January 1966 coup: Was it an Igbo coup?

By Gbonka Ebiri

Colonel Yakubu Pam, Adjunct-general of the Nigerian Military was kidnapped in his house, in the presence of his wife and kids…. He was arrested by Major Chukwuka and Lt Godwin Onyefuru.

Both are Igbos Captain Emmanuel Nwobosi, commanding officer of, the field artillery battery, Abeokuta mobilized troops to Ibadan, had Fani Kayode kidnapped, Led the invasion of the then premier Akintola’s house, and murdered him in cold blood. Nwobosi is Igbo. Timothy Onwatuegwu led an invasion into Brigadier Ademulegun’s house. Ademulegun was the second most senior man in the military and commanding officer of the 1 Brigade Nigerian army at Kaduna.

Ademulegun was murdered in cold blood in his bed at night while his panicked kids heard the gunshots that killed their father from their rooms. His 7-month pregnant wife was murdered with her unborn child by his side. Onwatuegwu is Igbo. Kaduna Nzeogwu led an invasion into the residence of the Sadaurna.

Fired the shot that killed him and one of his wives. gunned down security details at the Sadaurna’s residence who tried to resist. Nzeogwu is Anioma Igbo…. Nzeogwu and Timothy Onwatuegwu both led an invasion into the residence of Colonel Ralph Sodeinde. Deputy commander of the Nigeria military Training College in Kaduna. Onwatuegwu shot his wife in the legs with irritation as she pleaded for the life of her husband, both soldiers murdered Shodeinde in cold blood on his bed.

Both are Igbos Major Chris Anuforo led the invasion into the house of Colonel Kur Mohammed. Chief of Staff, army headquarters. He had him tied, driven in the cold dressed lightly. Made him kneel to say his last prayers and rained bullets on him as he prayed. He also fired the shots that killed Yakubu Pam who had earlier been arrested by Major Chukwuka. This same trigger-happy savage killed Okotie Eboh.

Anuforo is Igbo. Brigadier Zakariya Maimalari. Commander of the 2 Brigade, Lagos, lived on Thompson Street, Ikoyi. Major Donatus Okafor laid a siege on his house the same night of his wedding. Maimalari hid his wife in the servant’s quarters, scaled the fence of his house from the back, and started running in his pajamas and bare feet towards the barracks.

Donatus Okafor is Igbo As Maimalari ran towards a barracks, he was intercepted by Ifeajuna. Ifeajuna fired his boss and killed him in cold blood on the streets. The events put the prime minister who had also been kidnapped and held hostage in his car in panic. As he tried to escape into the night, he was shot and killed by Ifeajuna. Ifeajuna is Igbo. This is how propaganda works. The sons of Zik were the brains behind the planning of the coup.

They were the ones who went around killing people. They decided who to kill and who to spare. When you look at the actions of people like Anuforo as well as Onwatweguwu. You observe the unreserved hatred in their hearts as they kill even pregnant women. But today, they want to turn the savagery of their ancestors who went around murdering people at night into propaganda.

They claim it is not an Igbo coup because of some tag-along they brought in the game but made sure played no active role in the planning and logistics of the coup. This is how propaganda works. It is no different from the Obidiot movement that failed. The Obidiot movement was an Igbo movement. Planning and logistics were exclusive but as usual, like the January coup, there were tagalongs like Rinu and Hundeyin.