The Roller-Coaster Life of Murtala Mohammed

Very few of Nigeria’s former military leaders are spoken of with any gr...Read the full article.

[Kabikala]

I enjoyed this piece not because it offered any extraordinarily new information on the political events of the immediate post-independence period in Nigeria's history, but because the author has been able to maintain extreme objectivity and balance in his reportage.
This write-up is quite unlike other accounts where the writer's view is beclouded by ethnic, religious or personal sentiments. The account thus leaves the reader with the decision on how to classify the subject under discourse: Murtala Muhammad, whether he is indeed a hero as being portrayed by many, or a villain as many others believe, or somewhere in-between.

[Abraxas]

Hi, folks!

The verdict is clear: VILLAIN!

... the looting of Central Bank of Nigeria Benin City; Ethnic cleansing and other crimes against humanity at Asaba. ... conspiring with General Obasanjo et al to derail General Yakubu Gowon's revised transition program. ... massive capital flight from the oil fields of the Niger Delta into the pockets of his henchmen, comprising a cabal of die-hard coup plotters like IBB, Buhari Abacha, David Mark (O/c Abandoned Property Commission), Shehu Yar'Adua, Dogonyaro, et al.

Obrigado.

DJ-CA (III)

[nallanah]

This is probably the best write up I have read on the NVS.

Exciting, Informative, clarity of style giving the reader an opportunity to make ones mind up about the central characters.

I was transported back in time, as if I were there in person!! I remember Friday the 13th of February 1976 as if it were yesterday, honestly!! I remember the excitment of Dimkas capture, close to Abakaliki, and his subsequent execution.

Pity, Nigerian history and social studies are not part of the primary school curriculum in Nigeria anymore; this was agreat history lesson!!

I shall reserve my judgement about Murtala Muhammed, suffice it to say some of my preconceptions have taken a knock today.

....to imagine that , IBB, OBJ and Buhari have been within the inner circle of Nigeria's politics for so long, is quite worrying....but, I'll leave that for another day.

I'll just sit back now and savour this moment, I have had a wonderful 30-40 minutes reading this article.

I shall definitely look for and buy the book.

[Anon]

Max another great great job! I can't praise you enough for these historic nuggets you are dishing out here, and I even commend you the more for publishing them on this website. But please hurry and finish up that book, so that your fans can have all of them for keeps.

As for Murtala, I think I am with Don Abraxa's take 100%... Keep the excellent work up bro!

[Naked Eye]

Dear Max,

Many, many, many thanks for this well detailed and revealing piece on contemporary Nigerian history. Being of the immediate post-civil war generation, and with a keen but uncommon interest in historical subjects, I’ve consistently sought for dispassionate documentaries on those turbulent years before my birth. This piece stands out as one of the most critical and candid narrative of the period that I’ve been fortunate to come across. It is certainly one of the best write-ups to appear on the NVS and I was glued to my monitor until the last sentence. While Murtala was clearly the main character in the article, the range and profile of the entire dramatis personae was quite instructive. Indeed, I have to say it was a little disconcerting that some of these (even notorious) veterans are still active contenders in today’s political arena. Our dominant political class seem to be stuck in time and holding down the country with them. Is it any wonder why we are where we are today?

As far as Murtala’s legacy is concerned, it is obvious that most ordinary Nigerians had their first impression of him in the heady honeymoon period of his regime. He was charismatic, bold, daring, fearless and even unpretentiously simple – attributes that Nigerians never associated with their leaders before (and I dare say ever since). The arrogant, impetuous and vengeful colours of his dark side as well as his ruinous antecedents were unbeknown to many. With the tragic and shocking emblem of his death and his subsequent immortalisation, most Nigerians were naturally left with only warm memories about their one true iconic “hero”. Indeed, growing up years later, we were left with the sense that Murtala was the 'best leader Nigeria ever had'. While this may be true in some sense, evident historical details (including this article) now shows Murtala as a Nigerian, not unlike many in his day - albeit different in his ways. Whether, he would have remained the people’s “hero” after the honeymoon phase of his regime is now a matter of conjecture - after all the dead make the best heroes. Be that as it may, articles like this are timely and serve all too well to clear the rose-tinted perspectives on Nigeria’s historical discourse on the man, Murtala Mohammed.

I’ll be on the lookout for this book. It is one for the keeps and the upcoming generation.

[OsaroO]

>>>Early in his career, Murtala was taught military tactics by an eloquent and intelligent Oxford University educated officer named Chukwuemeka Ojukwu. Little did teacher and student realise that one day, they would end up as protagonists on opposing sides of the battlefield.<<<<

Good piece, but stained with unsavory statement!!! tactics? teacher and student????!!!

