The first shots shattered the peace of the night at the Abeokuta Garrison of the Nigerian Army a few minutes after midnight on July 29, 1966. Three casualties lay instantly dead in the persons of Lieutenant Colonel Gabriel Okonweze, the Garrison Commander, Major John Obienu, Commander of the 2nd Reece Squadron, and Lieutenant E. B. Orok, also of the Reece Squadron. It was the beginning of the much-touted revenge coup of Northern Nigerian army officers and men against the regime of Major General Johnson Thomas Umunnakwe Aguiyi-Ironsi. By August 1, when Lieutenant Colonel Yakubu Gowon assumed power in Lagos as Nigeria’s second military Head of State, the bullet ridden bodies of both Ironsi and his host, Lieutenant Colonel Francis Adekunle Fajuyi, the military Governor of Western Nigeria, lay buried in shallow graves at Iwo, outside Ibadan. “Within three days of the July outbreak, every Igbo soldier serving in the army outside the East was dead, imprisoned or fleeing eastward for his life”, observed Professor Ruth First in The Barrel of a Gun: The Politics of Coups d’Etat in Africa [Allen Lane The Penguin Press, London, 1970, p317.] But Africa’s bloodiest coup did not stop at that stage, despite the shooting deaths of 42 officers and over 130 other ranks, who were overwhelmingly Igbo. The killing sprees and ever-expanding killing fields spread like wild fire across most of the country. There were three phases to the coup – the Araba/Aware massacres in northern Nigeria pre-July that called for northern secession, the July Army bloodbath, and the ethnic cleansing that went on for months after Ironsi had been assassinated and his regime toppled. The maelstrom prompted Colonel Gowon into making a radio broadcast on September 29, 1966.

This was the kernel of what he said: “You all know that since the end of July, God in his power has entrusted the responsibility of this great country of ours into the hands of yet another Northerner. I receive complaints daily that up till now Easterners living in the North are being killed and molested, and their property looted. I am very unhappy about this. We should put a stop to it. It appears that it is going beyond reason and is now at a point of recklessness and irresponsibility.” Salutary intervention But Gowon’s salutary intervention changed nothing, as the massacres continued unabated. Northern soldiers and civilians went into towns, fished out Easterners and flattened them either with rapid gunfire or with violent machete blows, leaving their properties looted or torched. According to the Massacre of Ndigbo in 1966: Report of the Justice G. C. M. Onyiuke Tribunal, [Tollbrook Limited, Ikeja, Lagos] “…between 45,000 and 50,000 civilians of former Eastern Nigeria were killed in Northern Nigeria and other parts of Nigeria from 29th May 1966 to December 1967 and although it is not strictly within its terms of reference the Tribunal estimates that not less than 1,627,743 Easterners fled back to Eastern Nigeria as a result of the 1966 pogrom.” Counter-coup This is contemporary Nigerian history, only 50 years old. But when experts like Dr. Reuben Abati and Professor Jonah Elaigwu write about it, they lose all sense of numeracy and statistical acuity, and glibly state that the July 29, 1966 counter-coup cost “many” Igbo lives. Well, the truth is that the July 29 counter-coup appears to be the bloodiest in the world’s recorded history because the casualty figures it posted far outstrip those registered in decided bloody coups like the Glorious Revolution of 1688 in which King James II of England was overthrown by an invading army led by William III of Orange-Nassau; the 18 Brumaire of 1799 coup in which General Napoleon Bonaparte overthrew the French Directory on November 9, 1799; the Wuchang Uprising of 1911 that overthrew the Qing Dynasty and led to the establishment of the Republic of China; the Bolsheviks October Revolution of 1917 that led to the creation of the Soviet Union; and the Iraqi coup d’état of 1936, the first among Arab countries. Each of these coups/revolutions led to war. But none of them managed anything near the sea of blood occasioned by July 29, 1966. Giving their interest in posting photographs and videos on the Internet by Instagram and Snapchat, and advertising mostly poor language on Facebook and other such portals, today’s Nigerian youths may know next to nothing about what led to the catastrophe of July 29. But the details follow here for those of them interested in learning.

