The 1966 Nigerian counter-coup, or the so-called "July Rematch", was the second of many

military coups in Nigeria Since Nigerian independence in 1960, there have been five military coup d'états in Nigeria. Between 1966 and 1999, Nigeria was ruled by a military government without interruption, apart from a short-lived return to democracy under the Second Ni ...

. It was masterminded by Lt. Colonel

Murtala Muhammed Murtala Ramat Muhammad (8 November 1938 – 13 February 1976) was a Nigerian general who led the 1966 Nigerian counter-coup in overthrowing the Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi military regime and featured prominently during the Nigerian Civil War ...

and many northern military officers. The coup began as a

mutiny Mutiny is a revolt among a group of people (typically of a military, of a crew or of a crew of pirates) to oppose, change, or overthrow an organization to which they were previously loyal. The term is commonly used for a rebellion among member ...

at roughly midnight on 28 July 1966 and was a reaction to the killings of Northern politicians and Officers by some soldiers on 15 January 1966 (see

1966 Nigerian coup d'état The 1966 Nigerian coup d'état began on 15 January 1966, when mutinous Nigerian soldiers led by Chukwuma Kaduna Nzeogwu and Emmanuel Ifeajuna killed 22 people including the Prime Minister of Nigeria, many senior politicians, many senior Army o ...

). The July mutiny/counter coup resulted in the murder of Nigeria's first military Head of State General

Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi Johnson Thomas Umunnakwe Aguiyi-Ironsi (3 March 1924 – 29 July 1966) was the first military head of state of Nigeria. He seized power during the ensuing chaos after the 15 January 1966 military coup, which decapitated the country's leadersh ...

and Lt Colonel

Adekunle Fajuyi Francis Adekunle Fajuyi (26 June 1926 – 29 July 1966) was a Nigerian soldier of Yoruba origin. and the first military governor of the former Western Region, Nigeria. Originally a teacher and clerk, Fajuyi of Ado Ekiti joined the army in ...

(who was hosting a visiting Aguiyi-Ironsi) in

Ibadan Ibadan (, ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Oyo State, in Nigeria. It is the third-largest city by population in Nigeria after Lagos and Kano, with a total population of 3,649,000 as of 2021, and over 6 million people within its me ...

by disgruntled northern non-commissioned officers (NCOs). Upon the termination of Ironsi's government, Lt. Colonel

Yakubu Gowon Yakubu Dan-Yumma 'Jack' Gowon (born 19 October 1934) is a retired Nigerian Army general and military leader. As Head of State of Nigeria, Gowon presided over a controversial Nigerian Civil War and delivered the famous "no victor, no vanquish ...

was appointed Head of State by the July 1966 coup conspirators.

Reasons for the counter-coup

According to historian

Max Siollun Max Siollun is a Nigerian historian who specializes on Nigerian history with a particular focus on the Nigerian military and how it has affected Nigeria's socio-political trajectory from the pre-colonial era to the present. Siollun was educated i ...

northern soldiers had a list of grievances following the aborted 15 January 1966, coup which led to the planning of the counter-coup. A list of their grievances were: * The murder of northern civilian leaders and military officers in the aborted 15 January 1966, coup d'etat * The 15 January 1966, coup conspirators (mostly Majors) had not been tried for treason and were being paid while in detention. * The passage of the Unification Decree. * Rumors of an "Igbo coup" to eliminate northern soldiers. * The promotion of several Igbo Majors to Lt.

Colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge of ...

. * Rumors of General Aguiyi-Ironsi's ethnic favoritism toward Igbos. * Plans to swap the 1st and 4th

battalions A battalion is a military unit, typically consisting of 300 to 1,200 soldiers commanded by a lieutenant colonel, and subdivided into a number of companies (usually each commanded by a major or a captain). In some countries, battalions are ...

and plans to rotate the military governors of the different regions.

Coup participants

The principal coup plotters are listed below: * Lt. Colonel

Joseph Akahan Joseph Akahan (12 April 1937 – May 1968) was Chief of Army Staff (Nigeria) from May 1967 until May 1968, when he was killed in a helicopter crash during the Nigerian Civil War. Birth and education Akahan was born on 12 April 1937 in Gboko Lo ...

(Commander, 4th Battalion Kaduna) * Lt. Colonel

(Inspector of Signals, Lagos) * Major

Theophilus Danjuma Theophilus Yakubu Danjuma (born 9 December 1938) is a politician and retired Nigerian army lieutenant general who played a key role in post independence military and political events in Nigeria. Danjuma amassed an enormous fortune through ship ...

(Principal Staff Officer, Army HQ, Lagos) * Major

Abba Kyari Abba Kyari (23 September 1952 – 17 April 2020) was a Nigerian lawyer who served as Chief of Staff to the President of Nigeria from August 2015 to April 2020. Early life Kyari was born on 23 September 1952, to a Shuwa Arab family fr ...