[akuluouno]

Another addition in the corpus of litereature on the civil war. The war is still going on. No wonder Onovo was denied appointment as IGP. Reason, Igbos are security risks as at June 2007. I have already told that to my children as a good parent and I hope all villagers should also tell their children why Onovo was rejected as IGP in 2007 Nigeria. Igbos are indeed security risks to Nigeria

[Goddy]

Dear Max,

I must commend you for a job well-done. Unlike most guys who come up on the internet to tell stories “authoritatively” about “dem say” events they never witnessed and those with tall tales “passed down” from very biased, unreliable sources, you obviously did a very good research. While, for now, one is not privileged to know the entire contents of the up-coming book, the excerpts you provided here are wonderful….except for the sad emotions evoked in some of us by the trip down memory lane.

I was in high school (in Kwara State) prior to the Dimka coup. I remember Major Gagara, Lt. Waya and Sgt Rege.

Typical of his antecedents as a fearless soldier, it was Major Gagara who had earlier looked at me and a couple of rascally school mates one day and decided that “you these boys should become soldiers…” I remember the time I went home on holiday and thrust my NDA form into my father’s hands. The old man had thrown it back in my face when he read the portion that stated that “…you agree that your son or ward may sustain serious injury or death while in training…” Back in Kwara when I told Gagara, he simply snatched the NDA form from my hand and signed it. “Don’t mind your papa jare…” I will never forget that this brave man was sick and in hospital bed when the coup was rushed into execution by Dimka and co against Gagara’s counsel that it be delayed for strategic reasons. In spite of this lapse, he simply shrugged his shoulders as MPs stormed his hospital room to cuff him to his bed. Even, when he was subsequently bundled to the tribunal in bad physical condition, he didn’t flinch, beg or express regrets except for the emotional message he passed to his wife. That touched me till today!

As for Waya, even though he was just a Lieutenant, he was very powerful and popular in Offa town. He was a no-nonsense officer who had the habit of walking with the gait of someone with super authority. Even his wife was well-known in the town, especially at Owode market.

And the Sergeant…while playing soccer with Sgt. Rege I once asked him about a huge scar on his thigh. He smiled as he told me of his exploits in the civil war and the eventual enemy’s bullet that ended the war for him. He was among the soldiers that were drafted to arrest and shoot Col. Ibrahim Taiwo. And I remember his defense…which became “funny” and popular (because of its sensitive effect on the nature of military orders). Confidently, he told the Tribunal: “Na my Oga ordered me make I shoot am.” The Oga was Lt. Wayas and the victim was Col. Taiwo. This would later generate a huge argument in the military---so much that the then Army Chief (Danjuma) had to declare that “whenever a superior gave you an illegal order, you have the right to refuse.” But the subsequent argument among all cadres in the military was the effect that declaration would have in a profession where you were never to reason except to take orders? And how do you even determine when an order is illegal?

A case in point---in 1983, a Major went to his C.O. (Gen. Buhari) in Jos to report his being approached for participation in a coup plot against the govt of Alhaji Shagari. To his surprise, he was promptly arrested and locked up! His offense was that he failed to believe his “recruiter” who had claimed that Oga Buhari was behind the plot. He survived the ordeal but in 1986 when he was approached for a similar thing, he didn’t know what to do other than to “play” along. Unfortunately, the Tribunal would not sympathize with his situation. He was convicted and executed! This is the extent to which the nation’s military had been *******ized! Ironically, it took two major players in the same military (Obasanjo and Danjuma) to do something very drastic but quite successful in 1999 when they launched a massive restructuring of the military. Only those in the military can really attest to the extent and effect of that restructuring.

Once again Max, thanks for the great, factual but sad trip down memory lane.

[omo naija]

whether we like it or not, Muritala later acts, will never wash off the blood of the innocents that he cowardly massacre in Asaba and he is as guilty as Charles Taylor for the killing of southerners, especially Ibos in the North. He was lucky to be killed, he wanted it that is why he was so careless with his security. If he was alive i will personally urged the widows of the Asaba men that he cowardly killed to file a suit at Den Hague. Muritala is not an hero, he is a bloody war criminals, in the same rank as the likes of Saddam Husssein, Milosevic, Charles Taylor, the Nazi war criminals and the Khmer Rouge.
Why do we have this man name at our foremost airport?
But may God forgive his sins. HERE I STAND.

GOD BLESS NIGERIA AND AFRICA.

[Tunde meee]

Thanks Max for this gluing exposure. I must confess that all that needed to be said have been said. I can only appeal to the administrator to grant Max a space for free adverts for his book on this subject whenever it is released. This serves him the price for the best article on NVS since I relocated to the Village.

[Anon]

Other series in the works of Max are as follows:

1) “Aburi the National Conference that got away”

2) “No need for a Sovereign National Conference”

3) "Inside Story of Nigeria’s 1st Miltary Coup 1 &2"

4) The Northern Counter-Coup Of 1966: The Full Story (This series and the two series above generated quite a number of rejoinders and a google search would reveal quite a few of them).

5) THE NORTHERN COUNTERCOUP OF 1966 – A REJOINDER TO A REJOINDER - (Max's rejoinder to one of the many rejoinders.)

