By MOSHOOD FAYEMIWO
Continued from Chapter Four Last Week
CHAPTER SIX
MKO ABIOLA AND THE OBASANJO-YAR’ADUA REGIME (1976-1979)
The Supreme Military Council (SMC) quickly met and unanimously agreed that General Olusegun Obasanjo, the most senior military officer in the Armed Forces and the second-in-command to the slain Head of State should step into the shoes of Nigeria’s most charismatic, detribalized and gallant soldier, General Murtala Ramat Muhammad. The offer had initially been extended to Lt. Gen Theophilus Yakuba Danjuma, the Chief of Army Staff under Murtala Muhammad but he had rejected the offer. Grudgingly but with no choice, Obasanjo accepted the call to service and duty.
Meanwhile, all those who perpetrated the heinous act of assassinating General Muhammad were fished out and adequately punished. Some of the perpetrators were also civilians including women, policemen and policemen majority of them from the Benue-Plateau or Middle Belt section of Nigeria which was understandable since the dethroned erstwhile Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon hails from that part of Nigeria
THE SUPREME MILITARY COUNCIL-THE HIGHEST DECISION-MAKING BODY-UNDER GENERAL MURTALA MUHAMMAD
NAME |
POSITION |
Brigadier Murtala Muhammad |
Head of State, Commander-in-Chief of the Nigerian Armed Forces, and Chairman of the Federal Executive Council |
Brigadier Olusegun Obasanjo |
Chief of Staff, Supreme Headquarters |
Brigadier Iliya Bisalla |
Commissioner for Defense |
Brigadier Theophilus Yakubu Danjuma |
Chief of Army Staff |
Colonel John Yisa Doko |
Chief of Air Staff |
Commodore Michael Adelanwa |
Chief of Naval Staff |
Alhaji MD Yusuf |
Inspector-General of Police |
Brigadier Julius Alani Akinrinade 18 |
GOC – 1 Mechanized Infantry Division – Kaduna |
Brigadier Martin Adamu |
GOC – 2 Division - Ibadan |
Brigadier Emmanuel Abisoye |
GOC, 3 Armored Division – Jos |
Brigadier John Obada |
GOC, Lagos Garrison |
Brigadier James Oluleye |
Commissioner for Establishments |
Colonel Ibrahim Babangida 19 |
Commander, Nigerian Army Armored Corps |
Colonel Joseph Garba |
Commissioner for External Affairs |
Colonel Dan Suleiman |
Commissioner for Health |
Lt-Colonel Shehu Musa Yar’Adua |
Commissioner for Transport |
Lt. Colonel Alfred Aduloju |
Commander, Signal Corps |
Navy Captain Olufemi Olumide |
Commissioner for Works and Housing |
Lt-Commander Godwin Kanu (navy) 20 |
|
Lt-Colonel Muktar Mohammed |
|
MILITARY AND CIVILIAN GOVERNORS DURING THE REGIMES OF GENERAL GOWON AND GENERAL MURTALA MUHAMMAD(1966-1976)
STATE |
GOVERNOR UNDER GOWON |
GOVERNOR UNDER MURTALA MUHAMMED |
Benue-Plateau |
Chief Superintendent of Police Joseph Gomwalk |
Colonel Abdullahi Mohammed |
East-Central |
Ukpabi Asika |
Colonel Anthony Ochefu |
Kano |
Deputy Police Commissioner Audu Bako |
Lt-Colonel Sani Bello |
Kwara |
Brigadier David Bamigboye |
Colonel Ibrahim Taiwo |
Lagos |
Brigadier Mobolaji Johnson |
Navy Captain Adekunle Lawal |
Mid-West |
Brigadier Samuel Ogbemudia |
Colonel George Innih |
North-Central |
Brigadier Abba Kyari |
Lt-Colonel Usman Jibrin |
North-East |
Brigadier Musa Usman (Air Force) |
Lt-Colonel Muhammadu Buhari |
North-West |
Police Superintendent Usman Faruk |
Lt-Colonel Umaru Mohammed |
Rivers |
Lt Alfred Diete-Spiff (Navy) |
Lt-Colonel Zamani Lekwot |
South-East |
Brigadier Jacob Esuene (Air Force) |
Lt-Colonel Paul Omu |
West |
Brigadier Oluwole Rotimi |
Navy Captain Akin Adu |
THOSE WHO WERE SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR THEIR INVOLVEMENT IN THE ASSASSINATION OF GENERAL MURTAL MUHAMMAD ON FEBRUARY 13, 1976
NAME |
STATE OF ORIGIN |
1. Major General I.D. Bissalla (Defense Commissioner) |
Plateau |
|
2 Lt-Colonel Busa Sukar Dimka |
Plateau |
|
3 Joseph Gomwalk ( Gov. of Benue-Plateau |
Plateau |
|
