Still on the 1966 coup by Tony Onyima - ITREALMS

ForTheRecords@ITREALMS ... making leadership SENSE with digital news!

It’s rather unfortunate and frustrating that more than 60 years after the January 15, 1966, military coup, some people are still ignorantly insisting that it was an Igbo coup. 

The narrative has been told several times that many lazy people who care less about history believe such propaganda. 

Even journalists and intellectuals who should have a keener sense of history are also guilty of this distortion of facts.

History has it that a total of 21 military officers planned and executed the unfortunate January 1966 coup. 

Out of this number, nine are of Igbo stock. Is this sufficient to tag the putsch an Igbo matter? Why the obsession with January 1966? 

Was the counter coup of July 1966 a Nigerian coup? What will you call the coup led by Dimka? A Middle Belt coup or what? Major Gideon Orkar led one of the most senseless coups in Nigeria. 

I am yet to see the name tag given to the coup by the revisionists. 

Instead of condemning coup d’tat for what it is, some people are bent on stigmatizing an ethnic group because it fits into an agenda. 

Here is the full list of the January 1966 Coup participants for the record:

1. Major Kaduna Nzeogwu
2. Major Wale Ademoyega
3. Major Emmanuel Ifeajuna
4. Major Chris Anuforo
5. Major Don Okafor
6. Capt Tim Onwuatuegwu
7. Capt Gibson Jallo
8. Capt Swanton
9. Capt Adeleke
10. Capt Ben Gbulie
11. Capt Emma Nwobosi
12. Capt Humphrey Chukwuka
13. Capt Ogbo Orji
14. Lt Fola Oyewole
15. Lt O. Olafemiyan
16. Lt Dag Waribor
17. Lt. Hope Egharigha
18. Lt. Saleh Dambo
19. Lt. Bob Egbikor
20. Lt. Tijani Katsina
21. 2nd Lt. John Atom Kpera


Enough said.


*Contributed by Tony Onyima (Ife Idemili) PhD.