6) “The Five Majors: Myth and Reality"

7) “Igbo Resentment”

Each and any of these can be found all over the web, and some of them even here if you dig the NVS archives. As always they are riverting reads... and all based on factual documents too

[ikechiji]

Originally Posted by omo naija

whether we like it or not, Muritala later acts, will never wash off the blood of the innocents that he cowardly massacre in Asaba and he is as guilty as Charles Taylor for the killing of southerners, especially Ibos in the North. He was lucky to be killed, he wanted it that is why he was so careless with his security. If he was alive i will personally urged the widows of the Asaba men that he cowardly killed to file a suit at Den Hague. Muritala is not an hero, he is a bloody war criminals, in the same rank as the likes of Saddam Husssein, Milosevic, Charles Taylor, the Nazi war criminals and the Khmer Rouge.
Why do we have this man name at our foremost airport?
But may God forgive his sins. HERE I STAND.

GOD BLESS NIGERIA AND AFRICA.

Omo Naija - I stand with you on this one.

[Naked Eye]

Grateful for the tip Anon

I'm digging already.

Naked Eye

[akuluouno]

Having established that the civil war has not ended as at 2007 in Nigeria, let me now address Mr Siollun's article.
Murtala was initially portrayed as a Messiah. But events have since proved the man to be a cold blooded killer who eventually met his waterloo in kind. I recall his poor and maniacical goofs as a military commander during the war. His ill-fated adventure to Onitsha which was stopped at Abagana by gallant Biafran soldiers was copiously captured in earlier war literature. It was said that among his arsenal were sinister items such as koboko and others which he intended to use in flogging the Igbos merciless. Indeed so great was this defeat that he had to be recalled to Lagos. This event also led to his alteracation with Ochefu resulting in the latter being the only governor under Murtala regime to be retired summarily from the Nigerian army.
I think Murtala was a victim of the contradictions within the Nigerian polity which no one has ever dared to resolve. As a core advocate of Northern values, it became a contradiction for him to terminate the regime of one of his own. This sowed the seed for future coups by northerners against northerners. Recall that until the Murtala adventure, it was either major's versus generals, or Igbos versus Northerners and vice versa. Attempts by Dimka, Orkar and Diya to bring back the ethnic divide in coups were resisted with all might in view of their potentials to radically alter the structure of the country.
When the Oriental Brother band sang Murtala's praises in Jos following his death, they barely escaped with their heads on their necks. So as to the heroic status of the man, the jury is still out.

[Anon]

Originally Posted by akuluouno

Having established that the civil war has not ended as at 2007 in Nigeria, let me now address Mr Siollun's article.
Murtala was initially portrayed as a Messiah. But events have since proved the man to be a cold blooded killer who eventually met his waterloo in kind. I recall his poor and maniacical goofs as a military commander during the war. His ill-fated adventure to Onitsha which was stopped at Abagana by gallant Biafran soldiers was copiously captured in earlier war literature. It was said that among his arsenal were sinister items such as koboko and others which he intended to use in flogging the Igbos merciless. Indeed so great was this defeat that he had to be recalled to Lagos. This event also led to his alteracation with Ochefu resulting in the latter being the only governor under Murtala regime to be retired summarily from the Nigerian army.
I think Murtala was a victim of the contradictions within the Nigerian polity which no one has ever dared to resolve. As a core advocate of Northern values, it became a contradiction for him to terminate the regime of one of his own. This sowed the seed for future coups by northerners against northerners. Recall that until the Murtala adventure, it was either major's versus generals, or Igbos versus Northerners and vice versa. Attempts by Dimka, Orkar and Diya to bring back the ethnic divide in coups were resisted with all might in view of their potentials to radically alter the structure of the country.
When the Oriental Brother band sang Murtala's praises in Jos following his death, they barely escaped with their heads on their necks. So as to the heroic status of the man, the jury is still out.

My sister you vex no be small oh!!

@ Naked Eye, you are most welcome!

[BABA FOR LIFE]

A glimpse at Nigeri's history through this writers account will reveal to you that we have learnt absolutely nothing over the years . Priorities are totally screwed up tribalism nepotism cronism all these exist and has even been magnified. You do not have to be a rocket sciensist to see the impending doom coming . Folks Nigeria is about to blow up and it is not going to be pretty look at the mentality of your so called leaders i mean these folks are not even fit to be dog catchers in a civilized world. And in case you have not hard the red cross have set up logistic to help in the aftermath of the pogrom so while you all are keeping scores on who got what post and who stole the the most money and which tribe is better the next tribe the white man is preparing so help u monkeys after your done killing maining and slaughterings yourselves.

What do you all think about that.

[Chikere]

To put it mildly, he was a war criminal.

[Anointed]

Very, very informative. Takes me down memory lane. I can remember 13th February so vividly till today because most of their children were my class/school mates at Corona VI and the school was thrown into total chaos. My mother nearly collapsed on that day

By the way what is the link between Fela, Abiola, ITT, Murtala and his wife? Could someone confirm please.

[maxsiollun]

Thank you all for your kind responses. They are appreciated. I always welcome feedback. For all of you enquiring about the book, I will let you know when it is published.