Adewale Ademoyega (died February 21, 2007) was one of the five revolutionary Nigerian Army Majors who led the
1966 coup that ended the first democratic
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 ...
n government.
Early life and education
Adewale was born in Ode Remo in present-day
Ogun State
Ogun State is a state in southwestern Nigeria. Created on 3 February 1976 from the former Western State. Ogun State borders Lagos State to the south, Oyo State and Osun State to the north, Ondo State to the east, and the Republic of Benin to th ...
in southwestern Nigeria. He earned a degree in history from the
University of London
The University of London (UoL; abbreviated as Lond or more rarely Londin in post-nominals) is a federal public research university located in London, England, United Kingdom. The university was established by royal charter in 1836 as a degree ...
. He was one of the first graduates that enrolled as an officer in the Nigerian Army along with Lieutenant Colonels
Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu and
Victor Banjo
Victor Adebukunola Banjo (1 April 1930 – 22 September 1967) was a colonel in the Nigerian Army. He fought in the Biafran Army during the Nigerian Civil War. Banjo was accused of being a coup plotter against Nigerian Prime Minister Abubakar T ...
, and Majors Olufemi Olutoye,
Emmanuel Ifeajuna, and Oluwole Rotimi in the 1966 Nigerian army. Adewale Ademoyega was the last graduate to be commissioned directly into the Nigerian Army
Infantry
Infantry is a military specialization which engages in ground combat on foot. Infantry generally consists of light infantry, mountain infantry, motorized infantry & mechanized infantry, airborne infantry, air assault infantry, and mar ...
.
The Biafra War
During the
Biafran
Biafra, officially the Republic of Biafra, was a partially recognised secessionist state in West Africa that declared independence from Nigeria and existed from 1967 until 1970. Its territory consisted of the predominantly Igbo-populated for ...
civil war, Adewale fought in the "Nigerian Liberation Army", a part of the Biafran army led by Lieutenant Colonel Banjo.
Major Ademoyega was released from detention by Biafran Head of State Colonel Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu, on August 13, 1966. He then formed the Biafran 19th Battalion and subsequently took over for Major
Emmanuel Ifeajuna, who also helped with the 1966 coup as the chief of staff of the Liberation Army.
Unfortunately for Major Ademoyega, Ojukwu received some intelligence that some officer would overthrow him. Major Ademoyega was detained along with several officers and comrades. Several of these officers would later be shot by Biafran forces. Maybe Ademoyega was spared however as he truly had nothing to do with this. He was detained for the remainder of the civil war.
Ademoyega was briefly 'freed' after the war. However, Federal forces put him right back in detention for his participation as part as the Liberation Army.
He was finally released along with twenty others during the 1974 Independence Day amnesty.
Why We Struck
Major Adewale Ademoyega's book about the military coup d'état is regarded as one of the most authoritative regarding the first Nigerian coup. He at length cleared some confusions on the happenings, and countered some rumours with valid proofs.
Death
Adewale Ademoyega died on February 21, 2007 after being ill for sometime.
[http://nm.onlinenigeria.com/templates/?a=9670]
References
Nigerian Army officers
Living people
Yoruba military personnel
Alumni of the University of London
Year of birth missing (living people)
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