Why Were Igbos Wrongly Accused of the 1966 Coup in Nigeria?

Nearly 60 years after the 1966 coup that overthrew the government of Prime Minister Tafawa Balewa, former military leader General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (IBB) has stated that the Igbo ethnic group was not responsible for the military takeover.

The coup led to the deaths of several leaders, including the then-Premier of the Northern Region, Alhaji Ahmadu Bello; the Premier of the Western Region, Chief Ladoke Akintola; and many high-ranking military officers from the North.

The survival of then-Head of State Major General Aguiyi Ironsi, who was Igbo, along with other top Igbo politicians and military officers, made some people think the coup was planned by Igbos, especially since many involved in the coup were Igbo.

However, Babangida, in his new book A Journey In Service, clarifies that the coup was not based on ethnic reasons. He points out Major John Obienu, an Igbo officer, who played a crucial role in stopping the coup, and mentions that many senior Igbo officers were also killed.

The book also shows that people from other ethnic groups, like the Yoruba, were involved in the coup.

Babangida reveals that the real aim of the coup was to free political leader Obafemi Awolowo from prison and make him the president.

From the book, Babangida shares: “It was a terrible time for the Nigerian military. As a young officer, I saw that ethnic reasons did not drive the coup’s original purpose.”

He talks about Major Kaduna Nzeogwu, the coup leader, who was raised in Kaduna, spoke Hausa fluently, and was different from the typical ethnic stereotypes of Igbos.

But the situation changed after Sir Ahmadu Bello and his wife, Hafsatu, were killed, leading to a strong ethnic backlash.

Babangida also notes that non-Igbo officers like Major Adewale Ademoyega and Captain Ganiyu Adeleke also took part in the unsuccessful coup.

He emphasises that the coup was not about ethnicity but was meant to change the country’s leadership by making Chief Obafemi Awolowo the new president right after the coup.