Volte-face on 1966 coup; June 12 Annulment: Where do we go from here?
By Obike Ukoh
Since the `revelation and confession,’ of former Military Head of State, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida in his autobiography, A Journey in Service,’’ two issues have dominated national discourse: The January 1966 coup and the June 12 annulment of the presidential election.
Before Babangida put his position in black and white, historians and commentators have indeed disputed that the coup had ethnic coloration. In fact, a History lecturer at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, told his students in 1981, that the key issues in the Nigerian Civil War and by extension the coup, would not be unveiled until about 50 years.
Coincidentally, the book by the former Nigerian Commander-In-Chief was released 59 years after the 1966 coup. Babangida absolved the Igbo ethnic group from any blame on the coup that claimed the lives of then Prime Minister Tafawa Balewa, then-Premier of Northern Region, Alhaji Ahmadu Bello; then-Premier of Western Region, Chief Ladoke Akintola, top military officers from the North, among others.
He noted the role played by Major John Obienu, an Igbo officer, in quelling the coup, adding that some senior Igbo officers were also gruesomely murdered. He asserted that the original intention of the coup plotters was to release Chief Obafemi Awolowo, then in detention and install him as Nigeria’s leader. Excerpts from the book: “It was a terrible time for the Nigerian military. As I have said elsewhere, as a young officer who saw all of this from a distance, probably, ethnic sentiments did not drive the original objective of the coup plotters.
“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 better.
“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 coloration, 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, 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 Fola Oyewole, and Olafimihan, took part in the failed coup. Another officer of Igbo extraction, Major John Obienu, crushed the coup.’’ Based on this authentic revelation by the former Nigerian leader, there are now agitation for reparation and national apology to Igbo people for the injustices meted out to them out of ignorance and incomplete information about the coup. The South East Youth Stakeholders Forum (SEYSF), in a statement signed by its Chairman, Ezenwa Onyirimba, decried the hardship and deprivation suffered by Igbo people because of the erroneous impression that the January 1966 coup was an Igbo coup.
The Forum made the following demands: The Nigerian Army and the Federal Government must issue an official apology for falsely accusing the Igbo people of plotting the 1966 coup for ethnic domination.
“ Acknowledge the innocence of Ndigbo killed in the pogroms of 1966 and beyond, as well as proper recognition of the sacrifices.’’
Also, another group, Njiko Igbo Forum, praised Babangida for saying the truth, adding that the former Commander-In-Chief of Nigeria’s Armed Forces was an insider.
The group demanded payment of N100 trillion compensation by the Nigerian government on account of the injustices suffered by the Igbo people from 1966 till date.
President of the Forum, an affiliate of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Rev. Okechukwu Obioha, asked members of the National Assembly from the South East to send a bill to the National Assembly for a N100 trillion compensation to be paid to the Igbo people for the injustices suffered as a result of the wrong impression.
“This is compensation for the rejection, hate, marginalisation, pogrom/genocide, and millions killed during the civil war; economic losses due to the destruction of property, businesses, seized property, etc, which resulted from false narrative.
“It is now very clear that the commanders and leaders of the January coup of 1966, popularly known as the ‘Igbo coup,’ were Kaduna Nzeogwu—Delta, Adewale Ademoyega – Yoruba, Capt. G. Adeleke – Yoruba, Lt. Fola Oyewole – Yoruba, Emmanuel Ifeajuna—Igbo, Lt. Tijani Katsina—Hausa, Capt. Gibson Jalo—Niger Delta, and Lt. O. Olafemiyan—Yoruba,” the group said.
The group added that, from the revelations, the coup was actually meant to free Chief Obafemi Awolowo from prison and install him as Nigeria’s Prime Minister.
“It has been confirmed by some of those who were directly involved or had firsthand knowledge of the coup’s planning.
“In other words, if the coup had gone exactly as planned, Awolowo would have been released and made the Prime Minister,” the statement explained.
With the available evidence, Nigerian Government should “apologise to Igbo people, to assuage them by paying compensation, which, no matter how much, cannot be equated with the millions of lives lost during the war and their subjugation ever since, till today.’’