The problem sat rigidly on the superficiality of Nigeria, a geographical expression contrived by colonialist Britain. At Independence in 1960, the country operated a federal system of government with three powerful regions that didn’t take dictation from Lagos, the nation’s capital. A fourth region, the Midwest, with capital in Benin City, was created in June 1963. But destroying the very fabric of the artificial political entity were tribalism and corruption, corruption which by today’s standards, would seem like cloistered nuns delightfully engaging in a game of Ping-Pong! Controversial census There were the 1960 and 1964-1965 uprisings in the Tiv country of the Middle Belt, and fractious elections in Western Nigeria in 1964 and 1965. There was the highly controversial national census exercise of 1963, and there was the military action of Isaac Boro’s Niger Delta Volunteer Force. Then, the military moved in on January 15, 1966, having contracted the germ of the idea of military putsches running riot across the world. In Algeria, for instance, Colonel Houari Boumediene and Ahmed Ben Bella overthrew Benyoucef Benkhedda on July 3, 1962. Three years later, on June 19, 1965, Boumedienne overthrew Ben Bella. More: In Argentina, General Eduardo Lonardi overthrew President Juan Domingo Peron on September 16, 1955. On March 29, 1962, General Raul Pogi overthrew President Arturo Frondizi. In Brazil on March 31, 1964, Humberto de Alencar Castelo Branco overthrew João Goulart to set up a 21-year-long dictatorship. In Indonesia General Suharto overthrew President Sukarno on September 30, 1965. First West African coup Inside Africa itself, coups were also trending. Colonel Gamal Abdel Nasser had overthrown Muhammad Naguib as far back as February 27, 1954. The first coup in West Africa was on January 13, 1963, when Etiene Eyadema overthrew Sylvanus Olympio. Colonel Joseph (later Mobutu Sese Seko) toppled Prime Minister Patrice Lumumba on September 14, 1960 and “neutralized” all political parties in Congo-Kinshasa. In neighbouring Benin Republic, Christophe Soglo overthrew Hubert Maga on October 28, 1963. Soglo carried out another coup on November 27, 1965, toppling Sourou-Migan Apithy. Both coups happened when the country still bore the name of Dahomey. On New Year’s Day of 1966, Colonel Jean-Bedel Bokassa overthrew his cousin, President David Dacko in Central Africa Republic. Two days later, Lieutenant Colonel Sangoulé Lamizana overthrew President Maurice Yaméogo in Upper Volta, which was renamed Burkina Faso in 1984 by Marxist revolutionary Captain Thomas Sankara. But there was a difference between the rash of coups that occurred elsewhere and the one of January 15, 1966 in Nigeria.

The Nigerian coup took an immediate ethnic colouration, and for reasons that were all too obvious. Of the five Majors that formed the innermost circle of the plotters, four were Igbo – Patrick Chukwuma Kaduna Nzeogwu, Emmanuel Arinze Ifeajuna, Donatus Okafor, and Chris Anuforo. But there was also among them Major Adewale Ademoyega, a Yoruba. Then, there was also the more disturbing fact that most of the coup’s casualties were non-Igbo, like Prime Minister Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, Northern Premier Sir Ahmadu Bello, Western Premier Chief Samuel Akintola, and Federal Finance Minister Chief Festus Okotie-Eboh.  No Igbo politician had lost his life in the bloody action. Further, in executing the coup, the military had turned against itself in the killings of the following Northern military officers: Brigadier Zakariya Maimalari (Commander 2 Brigade), Colonel Kur Mohammed (Chief of Staff, Army Headquarters), Lieutenant Colonel James Yakubu Pam (Adjutant-General), and Lieutenant Colonel Lieutenant Colonel Abogo Largema (Commander 4th Battalion, Ibadan). Two Yoruba officers were also victims: Brigadier Samuel Ademulegun (Commander 1 Brigade), and his deputy, Colonel Ralph Sodeinde. The coup was, in effect, as bloody as they come. Its very nature fanned the fiction that it was an Igbo coup.   Chuks Iloegbunam (iloegbunam@hotmail.com), is the author of Ironside, the biography of General Aguiyi-Ironsi.

Read more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/07/july-291966-counter-coup-africas-bloodiest-coup-detat/

OP, re-arrange your post for a better read!

Forget the five majors, the putsch in January 1966 was never a coup in the real sense: it was nothing but Ifeajuna's plan to put away the enemies of NCNC!