(Artillery, Kaduna) * Major Martin Adamu (2nd Battalion Lagos) * Major

Shittu Alao Shittu Alao (born 1937 – 15 October 1969) was Nigerian Air Force The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) is the air branch of the Nigerian Armed Forces. It is the youngest branch of the Nigerian Armed Forces. It is one of the largest in Africa, consis ...

(Nigerian Airforce HQ, Lagos) * Major

Musa Usman Brigadier (air force) Musa Usman was the first governor of North-Eastern State, Nigeria from May 1967 to July 1975 after the state had been formed from part of Northern Region during the military regime of General Yakubu Gowon. Usman attended th ...

(Nigerian Air Force, Lagos) * Captain

Joseph Garba Joseph Nanven Garba (17 July 1943 – 1 June 2002) was a Nigerian general, diplomat, and politician who served as president of the United Nations General Assembly from 1989 to 1990. Early life and military career Born in Langtang, Nigeria, Garba ...

(Federal Guards Lagos) * Captain Isa Bukar (Federal Guards Lagos) * Captain

Ibrahim Taiwo Ibrahim Taiwo (died 13 February 1976) was a Military Governor of Kwara State from July 1975 to February 1976 during the military regime of General Murtala Mohammed. He assisted in establishment of the University of Ilorin, which was founded by dec ...

(Lagos Garrison Yaba) * Captain Baba Usman GSO (Grade II, Army HQ, Lagos) * Captain Abdul D.S. Wya (3rd Battalion, Kaduna) * Lieutenant

Muhammadu Buhari Muhammadu Buhari (born 17 December 1942) is a Nigerian politician and current president of Nigeria since 2015. Buhari is a retired Nigerian Army major general who served as the country's military head of state from 31 December 1983 to 27 Au ...

(2 Brigade Lagos) * Lieutenant

Ibrahim Babangida Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (born 17 August, 1941) is a retired Nigerian Army general and politician. He served as military president of Nigeria from 1985 until his resignation in 1993. He rose through the ranks to serve from 1984 to 1985 as Ch ...

(1st Reconnaissance Squadron, Kaduna) * Lieutenant

Ibrahim Bako Ibrahim Bako (1943 – December 31, 1983) was a senior officer in the Nigerian Army who played a principal role in two Nigerian military coups: the July 1966 counter-coup and the December 1983 coup. The 1983 coup ousted the democratic government ...

(4th Battalion, Ibadan) * Lieutenant William Walbe (2nd Battalion, Lagos) * Lieutenant

Mamman Vatsa Mamman Jiya Vatsa (3 December 1940 – 5 March 1986) was a Nigerian general and poet who served as Minister of the Federal Capital Abuja, and was a member of the Supreme Military Council On 5 March 1986, he was executed by the military r ...

(4th Battalion, Ibadan) * Lieutenant Buka Suka Dimka (Nigerian Military Training College Kaduna) * Lieutenant Yakubu Dambo (3rd Battalion Kaduna) * Lieutenant Garba A. Dada (Adjutant 4th Battalion Ibadan) * Lieutenant

Garba Duba Garba Duba (born 1942) is a retired Nigerian Army Lieutenant general who was Governor of Bauchi State, Nigeria from July 1978 to October 1979 during the military regime of General Olusegun Obasanjo, and Administrator of Sokoto State from January ...

(1 Reconnaissance Squadron Kaduna) * Lieutenant

Mohammed Balarabe Haladu Mohammed Balarabe Haladu (194428 June 1998) was a Nigerian Army Lieutenant general who served as the Commandant of the Nigerian Defence Academy from 1993 to 1994. He was also a former federal Minister for Industry. Born in Kano, Haladu had his m ...

(4th Battalion, Ibadan) * Lieutenant Malami Mahe Nassarawa (2nd Battalion, Lagos) * Lieutenant James Onoja (4th Battalion, Ibadan) * Lieutenant Abdulahhi Shelleng (Company Commander, 4th Battalion, Ibadan) * Lieutenant Paul Chabri Tarfa (Federal Guards, Lagos) * Lieutenant D.S. Abubakar (Abeokuta Garrison) * Second Lieutenant

Sani Abacha Sani Abacha (20 September 1943 – 8 June 1998) was a Nigerian military officer and politician who ruled as the military head of state of Nigeria from 1993 until his death in 1998. He seized power on 17 November 1993 in the last successful c ...

(3rd Battalion Kaduna) * Second Lieutenant Muhammadu Gado Nasko (Artillery, Kaduna) * Sergeant Paul Dickson * Sergeant Sabo Kwale (Abeokuta Garrison) * Corporal John Shagaya (2nd Reconnaissance Squadron, Abeokuta)

References

1966 in Nigeria

Nigeria Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...

History of Nigeria Military coups in Nigeria Mutinies July 1966 events in Africa Conflicts in 1966 {{Nigeria-gov-stub

Reasons for the counter-coup

Coup participants

See also

References