For nearly six decades, the 1966 military coup has been shrouded in controversy, with a deeply entrenched belief that it was an Igbo-led conspiracy that altered Nigeria’s political landscape forever.
However, in a historic revelation, former military leader General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (IBB) has dismantled this long-standing narrative, exposing the hidden truths behind the coup and absolving the Igbo of blame.
In his memoir, A Journey In Service, IBB challenges conventional history, revealing that far from being an Igbo-driven plot, the coup had nationalistic intentions—its original objective was to free Chief Obafemi Awolowo from detention and install him as president.
He further disclosed that a senior Igbo officer, Major John Obienu, was instrumental in crushing the mutiny, a fact that directly contradicts the widely held ethnic narrative.
According to IBB, the leader of the coup, Major Kaduna Nzeogwu, was Igbo only by name. Raised in Kaduna and fluent in Hausa, Nzeogwu was deeply connected to the North, contradicting claims that he was motivated by Igbo nationalism.
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But while the initial plan may have been politically driven, IBB acknowledged that the coup was soon hijacked by other interests, giving it an ethnic twist.
He condemned the cold-blooded execution of Sir Ahmadu Bello and his wife Hafsatu, emphasizing that they posed no resistance and that their deaths were needless and brutal.
In a shocking counterpoint to the prevailing narrative, IBB revealed that senior Igbo officers were also among the victims of the coup. He cited the murder of Lt-Col.
Arthur Unegbe, a respected Igbo officer, who was executed by his fellow Igbo officer, Major Chris Anuforo, for allegedly being a “threat to the revolution.”
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This revelation underscores the complex and multi-ethnic nature of the coup, rather than the singular Igbo conspiracy it has often been portrayed as.
Further dismantling the ethnic myth surrounding the coup, IBB highlighted the significant role played by Yoruba officers.
He named Major Adewale Ademoyega, Captain Ganiyu Adeleke, and Lieutenants Fola Oyewole and Olafimihan as key figures in the failed plot, proving that the event was far more diverse than history has recorded.
IBB’s revelations challenge decades of misinformation and selective history, forcing Nigerians to reconsider one of the most defining moments in the country’s past.