Op u expect me to read all dat?...

Just like the January 15 1966 coup was genocide against non Iboss

Indeed it was.

It was a case of if you can do it, we can do it better. If you can laugh at us for misery that you caused, we can make you miserable too. If you can gloat at our misfortune, we can give you something to wail over. You want to tell your kids stories of how you killed others, why not let us add stories of how you were massacred too.

You fail to render justice to mutinous soldiers, we render justice as we deem it fit.

You want a unitary government led by you while others follow? Why not see if you like it when others led and you be the follower?

What will you call the Jan 15, 1966 coup. --- A revolution or a selective massacre or genocide?

StOla:
Indeed it was.

It was a case of if you can do it, we can do it better. If you can laugh at us for misery that you caused, we can make you miserable too. If you can gloat at our misfortune, we can give you something to wail over. You want to tell your kids stories of how you killed others, why not let us add stories of how you were massacred too.

You fail to render justice to mutinous soldiers, we render justice as we deem it fit.

You want a unitary government led by you while others follow? Why not see if you like it when others led and you be the follower?

Let's assume all the above it true, then what is the point of 'one Nigeria'? You should bear in mind that if it is a question of who started killing who first and who responds in kind, the Northerners are guilty. The Kano massacre of 1945 and the Jos riots of 1953 are testaments of the Norths hatred for Igbos and this was long before the January 1966 coup. So, if being together means we have to kill each other, what is the point of 'one Nigeria'?

gartamanta:


Let's assume all the above it true, then what is the point of 'one Nigeria'? You should bear in mind that if it is a question of who started killing who first and who responds in kind, the Northerners are guilty. The Kano massacre of 1945 and the Jos riots of 1953 are testaments of the Norths hatred for Igbos and this was long before the January 1966 coup. So, if being together means we have to kill each other, what is the point of 'one Nigeria'?

I am Igbo and to be honest, these questions should be directed to Nnamdi Azikiwe.

Azikiwe witnessed all that yet refused to allow a caluse for secession in the constitution.

That is why we have 'One Nigeria' today and all the clamour for Biafra is not yielding any results.

AgentOrange:


I am Igbo and to be honest, these questions should be directed to Nnamdi Azikiwe.

Azikiwe witnessed all that yet refused to allow a caluse for secession in the constitution.

That is why we have 'One Nigeria' today and all the clamour for Biafra is not yielding any results.

Zik was an Igbo man who was born in the North. He saw the Northerners as his brothers, hence his belief in 'one Nigeria'. In a way, I won't lay all the blame on Zik, he probably thought that after independence Nigerians would see themselves as one. How wrong he was

gartamanta:


Let's assume all the above it true, then what is the point of 'one Nigeria'? You should bear in mind that if it is a question of who started killing who first and who responds in kind, the Northerners are guilty. The Kano massacre of 1945 and the Jos riots of 1953 are testaments of the Norths hatred for Igbos and this was long before the January 1966 coup. So, if being together means we have to kill each other, what is the point of 'one Nigeria'?

Despite the advantages of joint population and land mass, I'm not really an advocate of staying together if it means killing each other whenever we find a convenient excuse.

The killings you mentioned are factual but triggered impromptu as reaction from people not known to have any patience or value for human life.
The killings of January and July 1966 were however planned and executed to settle scores and achieve political objectives of the tribes involved.

StOla:
Despite the advantages of joint population and land mass, I'm not really an advocate of staying together if it means killing each other whenever we find a convenient excuse.

The killings you mentioned are factual but triggered impromptu as reaction from people not known to have any patience or value for human life.
The killings of January and July 1966 were however planned and executed to settle scores and achieve political objectives of the tribes involved.

History has it that Aguyi Ironsi never supported the January 15, 1966 coup. He frustrated the success of the coup in Lagos while Ojukwu hidered its success in the East.

The leader of the January 15, 1966 coup, Kaduna Nzeogwu Chukuma, succeeded in Kaduna but not so in other strategic cities manned by his colleagues as Ironsi and Ojukwu frustrated the plots making the coup unsuccessful.
You may assume they hindered it due to ego considering that the coup was led by junior officers. The success of that coup would have made Nigeria a better place because the motive was to eliminate corrupt officers and politicians.

