Former Nigerian military ruler, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (IBB), has stated that the coup led by Major Kaduna Nzeogwu in 1966 was not an Igbo coup, refuting longstanding claims of ethnic motivation behind the military takeover.
According to excerpts from A Journey in Service, the coup was not driven by Igbo ethnic interests. The book highlights that Nzeogwu, the head of the coup plotters, was “Igbo in name” but was born and raised in Kaduna, spoke fluent Hausa, and identified more with the northern region. It also notes that the coup initially had a nationalistic intent, with its leaders believing they could reform Nigeria.
In his book, Babangida revealed that the primary objective of the coup plotters was to release Chief Obafemi Awolowo from prison and install him as Prime Minister. He emphasized that the involvement of officers from different ethnic backgrounds, including non-Igbo officers such as Major Adewale Ademoyega, Captain Ganiyu Adeleke, and Lieutenants Fola Oyewole and Olafimihan, further invalidates the claim that it was an Igbo-driven coup.
Additionally, some senior Igbo officers were also victims of the coup, such as Lt-Col. Arthur Chinyelu Unegbe, who was executed by fellow officer Major Chris Anuforo. This further weakens the argument that the coup was designed to serve Igbo interests.
Furthermore, Babangida pointed out that the coup was ultimately crushed by Major John Obienu, an officer of Igbo extraction, reinforcing the argument that it was not an ethnic uprising but rather a failed military intervention with specific political objectives.
The former leader’s remarks challenge the long-held narrative that the coup was an Igbo-led conspiracy and add to historical debates surrounding the 1966 events that led to Nigeria’s civil war.
