- I have documented report by former Police IGP MD Yusuf on the true facts of the 1966 Coup – ABC Nwosu
- Gowon buried outcome of investigation which revealed that 1966 coup was not Igbo Coup – ABC Nwosu
Former Minister of Health, Prof. Alphonso Nwosu has disclosed that he is in possession of the Police report of the 1966 coup conducted by former Inspector General of Police, MD Yusuf which showed that the coup was not an Igbo Coup.
Prof. Nwosu who spoke during a video conference with Elombah Television explained that MD Yusuf submitted the report of the investigation to Yakubu Gowon, then Chief of Army Staff, but Gowon did not submit it to the Supreme Military Council.
He said that MD Yusuf was Commissioner in charge of Special branch when the investigation was conducted .
He said that Major Ademoyega in his book made clear the reason behind the coup. “He was one of the five Majors that planned the coup.”
The Army majors were Emmanuel Ifeajuna, Timothy Onwuatuegwu, Chris Anuforo, Don Okafor, Humphrey Chukwuka, and Adewale Ademoyega.
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Nwosu explained the Igbo could not have planned when they had Nnamdi Azikwe as Head of State and ceremonial President, President of Senate, Nwafor Orizu who became acting President, Chief Army staff , Aguiyi Ironsi, and the first Nigerian to be made permanent secretary.
“The five majors that planned the coup were fed with the direction the country was going due to corruption in the country and the crisis in the west.
In his words,”There have to be an excuse for attacking Igbo who were. setting up shops, buying land everywhere and building houses, and that is they termed it an Igbo coup.
“Ademoyega wrote in his book ‘why we struck’, he was a core member of the five majors, why don’t people read it?
He was in Biafra, it was not about Igbo coup, why should they plan a coup for against Azikwe their President, President of Senate, Nwafor Orizu who became acting President, and Chief Army staff , Aguyi Ironsi?
“The first Nigeria to be made permanent secretary, the Vice Chancellor, why would the Igbo need coup?
“They (the officers) were fed up with the direction the country, they were fed up with the corruption, that was the evidence by those who conceptualized it and those who carried it out.
A group of soldiers would simply gather together and plan a coup for themselves, for their own reasons”
“If 1966 was an Igbo coup, Why didn’t they now call the Gideon Orkar Coup, a Tiv Coup, why are subsequent coups not called a Hausa Coup?
“The coup planners approached members of other ethic groups and those people betrayed them and they have to shift the date of the coup.
“We are writing a book, on the events of 1966. When the full story is told, then you will see.
“Every fact we have, it was not an Igbo coup and we shall put the fact into public domain and let people judge because it was investigated by the commissioner in charge of special branch of Police who later became Inspector General of Police, MD Yusuf.
“The report was submitted to Yakubu Gown as Chief of Army Staff and Gowon should have submitted it to Supreme Council then and the matter would have been settled, it was investigated by MD Yusuf, himself a northerner.
When asked whether Ojukwu took the right decision by embarking on Civil War, Nwosu said, “In my view the war was unavoidable.
“The war could not have been avoided and let me tell you why? When the Igbo were killed in May 29, remember that the killing was not Igbo soldiers versus Igbo soldiers, it was civilians that were killed in May 29.”