4. Mr. Abdulakarim Zakari (civilian radio broadcaster) |
Kaduna |
|
5 Colonel Isa Bukar |
Borno |
|
6 Colonel A.D.S. Wya |
Kaduna |
|
7 Lt. Colonel K. Adamu |
Plateau |
|
8 Lt-Colonel A.R. Aliyu |
Plateau |
|
9 Lt. Colonel Ayuba Tense |
Plateau |
|
10 Lt -Colonel A.B. Umaru |
Kaduna |
|
11 Major J.K. Afolabi |
Kwara |
|
12 Major C.D. Dabang |
Plateau |
|
13 Major K.Sagara |
Plateau |
|
14 Major J.W. Kasai |
Gongola |
|
15 Major M.M. Mshelia |
Gongola |
|
16 Major Ola Ogunmekan |
Osun (His Place of Birth) |
|
17 Major I.B. Rabo |
Kaduna |
|
18 Captain A.A. Aliyu |
Kaduna |
|
19 Captain Augustine Dawurang |
Plateau |
|
20 Captain J. Idi Fadah |
Plateau |
|
21 Captain M.R. Gotip |
Plateau |
|
22 Captain G. Parrwang |
Plateau |
|
23 Captain S. Wakian |
Plateau |
|
24 Lt. Peter Cigari |
Plateau |
|
25 Lt. Lawrence Garba |
Plateau |
|
26 Lt. Sabo Kwale |
Gongola |
|
27 Lt. Mohammed |
Kaduna |
|
28 Lt. William Seri |
Plateau |
|
29 Lt. E.L.K. Shelleng |
Plateau |
|
30 Lt. S. Wayah |
Plateau |
|
31 Lt. O. Zagmi |
Plateau |
|
32 Warrant Officer E.Bawa |
Plateau |
|
33 Warrant Officer Monday Manchong |
Plateau |
|
34 Warrant Officer Sambo Pankshin |
Plateau |
|
35 Warrant Officer Dakup Sevi |
Plateau |
|
36 Staff Sgt Richard Dungdang |
Plateau |
|
37 Sgt Bala Javan |
Plateau |
|
38 Sgt Sale Pankshin |
Plateau |
|
39 Sgt Amadu Rege |
Plateau |
|
40 Police Sgt Shaiyen |
Plateau |
|
THOSE INDICTED IN COMPLICITY AND SENTENCED TO LIFE AND OTHER FORMS OF IMPRISONMENT
NAME |
TERM OF IMPRISONMENT |
Major AK Abang |
Life |
Captain AA Maidobo |
Life |
Captain C Wuyep |
Life |
Second-Lt A Walbe |
Life |
Mrs. Helen Gomwalk |
Life |
Mr. S Anyadofu |
Life |
Mr. D Gontu (police) |
Life |
Mr. Gyang Pam (police) |
Life |
Mr. SK Dimka (police) |
Life |
Warrant Officer (II) E Izah |
Life |
Sgt J Bupwada |
Life |
Lt-Colonel J.S. Madugu |
2 years |
Captain Isaiah Gowon |
15 years |
Mr. J Towed |
10 years |
 |
* Gen. Murtala Muhammad at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs with Dr. Bolaji Akinyemi in fall 1975 in Lagos, Nigeria |
 |
*Gen.MusaYar’Adua, |
 |
* Gen. Obasanjo made Head of State in 1976 after Gen. Muhammad’s assassination |
 |
| * The Mercedes Benz Presidential Limousine in which Gen. Murtala Muhammad was assassinated on February 13, 1976 at Obalende, Ikoyi, Lagos |
Obasanjo managed to keep the tempo of his slain predecessor in the administration of Nigeria. Lt. Gen. Theophilus Yakubu Danjuma who had earlier declined to become Head of State after the assassination of Gen. Murtala Muhammad retained his position as Chief of Army Staff while the heroic and gallant performance of the then Col. Shehu Musa Yar’Adua who mobilized forces from nearby Abeokuta to sabotage Dimka’s coup was rewarded. He was subsequently named the new Chief of Staff Supreme Headquarters (CSSHQ), the defacto next-in-command to Gen. Obasanjo. As has been rumored during the Dimka abortive coup, Lt. Col Ibrahim Babangida didn’t do anything heroic in foiling the coup. The honor went to Col. Shehu Musa Yar’Adua who moved in soldiers to Lagos to thwart Dimka’s coup and was promoted from Col to Major-General thus skipping the rank of Brigadier, the first and only such person in the history of Nigeria and at the relatively age of 33years. It was an unprecedented move but understandable……………………………………………
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NEXT WEEK
CHAPTER SEVEN
MKO ABIOLA AND THE SECOND REPUBLIC (1979-1983)
- ABIOLA AND THE NPN, SHEHU SHAGARI, ADISA AKINLOYE, UMARU DIKKO etc
- THE REASON BEHIND THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE CONCORD NEWSPAPERS
- MKO ABIOLA AND CHIEF OBAFEMI AWOLOWO
- THE ENTRY OF ABIOLA’S FIRST WIFE SIMBIAT ABIOLA AND HER DEFEAT BY CHIEF KUNLE OYERO AS SENATOR IN OGUN STATE
PLUS MANY MORE
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