Even before now, the Igbo people have insisted for a reparation, as they consistently maintained that the 1966 coup was not an Igbo coup. The recent book by Babangida only proved them right.
During the 2014 National Conference, organized by the Goodluck Jonathan’s administration, the South East geo-political zone demanded payment of N2.4trillion
as reparation to the five states that make up the zone as well as Delta State for the killing of Igbos during the civil war.
The demands were contained in a letter to President Goodluck Jonathan. The letter signed by Mbazulike Amechi and Raph Obioha, Chairman and Secretary respectively of Reparation Committee of the Ohanaeze Ndigbo, was attached to a document, distributed to delegates at the National Conference.
The 28-page document is titled “Ohanaeze Ndigbo: Atrocities and Injustices Against Ndigbo.”
According to the document, it is incalculable to put a price on the death of millions of Igbos who were killed in the civil war and on other occasions.
“The Federal Government should pay N400 billion each to the five states of the South East as compensation to those who lost loved ones, lost properties, and those still suffering dislocation today in Nigeria.
“The same amount should also be paid to the government of Delta State for the benefit of Anioma area of the state.”
The Committee said the Igbo had suffered gross injustice which culminated in an imposed civil war lasting 30 months. It stated that in the course of the horrendous war, millions of Igbo people were not only killed, they suffered grave injuries, while property were damaged, asset and property seized and families dislocated.
The Committee explained that the Igbo never conspired nor planned any military mutiny against the state of Nigeria in 1966, a position now confirmed by Babangida in his autobiography.
It said the action of the Nigerian Army could not and should not be visited on a people on the scale perpetrated on the Igbos in Nigeria, in what it described as a State calculated exercise of annihilation, pogrom and planned tribal cleansing, of the magnitude of extermination on the pretext of resolving the “Igbo question.”
On the annulled June 12, 1993 presidential election, commentators opined that decisions had been taken.
They noted that the presumed winner, Chief MKO Abiola was posthumously conferred with Nigeria’s highest National Honour (GCFR), while June 12, was also declared as Democracy Day.
Sen. Orji Uzor Kalu, representing Abia North Senatorial District, who reacted to Babangida’s book, called on President Bola Tinubu to declare Abiola, Nigeria’s President, posthumously.
Kalu, a former governor of Abia State, said Abiola’s feat should not be consigned to the dustbin of history and called on President Tinubu to act where his predecessors failed.
“Yes, Abiola won the election and President Tinubu should declare him President posthumously.”
Kalu lauded the actions of former President Buhari for conferring a posthumous national honour on Abiola, but stressed that further recognition was necessary.
“Since Abiola won, his picture should be placed among Nigeria’s past presidents. I commend former President Buhari for giving him a national honour, but I also appeal to President Tinubu to officially recognise him and place his image where it belongs. This would help bring succour to his family.”
He dismissed the ethnic tag attributed to the 1966 coup, adding “The coup in question was not an Igbo coup; it was a Nigerian coup, executed by the military.”
Kalu also said that the former military leader in the book, listed officers from other ethnic groups that participated in the coup.
In his own contribution, human rights activist and lawyer, Mr Femi Falana said that Nigerians recognised Abiola as elected president since 1993.
He said that the current confession is only a validation of Nigerians’ position on the June 12, 1993 election.
“Since 1993, MKO Abiola has been recognized by the people of Nigeria as an elected president. These guys who try to set the hands of the clock back, are just recognizing that now.’’
Unarguably, MKO Abiola has been recognized posthumously, as an elected president. The highest honour reserved for presidents had been bestowed on him. June 12, the day of the presidential election is now Democracy Day and national public holiday. What is remaining is just an official declaration of MKO Abiola, post humorously as President and Commander-In-Chief.
For the Igbo people, what next after the authentic account of the January 1966 coup, from a former Head of State and Commander-In-Chief of the Nigerian Armed Forces? What is needed is simple: An apology and reparation to atone for the heinous crimes committed against Igbo people.
The issue of Miscarriage of Justice has been established. Is now in black and white, in a book authored by Nigeria’s former Military President and Commander-In-Chief.
Obike Ukoh, Ex- Deputy Editor-In-Chief , News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