In Nigeria history, Nzeogwu was considered a very patriotic Nigerian. Even during the civil war, he didn't support Biafr* and Ojukwu saw him as a sabotouer. In death Nzeogwu was given a national burial by Gowon government.

"Gowon ordered that Nzeogwu's body should be flown to Kaduna and buried with full military honours – even as the war raged on in the Eastern Region. Even in death, Nzeogwu was still respected by federal and northern troops. Domkat Bali referred to him as: “a nice, charismatic and disciplined officer, highly admired and respected by his colleagues. At least he was not in the habit of being found in the company of women all the time messing about with them in the officers mess, a pastime of many young officers then….we believed that he was a genuinely patriotic officer who organised the 1966 coup with the best of intentions who was let down by his collaborators….If we had captured him alive, he would not have been killed. I believe he probably would have been tried for his role in the January 15 coup, jailed and probably freed after some time. His death was regrettable.""


Battle Between Awolowo, Akintola Led To 1966 Coup- Yakassai - https://www.nairaland.com/2867045/battle-between-awolowo-akintola-led


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0S0F_5ma4lM

https://www.nairaland.com/2854914/why-fought-side-ojukwu-biafra-fola-oyewole

Retired Lt. Fola Oyewole, 77, a Nigerian Military Officer of the Yoruba stock, fought on the side of Biafra during the civil war. Before then, he was, because of the first coup 50 years ago, imprisoned in Lagos and in the Enugu but was released by Lt Col Ojukwu.

He wrote his own war account too, entitled “The Reluctant Rebel”, which joined other civil war narratives like ‘The Biafra Story’ (1969) by Frederick Forsyth, ‘Why We Struck’ (1981) by Adewale Ademoyega, ‘Sunset In Biafra’ (1975) by Elechi Amadi, ‘The Nigerian Revolution And the Biafran War’ (1980) by Alexander Madiebo among others.

In this interview with Ademola Adegbamigbe and Femi Anjorin (Idowu Ogunleye snapped the photos), the retired army officer narrated what happened during the first coup, his participation in it and why he, despite being Yoruba, fought on the side of Biafra like other non Igbo officers like Lt Col. Victor Banjo, Major Wale Ademoyega and others.

Q: In what area did you take part in that coup?

A: Arrest, seize facility and others…


Q: You were at a point, according to your book, with Captain Adeleke, another Yoruba soldier, who was he?

A: He was a colleague. He is the one who said he wanted to consult the family and we were friends, we both worked in Apapa before the crisis.

Q: I want you to describe what happened to other Yoruba people or non Igbo who fought on the Biafran side – Lt Col. Victor Banjo, Major Wale Ademoyega, then Major Kaduna Nzeogwu an Igbo from Opanam in Delta?

A: They were detained like myself, and Nzeogwu was detained, that was a common factor...


Notable participants of the January 15, 1966 coup who are of Yoruba extraction are as follows:
(See Ben Gbulie: ‘Nigeria’s Five Majors.’).

*Adewale Ademoyega is the most prominent Yoruba participant in the coup, there were other Yoruba officers who were involved at the dangerous execution stage of the coup. One of them is:

*Second Lieutenant Olafimihan, an officer serving under Madiebo in Kaduna. He was sent by the plotters to gauge his commander’s loyalty. (See Madiebo pp.17-18).

*Another is Lieutenant (some books refer to him as a Captain) Fola Oyewole. He, like Ademoyega, went on to fight for Biafra and wrote a book on his coup and wartime experiences. The book’s title is ‘Reluctant Rebel.’

*There is also Captain Ganiyu Adeleke who became an instructor in the Biafran Infantry School. For confirmation, see the list of coup plotters detained by Ironsi’s regime in Ademoyega pp.106-108, and this quote from Nowa Omoigui’s online account: ‘Mid-Western Invasion of 1967’: ‘Captain Ganiyu Adeleke, who had taken part in both the January 15 coup and the Mid-Western invasion before becoming an instructor in the Biafran School of Infantry was released at a later date after his co-plotters had been freed.’ Omoigui’s work is significant because, though he exhibits a high level of professionalism in his research, he has no sympathy for the January 15 coup. If his facts corroborate Ademoyega’s they are worthy of attention.

