Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida (IBB), a former military leader, has denied that the 1966 military takeover was “Igbo-led,” according to the Daily Post Newspaper.CONTINUE FULL READING>>>>>
According to Babangida, the key figure behind the coup, Kaduna Nzeogwu, was highly proficient in Hausa.
In his newly released book, A Journey in Service, Babangida pointed out that although Nzeogwu had Igbo heritage, he was more culturally aligned with the Hausa people.
The former head of state criticized Nzeogwu’s decision to assassinate Sir Ahmadu Bello and his wife, Hafsatu, labeling it as an act of extreme cruelty, especially given their widespread admiration.
He wrote: “Major Kaduna Nzeogwu, the mastermind of the coup, was Igbo only by ancestry. He was raised in Kaduna, where his parents, originally from Okpanam in present-day Delta State—then part of the Mid-Western Region—had settled.
“Nzeogwu was deeply immersed in Hausa culture and spoke the language fluently. He and his initial group of conspirators likely believed, albeit naively, that they could bring positive change to the country.
“However, the brutal killing of Sir Ahmadu Bello and his wife, Hafsatu, was particularly ruthless. Not only were they deeply respected, but they reportedly did not resist the coup plotters.
“The coup later veered off course as external influences altered its original objective. This shift gave the operation a distinctly ethnic dimension, exacerbated by the absence of any similar coup activities in the Eastern Region.
“Nevertheless, it should be noted that some high-ranking Igbo officers also fell victim to the coup. A case in point was my former commander at the Reconnaissance Squadron in Kaduna, Lt-Col. Arthur Chinyelu Unegbe. He was mercilessly killed at his Apapa residence on 7 Point Road by his fellow Igbo officer, Major Chris Anuforo, in front of his pregnant wife. His position as Quartermaster-General of the Army, responsible for military supplies and logistics, made him a potential obstacle to the coup’s success, prompting his execution.
“Additionally, non-Igbo officers such as Major Adewale Ademoyega, Captain Ganiyu Adeleke, and Lieutenants Pola Oyewole and Olafimihan actively participated in the failed coup. Meanwhile, another Igbo officer, Major John Obienu, played a key role in suppressing the rebellion.
“Supporters of the argument that the coup was not ethnically motivated often highlight the plotters’ original plan to release Chief Obafemi Awolowo from prison and install him as Nigeria’s executive provisional president.
“The fact that these Igbo officers sought to empower Awolowo—who was not particularly known for pro-Igbo sentiments—complicates the claim of ethnic bias. However, I acknowledge that this perspective is speculative. Perhaps, as a young officer at the time, I was too distant from the core events to fully grasp the underlying motives.”
Hear him speak: “For instance, the head of the plotters, Major Kaduna Nzeogwu, was only Igbo in name. Born and raised in Kaduna, his immigrant parents were from Okpanam in today’s Delta State, which, in 1966, was in the old mid-western region. Nzeogwu spoke fluent Hausa and was as ‘Hausa’ as any! He and his original team probably thought, even if naively, that they could turn things around for the better in the country.”CONTINUE FULL READING>>>>>
