IBB exonerates Igbo from 1966 Coup in his autobiography

Austin Okoro DDM NEWS

The former Military President of Nigeria, Gen. Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida has exonerated the Igbo from the 1966 Coup that took the life of the leaders then, like Sir Ahmadu Bello and others through his autobiography.

He Wrote: “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.

“That said, it was heinously callous for Nzeogwu to have murdered Sir Ahmadu Bello and his wife, Hafsatu, because not only were they eminently adored by many but also because they were said not to have put up a fight.

From that moment, the putsch was infiltrated by ‘outsiders’ to its supposed original intention, and it took on an unmistakably ethnic colouration, compounded by the fact that there were no related coup activities in the Eastern region.

“It should, however, be borne in mind that some senior officers of Igbo extraction were also victims of the January coup.

For instance, my erstwhile Commander at the Reconnaissance Squadron in Kaduna, Lt-Col. Arthur Chinyelu Unegbe, was brutally gunned down by his own ‘brother, Major Chris Anuforo, in the presence of his pregnant wife, at his 7 Point Road residence in Apapa, for merely being a threat to the revolution As a disciplined and strict officer who, as the Quartermaster-General of the Army, was also in charge of ammunition, weapons, equipment, vehicles, and other vital items for the Army, the coup plotters feared that he might not cooperate with them.

“It should also be remembered that some non-Igbo officers, like Major Adewale Ademoyega, Captain Ganiyu Adeleke, Lts Pola Oyewole, and Olafimihan, took part in the failed coup.

Another officer of Igbo extraction, Major John Obienu, crushed the coup.

Those who argue that the original intention of the coup plotters was anything but ethnic refer to the fact that the initial purpose of the plotters was to release Chief Obafemi Awolowo from prison. immediately after the coup and make him the executive provisional president of Nigeria.

The fact that these Igbo officers would do this to a man not known to be a great ‘lover’ of the Igbos may have given the coup a different ethnic colouration.

But, again, I may be wrong here since this view is speculative. I admit that my position here may be the naive insights of an unsuspecting young officer who viewed
events from a distance!

He blamed Gen Yakubu Gowon for the bloody civil war, insisting he (Gowon) never took charge though he was being in charge to prevent the war.

Babangida equally revealed how Abacha, Dogoyanro, David Mark and northern emirs forced and threatened him to annul June 12,1993 presidential election.

Recall that the Former Nigerian Military President, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, popularly known as IBB, has launched his highly anticipated autobiography, “A Journey in Service”.

The book launch took place on February 20, 2025, at the Congress Hall of Transcorp Hilton Hotel in Abuja .

IBB’s autobiography is a comprehensive memoir that offers an in-depth look into his personal life, military career, and pivotal role in Nigeria’s political landscape.

The 420-page book chronicles his journey from his early days in Minna, Niger State, to his ascent as Nigeria’s military president

At the launch event, IBB acknowledged that MKO Abiola won the June 12, 1993, presidential election, expressing regret over the annulment—a decision he described as “the most challenging moment” of his life .

The event was attended by distinguished personalities, including former President Olusegun Obasanjo, President Bola Tinubu, and former Ghanaian President Nana Akufo-Addo

The autobiography is available for purchase through authorized bookstores and official online platforms.

For Diaspora Digital Media Updates click on Whatsapp, or Telegram. For eyewitness accounts/ reports/ articles, write to: citizenreports@diasporadigitalmedia.com. Follow us on X (Fomerly Twitter) or Facebook