For personal studies consult the following sources: 

*http://www.naijastories.com/2013/04/the-facts-and-fiction-of-the-january-15-1966-coup/

*https://www.nairaland.com/334770/famous-aburi-conference-full-minute/3

* Nowa Omoigui’s online account: ‘Mid-Western Invasion of 1967’ - where he mentioned ‘Captain Ganiyu Adeleke, who had taken part in both the January 15 coup and the Mid-Western invasion before becoming an instructor in the Biafran School of Infantry.

* ‘Why We Struck’ - a book by  Adewale Ademoyega, a full blooded Yoruba army officer, who was deeply involved in the planning and execution of the January 1966 coup.

* Max Silloun (the military historian) landmark online article - ‘The inside story of Nigeria’s first military coup Parts 1 and 2

* 'Nigeria’s Five Majors’ - book by Ben Gbulie

* Major General Alexander Madiebo - excerpts from his interview with National Mirror
http://elombah.com/index.php/special-reports/13104-blame-gowon-and-awolowo-for-biafra-genocide-general-madiebo

* ‘Reluctant Rebel’ - a book by Captain Fola Oyewole, who went on to fight for Biafra just like Ademoyega 

* See the list of coup plotters detained by Ironsi’s regime in Ademoyega pp.106-108

* Sanusi Lamido's writings, "Afenifere: Syllabus of Errors" published by This Day (The Sunday Newspaper) on Sept 27, 1998. 

* Sanusi Lamido's writings/publication in the weekly Trust entitled " The Igbo, the Yoruba and History" (Aug. 21, 1998)

* Sanusi Lamido's paper presented at the “National Conference On The 1999 Constitution” Jointly Organised By The Network For Justice And The Vision Trust Foundation, At The Arewa House, Kaduna From 11th –12th September, 1999.

* http://www.nigerianbulletin.com/threads/yorubas-are-the-problem-with-nigeria-by-sanusi-lamido-sanusi-elombah-com.111348/


WHY JANUARY 15, 1966 COUP IS STRONGLY LINKED TO AWOLOWO

1. The coup planners already said that they intended to enthrone Awolowo, a convicted criminal found guilty of financial crimes and treason in a civilian law court and sentenced to prison.

2. The coup ended up eliminating Awo's staunch enemies, i.e Akintola and Balewa, the two main people he and his fans accused of masterminding his incarceration.

3. With Akintola alive, Awolowo would have ended up the way of Abiola, he would have died in prison, as Akintola would have naturally sought to consolidate power, and would ultimately know that that will depend on permanently eliminating Awo from the picture.

4. Awo had previously been found guilty of masterminding a civilian hostile take over and toppling of Balewa's government, this and  his later failed attempt at toppling IBB government, are great pointers to the ruthlessness of Awolowo and the extent he could go to acquire power, it also lends credence to the fact that Awo was well capable of masterminding a coup.

Copied and modified#

And what should we call the first coup by Ifeajuna and his gangs? Revolutionary genocide right? Igbos need to stop playing this victim mentality card, it's already stale. You can't go about killing the finest set of political and military leadership of other people's ethnic group and think there won't be consequences.

seunmsg:
And what should we call the first coup by Ifeajuna and his gangs? Revolutionary genocide right? Igbos need to stop playing this victim mentality card, it's already stale. You can't go about killing the finest set of political and military leadership of other people's ethnic group and think there won't be consequences.

Political violence in SW led to the January 15, 1966 coup. The coup which was led by an Igbo army officer from the then Midwestern region also comprised of Yoruba military officers.
The coup was frustrated by Igbo army officers like Aguiyi Ironsi and Emeka Ojukwu.

An Igbo officer Col Unegbe from Orlu was killed by the 'Igbo coup plotters" Maj Ademoyega and Maj Ifeanjuna. Yorubas hide this fact because it does not promote the "Igbo coup fables".

About 6 months later, July 29, 1966, there was a counter coup led by Murtala Mohammed and T.Y Danjuma and what followed thereafter was the massacre of Easterners and Igbo civilians on the streets.

In that counter coup Aguiyi ironsi who was not part of the January 15, 1966 coup was killed. Lt. Colonel Francis Adekunle Fajuyi was killed alongside Aguiyi Ironsi by T.Y Danjuma and his Northern coupists. Yet Yorubas maintained a deafening silence and would rather point accusing fingers on Igbos.

