30/07/2026
Today is 60 years that Northern soldiers brutally killed Aguiyi-Ironsi the Head of State with over 200 Igbo soldiers, and over 30,000 Igbo civilians in the North as an act of revenge on 29 July 1966.
7 months earlier, 15 January 1966, the 1st military coup in Nigeria took place which killed Prime Minister Tafawa Balewa, Northern Premier Ahmadu Bello and his wife, Western Premier Samuel Akintola, Finance Minister Festus Okotie-Eboh, Brigadier Samuel Ademulegun and his pregnant wife, and other military officers.
But no top Igbo political leader was killed.
The coup was led predominantly by young Igbo officers, namely Chukwuma Kaduna Nzeogwu, Emmanuel Ifeajuna, Humphrey Chukwuka, Donatus Okafor and Christian Anuforo.
Fola Oyewole, Adewale Ademoyega, Ganiyu Adeleke, Daramola Oyegoke (Yoruba) and others. They claimed they acted to end corruption.
President Nnamdi Azikiwe was abroad on medical leave, Senate President Nwafor Orizu, Eastern Premier Michael Okpara, Mid-West Premier Dennis Osadebay and Major General Aguiyi-Ironsi who are Igbos were not attacked.
Immediately after the coup, Aguiyi Ironsi became the Head of State but he failed to try the coup plotters in accordance to military justice.
Also, Aguiyi abolished the regional system of government for a unitary system which the North feared that his Igbo ethnic group was about to dominate the federal government.
In 2 months, he promoted 21 majors to the rank of lieutenant colonel of which 18 were Igbos.
Then the North believed that the "15 January 1966 Coup" that took the lives of top Northern political and military leaders was an "Igbo coup."
Triggered by deep seated anger, Northern soilders carried out a counter-coup, killing the Head of State Aguiyi-Ironsi on 29 July 1966, but It did not end there.
There was wide-spread killings in the North that over 200 Igbo soldiers and over 30,000 Igbo civilians were killed, forcing over 1 million Igbos to flee to the Eastern Region.
This event became known as the July Rematch or Northern counter coup.
Northern soilders involved were Murtala Muhammed, Ibrahim Babangida, Muhammadu Buhari, Sani Abacha, Theophilus Danjuma, Martin Adamu, Buka S**a Dimka, amongst others.
Yakubu Gowon from the North became the Head of State.
The 29 July 1966 coup is regarded as the bloodiest coup in the history of Africa and one of the bloodiest coup in world history.
This build up led to the Nigeria Civil War that lasted for 3 years whereby over 3 million lives were lost.
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MBET SAMUEL
Former Nigeria under-17 Striker
B.A. History & International Studies.