Today in History

Late General Murtala Mohammed
It is exactly 37 years today,that Buka Suka Dimka, a Lieutenant Colonel in the Nigerian army (an officer of the army physical training corps), led the February 13, 1976 abortive military coup against the government of General Murtala Ramat Mohammed. General Mohammed was assassinated along with his Aide-de-Camp Lieutenant Akintunde Akinsehinwa, as well as his driver and orderly, when his Mercedes-Benz was ambushed in Ikoyi, Lagos.

 The coup itself was crushed several hours later by forces loyal to the government. Lieutenant Colonel Dimka fled from the premises of Radio Nigeria at Ikoyi where he had made a broadcast to the nation. He was eventually arrested in the company of a prostitute in Eastern Nigeria. Following a court martial, Lieutenant Colonel Dimka and another 38 military officers and civilians were executed by firing squad.
He was succeeded by the Chief of Staff, Supreme HQ Olusegun Obasanjo, who completed his plan of an orderly transfer to civilian rule by handing power to Shehu Shagari on October 1, 1979.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

PDP Suspends Governor Amaechi

Photo:One Body, Two Souls: A Day In a Life of Conjoined Twins

Yinka Ayefele – “If you think I’m impotent, bring your sister”