185 Igbo officers in the Nigerian military were selected and killed. As if that wasn't enough, Yorubas ganged up with their Hausa-Fulani-Kanuri masters, rushed into the streets and started killing Igbos and burning Igbo establishments in the North and South-West.

Bloodthirsty Yorubas and their partners in crime positioned themselves in airports and railway stations hounding and killing off innocent Eastern passengers.
“…between 45,000 and 50,000 civilians of former Eastern Nigeria were killed in Northern Nigeria and other parts of Nigeria from 29th May 1966 to December 1967 ...not less than 1,627,743 Easterners fled back to Eastern Nigeria as a result of the 1966 pogrom.” 

Part A - http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=rPNXnMcHGtE

Part B -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JqCP3DXwFzU&feature=related

The February 13, 1976 Dimka-led coupists came from Benue and Plateau region. They assassinated Murtala Mohammed then Head of State, yet there was no genocide carried against the Middle-belt people. Why was same treatment not given to the ethnic groups of the Dimka-led coupists that committed same offence? It's simply hypocrisy!

According to the warped logic of hypocritical Yoruba and their co-travellers anytime there is a revolution or a coup the ethnic groups of the coup plotters should be singled out for ethnic cleansing!


Madam Kemi Nkem Omololu-Olunloyo

BLOCKED: Almost no yorubas left on my FB page. I will not SUBSCRIBE to tribalism against the Igbos and #Biafra . We killed THEM and boasted about it. Gen Obasanjo, Col Rotimi, Gen Ibrahim Taiwo etc etc. Oluwole Rotimi was fired by Yaradua as NG Ambassador to USA for his Biafra comment to Ojo Maduweke NG Ambassador to Canada, OBJ still boasting "We will do to Boko Haram what we did to Biafra-OBJ 2015", Ibrahim Taiwo assassinated same day as Gen Murtala Muhammed on a Friday the 13th an evil day in 1976. I no longer spend the N20 note in Nigeria. These were not heroes. Ojukwu was the real hero we were told to hate. It took years for me to know that. My father was the only Yoruba leader at his funeral. Those yoruba youth who say they saw Tinubu there were hallucinating. Both Taiwo and MM ordered Nigerian Army into Asaba and killed 700 innocent civilan men, raped their wives, daughters and ruined the town. Google Asaba massacres on Wikipedia. U are on your internet. We as Yoruba youth were brainwashed into seeing them as HEROES. Today's youth must be told the truth. History is no longer in schools. It must be told. If you were not born 1967-70 and watched 3 years of the war on WNTV now NTA, u need to STFU. Those begging me on Twitter will be ignored. The Igbo children dancing in this collage at KJ's school event are Yoruba. STOP YOUR TRIBALISM!
To my Biafrans on social media, ABSOLUTELY no violence or advocating violence on #socialmedia . Do not play into the hands of King Buhari, Father Mbaka Mfaker and the DSS.

Nzeogwu kiled Bello

Ifeajuna killed Balewa

Onwuatuegwu killed Ademulegun

Nzeogwu and Nwokedi killed Col Sodeinde

Ifeajuna killed Okotie Eboh

Ifeajuna/Okafor killed Maimalari

Ifeajuna killed Lagerma

Nwobosi killed Akintola

All the killers in the January coup were Ibos

36xtr93r:


Political violence in SW led to the January 15, 1966 coup. The coup which was led by an Igbo army officer from the then Midwestern region also comprised of Yoruba military officers...

Yes, some Yoruba military officers were "involved." But that isn't the whole truth! The coup was Ifeajuna's baby; Nzeogwu, Ademoyega and co were only willing tools used to bring to light a darker part of another conspiracy unbeknown to them. Ifeajuna's plans were to eliminate every enemy of NCNC in the realm: hence the pattern of killings. Ifeajuna didn't fail as some would have us believe, his own vision of the coup was executed flawlessly to the utter disgust of Nzeogwu!

Yes, the Five Majors "agreed" to eliminate all corrupt politicians, including the Premiers of the regions, but Ifeajuna had other plans! While Nzeogwu was busy killing all targets assigned to him, Ifeajuna and co were cherry-picking their own list of targets. And that misdirection...was the major tragedy of the whole episode.

