that there may have been a good reason why Azikiwe did not want to return to Nigeria, after their original planned return date in December 1965 passed.Not even the Commonwealth Leaders’ Conference hosted for the first time by the country in early January was incentive enough for the President to return, for obvious reasons of protocol.However, after the coup, in a statement to the Press in England on January 16, among other things, Azikiwe did not condemn the coup per se, but said: “Violence has never been an instrument used by us, as founding fathers of the Nigerian Republic, to solve political problems. ….I consider it most unfortunate that our 'Young Turks' decided to introduce the element of violent revolution into Nigerian politics. No matter how they and our general public might have been provoked by obstinate and perhaps grasping politicians, it is an unwise policy……, As far as I am concerned, I regard the killings of our political and military leaders as a national calamity….”

Major Ifeajuna was later to be accused by Major Patrick Nzeogwu, leader of northern operations, of bungling or ignoring an apparent understanding to assassinate General Ironsi in Lagos - an oversight, or “misguided consideration” (to use Nzeogwu’s words)that caused the failure of the coup.Indeed, Nzeogwu bluntly declared publicly that the execution of the coup in the South was tribalistic. Captain Emmanuel Nwobosi (rtd), leader of operations in the Western region, has since corroborated the view that operations in Lagos were compromised by nepotism.For this and other reasons, over the years, some analysts have come to view Nzeogwu, who was recruited two full months after the plot was already in progress, as a tool in a plot he never fully understood.Indeed, in offering condolences for the death of the Sardauna of Sokoto, ex-Senate President Nwafor Orizu told Alhaji Shehu Shagari that Major Nzeogwu was “an unknown entity among the Ibos (sic) in the Eastern region.”

http://www.citizensfornigeria.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=33&Itemid=45

God bless you bro. We have always known it was an Igbo coup! Igbos were the architect of the mistrust that laid the foundation for the ethocentric colouration of our politics.