Radio Biafra and some irresponsible elders have been pushing this narrative. It is false, and it also delays national healing by giving some people the ‘right’ to feel like victims.
They also try to use only the cover of Major Adewale Ademoyega’s book, Why We Struck, as ‘evidence’ of this, without quoting anything from the book.
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The truth is that Ademoyega’s book says nothing of the sort. Rather, it corroborated the official investigation.
Majors Chukwuma Kaduna Nzeogwu and Ifeajuna led the coup itself. The following persons executed it:
- Kaduna Nzeogwu
- Emmanuel Ifeajuna
- Timothy Onwuatuegwu
- Adewale Ademoyega
- Chris Anuforo
- Humphrey Chukwuka
- Donatus Okafor
Of these seven people, only one, Adewale Ademoyega, was non-Igbo. The rest were all Igbo, although Major Nzeogwu was what was referred to at that time as Midwest Igbo (later colloquially referred to as Bendel Igbo and now as Delta Igbo). Major Donatus Okafor’s mother was Tiv. However, his father was Igbo. Major Ademoyega was not involved in the killings, but he was involved in the plotting.
Incidentally, some Igbos unwisely try to deny that Nzeogwu was Igbo and call him ‘your South-South’ brother. Unknown to them, the more they do this, the more they make non-Igbos feel that those specific Igbos who say they have learned very little since the civil war.
At least twenty one people were killed during the coup, including
1.Sir Ahmadu Bello-Fulani from Northern Region.
2.Sir Abubakar Tafawa-Balewa-Gere from Northern Region.
3.Samuel Ladokr Akintola-Yoruba from Western Region.
4.Chief Festus Okotie-Eboh-Itsekiri from Midwest Region.
5.Hafsatu Bello (wife of Sir Ahmadu Bello)-Fulani from Northern Region.
6.Mrs Latifat Ademulegun (Brigadier Ademulegun’s wife, who was pregnant)-Yoruba from Western Region.
7.Brigadier Samuel Ademulegun-Yoruba from Western Region.
8.Brigadier Zakariya Maimalari-Kanuri from Northern Region.
9.Colonel Kur Mohammed-Kanuri from Northern Region.
10.Colonel Ralph Shodeinde-Yoruba from Western Region.
http://11.Lt. Colonel Abogo Lagerma-Marghi from Northern Region.
http://12.Lt. Colonel James Pam-Jos native from Northern Region.
http://13.Lt. Colonel Arthur Unegbe-Igbo from Eastern Region.
14.Sergeant Daramola Oyegoke-Yoruba from Western Region.
15.Police Constable Philip Lewande-Minority from Northern Region.
16.Police Corporal Akpan Anduka-Efik from Eastern Region.
17.Police Corporal Hagai Lai-Minority from Northern Region.
18.Police Corporal Yohana Garkawa-Minority from Northern Region.
19.Lance Corporal Musa Nimzo-Minirity from Northern Region.
20.Ahmed Pategi-Minority from Northern Region.
21.Zarumi Sardauna-Minority from Northern Region.
As is clear from the list above, none of them were from the then Eastern Nigeria, except Lt. Col. Arthur Unegbe. He was killed because he was the QuarterMaster-General, Army Headquarters, Lagos, and therefore was in charge of the armoury. As a result, it was necessary, from the point of view of the potters, to kill him.
After the coup, Major General Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi took over. Rightly or wrongly, the rest of the nation felt that a coup carried out by overwhelmingly Eastern officers, and of which the victims were entirely non-Easterners, and which supplanted a Northern minority leader (Tafawa-Balewa), with an Igbo leader (Aguiyi-Ironsi) was a setup.
However, Major General Aguiyi-Ironsi’s promise to try the coup plotters placated the rest of the country. Sadly, the plotters were jailed but were never tried. The immediate trigger for the July 29, 1966 counter-coup was when rumours circulated that the coup plotters had been receiving full salaries in jail and were to be promoted.
From the above, it is clear that the January 15, 1966 coup was tribal.
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