Even after the fact of this misadventure, Orizu Nwafor (The Vice President) tried to swear in the Deputy Prime Minister (Sam Mbadiwe) instead of Dipcharima (The new NPC leader) as acting Prime Minister? When that failed, Orizu had a secret meeting with Ironsi, who then insisted he seize power. Is there still a mystery why Ifeajuna and co spared Ironsi? Ironsi was backup for the original intention to put NCNC leaders in power! Forget the "Awolowo" smokescreen: that was only a ruse to recruit Nzeogwu, Ademoyega and co.

The NPC leaders were not fooled. They played along, waited, bade their time and struck in like manner, but this time on a more sadistic scale. Perhaps, the pogrom in the North could have been avoided if Ironsi had been less clannish with governance. If Ifeajuna's blood-lust was a mistake, Ironsi's mis-governance was one mistake too many for the Northern leaders who wanted revenge.

Volksfuhrer:
Yes, some Yoruba military officers were "involved." But that isn't the whole truth! The coup was Ifeajuna's baby; Nzeogwu, Ademoyega and co were only willing tools used to bring to light a darker part of another conspiracy unbeknown to them. Ifeajuna's plans were to eliminate every enemy of NCNC in the realm: hence the pattern of killings. Ifeajuna didn't fail as some would have us believe, his own vision of the coup was executed flawlessly to the utter disgust of Nzeogwu!

Yes, the Five Majors "agreed" to eliminate all corrupt politicians, including the Premiers of the regions, but Ifeajuna had other plans! While Nzeogwu was busy killing all targets assigned to him, Ifeajuna and co were cherry-picking their own list of targets. And that misdirection...was the major tragedy of the whole episode.

Even after the fact of this misadventure, Orizu Nwafor (The Vice President) tried to swear in the Deputy Prime Minister (Sam Mbadiwe) instead of Dipcharima (The new NPC leader) as acting Prime Minister? When that failed, Orizu had a secret meeting with Ironsi, who then insisted he seize power. Is there still a mystery why Ifeajuna and co spared Ironsi? Ironsi was backup for the original intention to put NCNC leaders in power! Forget the "Awolowo" smokescreen: that was only a ruse to recruit Nzeogwu, Ademoyega and co.

The NPC leaders were not fooled. They played along, waited, bade their time and struck in like manner, but this time on a more sadistic scale. Perhaps, the pogrom in the North could have been avoided if Ironsi had been less clannish with governance. If Ifeajuna's blood-lust was a mistake, Ironsi's mis-governance was one mistake too many for the Northern leaders who wanted revenge.

So, the January 15, 1966 coup gave your folks in the Nigerian Army the impetus to collude and kill 185 Igbo officers in the Nigerian military?
As if that wasn't enough, you ganged up, rushed into the streets and started killing Igbos and burning Igbo establishments in the North and South-West. 

You positioned yourselves in airports and railway stations hounding and killing off innocent Eastern passengers.“…between 45,000 and 50,000 civilians of former Eastern Nigeria were killed in Northern Nigeria and other parts of Nigeria from 29th May 1966 to December 1967 ...not less than 1,627,743 Easterners fled back to Eastern Nigeria as a result of the 1966 pogrom.”

According to your warped logic anytime there is a revolution or a coup the ethnic groups of the coup plotters should be singled out for ethnic cleansing!

Keep on burying your head in the sand of shame...

^^ WHen your tribesmen were rounding up people of other regions to kill in January 15, they took no permission and no one gave them rules of engagement

So you dont have any right to tell others how to do their own revenge killing. They can kill 10M if they like

First to do no dey pain

The gang of 1966 turned a revolution into an "Igbo issue" and seized power. 50 years after the north and their supporters took over Nigeris is not working. A callous country where life is cheap, fulanis wipe out whole villages, and our children are starving in IDP camps.

Besides the gang of 1966 and their lapdogs(Obj, Danjuma, Murtala and co) amassing insane wealth and clout, their regions and ppl have NOTHING to show that Nigeria is working or has anything to offer them

From my own perspective as an history student, i think most of this coup plotters carried out coups because of their selfish desire and brainwashing the civilians or their tribal people into believing that the coups were carried inorder to cleanse Nigeria of bad eggs or make Nigeria a better place. So lets stop pointing accusing fingers on ourselves, be it yoruba, hausa or ibo.

36xtr93r:


So, the January 15, 1966 coup gave your folks in the Nigerian Army the impetus to collude and kill 185 Igbo officers in the Nigerian military?
As if that wasn't enough, you ganged up, rushed into the streets and started killing Igbos and burning Igbo establishments in the North and South-West. 

You positioned yourselves in airports and railway stations hounding and killing off innocent Eastern passengers.“…between 45,000 and 50,000 civilians of former Eastern Nigeria were killed in Northern Nigeria and other parts of Nigeria from 29th May 1966 to December 1967 ...not less than 1,627,743 Easterners fled back to Eastern Nigeria as a result of the 1966 pogrom.”

According to your warped logic anytime there is a revolution or a coup the ethnic groups of the coup plotters should be singled out for ethnic clea mnsing!

Keep on burying your head in the sand of shame...

Could you show me where I justified the revenge killings of July 1966. I only described events that led to it. Or are you suggesting now that fishing out the motives for a murder necessarily implies justifying it!

raumdeuter:
Nzeogwu kiled Bello

Ifeajuna killed Balewa

Onwuatuegwu killed Ademulegun

Nzeogwu and Nwokedi killed Col Sodeinde

Ifeajuna killed Okotie Eboh

Ifeajuna/Okafor killed Maimalari

Ifeajuna killed Lagerma

Nwobosi killed Akintola

All the killers in the January coup were Ibos

Hmmmn.... this is food for thought!!

Volksfuhrer:
[code][/code]Could you show me where I justified the revenge killings of July 1966. I only described events that led to it. Or are you suggesting now that fishing out the motives for a murder necessarily implies justifying it!

Why are you exchanging words with that copy-and-paste clown??

SO True!

gartamanta:


Let's assume all the above it true, then what is the point of 'one Nigeria'? You should bear in mind that if it is a question of who started killing who first and who responds in kind, the Northerners are guilty. The Kano massacre of 1945 and the Jos riots of 1953 are testaments of the Norths hatred for Igbos and this was long before the January 1966 coup. So, if being together means we have to kill each other, what is the point of 'one Nigeria'?

Can u tell me how Zik refused to allow the secession clause in the constitution? Was Nigeria under the leadership of of Zik as President or Prime Minister? Was Zik in charge of the constitutional process? Was Zik the secretary of Colonies which gave him the authority & power over the constitutional process? Did Zik decide what clause was allowed and disallowed in the constitution.

AgentOrange:


I am Igbo and to be honest, these questions should be directed to Nnamdi Azikiwe.

Azikiwe witnessed all that yet refused to allow a caluse for secession in the constitution.

That is why we have 'One Nigeria' today and all the clamour for Biafra is not yielding any results.

Uchek:
Can u tell me how Zik refused to allow the secession clause in the constitution? Was Nigeria under the leadership of of Zik as President or Prime Minister? Was Zik in charge of the constitutional process? Was Zik the secretary of Colonies which gave him the authority & power over the constitutional process? Did Zik decide what clause was allowed and disallowed in the constitution.

They keep telling the same old lies, that Zik refused to put secession clause in the constitution. How is it possible that one man, still under British control, was able to determine what would enter the constitution and what would not, you won't get an answer

raumdeuter:
Nzeogwu kiled Bello

Ifeajuna killed Balewa

Onwuatuegwu killed Ademulegun

Nzeogwu and Nwokedi killed Col Sodeinde

Ifeajuna killed Okotie Eboh

Ifeajuna/Okafor killed Maimalari

Ifeajuna killed Lagerma

Nwobosi killed Akintola

All the killers in the January coup were Ibos

This list is a sad one to see as it illustrates the unfairness of that coup in tribal terms. Obviously the return match in July and the pogroms were unjustified as well.

One thing to add is one of those people that killed others leaked the coup news to Zik who promptly ran off abroad.

A truly sad year in the history of Nigeria.

What is good for the geese is also good for the gander. The easterners wanted to dominate the country, particularly the north because of hatred, but it backfired

kabiru190:
What is good for the geese is also good for the gander. The easterners wanted to dominate the country, particularly the north because of hatred, but it backfired

And as long as the North dominates everyone, it front-fired?