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Sixty years back, during the early morning hours of January 15th, 1966, a military takeover occurred in Nigeria that led to the killing of several prominent political leaders and high-ranking army officers.

This marked the initial military takeover in the history of our nation, with 98 percent of the officers involved in planning and directing it belonging to a specific ethnic group within the country.

As per Max Siollun, a prominent and highly regarded historian whose main source of data came from the Police report prepared by the Police’s Special Branch following the failed coup, during the investigation and after the rebels were captured and held, the names of the mutiny’s leaders were as follows:

Major Emmanuel Arinze Ifeajuna,

Major Chukwuemeka Kaduna Nzeogwu,

Major Chris Anuforo,

Major Tim Onwutuegwu,

Major Chudi Sokei,

Major Adewale Ademoyega,

Major Don Okafor,

Major John Obieno,

Captain Ben Gbuli,

Captain Emmanuel Nwobosi,

Captain Chukwuka,

and Lt. Oguchi.

It is crucial to mention that I reviewed the Special Branch report personally and can verify Siollun’s conclusions.

These were truly the names of every leader involved in the January 15th 1966 coup, and all other lists are false.

The names of the individuals they killed without mercy or took against their will are listed below.

Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, Nigeria’s Prime Minister (who was killed),

Sir Ahmadu Bello, the Sardauna of Sokoto and the former Prime Minister of the Old Northern Region (who was murdered),

Sir Kashim Ibrahim, the Shettima of Borno and the Governor of the former Northern Region (kidnapped),

Chief Samuel Ladoke Akintola, the Aare Ana Kakanfo of Yorubaland, and the former Premier of the Old Western Region (who was murdered),

Chief Remilekun Adetokunboh Fani-Kayode SAN, Q.C. CON, the Balogun of Ife, the Deputy Premier of the Old Western Region, the Regional Minister for Local Government and Chieftaincy, and my dear father (abducted),

Chief Festus Samuel Okotie-Eboh, the Oguwa of the Itsekiris and Nigeria’s Finance Minister (who was killed)

Brigadier Samuel Adesujo Ademulegun, leader of the 1st Brigade, Nigerian Army (killed),

Brigadier Zakariya Maimalari, leader of the 2nd Brigade, Nigerian Army (killed),

Colonel James Pam (murdered),

Colonel Ralph Sodeinde (murdered),

Colonel Arthur Unegbe (murdered),

Colonel Kur Mohammed (murdered),

Captain Abogo Largema (killed),

Alhaja Hafsatu Bello, the spouse of the Sardauna of Sokoto (deceased),

Alhaji Zarumi, the traditional bodyguard of the Sardauna of Sokoto (deceased)

Mrs. Lateefat Ademulegun, the spouse of Brigadier Ademulegun, who was eight months pregnant when she was murdered,

Ahmed B. Musa (murdered),

Ahmed Pategi (murdered),

Sgt. Daramola Oyegoke (murdered),

Police Constable Yohana Garkawa (killed),

Police Officer Musa Nimzo (deceased),

Police Officer Akpan Anduka (killed),

Officer Hagai Lai (deceased),

and Police Constable Philip Lewande (killed).

To illustrate the cruelty of the rebels, allow me to describe the conditions under which some of their victims were killed and taken.

Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa was taken from his residence, subjected to physical abuse, ridiculed, tortured, made to consume alcohol, embarrassed, and ultimately killed, with his corpse later left in a bush near the Lagos-Abeokuta highway.

Sir Ahmadu Bello was murdered within the safety of his own residence, along with his wife Hafsatu and his dedicated security officer Zurumi.

Zurumi unsheathed his sword to safeguard his master as Hafsatu placed herself over her beloved husband in a bid to shield him from the gunfire.

Chief S. L. Akintola was shot dead while exiting his home in front of his family, while Chief Festus Okotie-Eboh was attacked, tortured, taken from his house, injured, and killed, with his body later left in a wooded area.

Brigadier Zakariya Maimalari hosted a cocktail gathering at his residence the previous evening, which was attended by several young officers. These individuals returned to his house the next morning and carried out his murder.

Brigadier Samuel Ademulegun was killed at his residence, in his bedroom, while in his marital bed, together with his eight-months-pregnant wife, Lateefat.

Colonel Shodeinde was killed at the Ikoyi hotel while Colonel Pam was taken from his house and killed in the bush.

Many of the people who died that morning endured a level of embarrassment, disgrace, and suffering so awful that I feel unable to describe them in this post.

The rebels also arrived at our house, which was then the official home of the Deputy Prime Minister of the Old Western Region and is still located there today.

Following a violent attack on our home that nearly resulted in the deaths of my brother, sister, and me, they assaulted, tortured, and took my father, Chief Remi Fani-Kayode.

The events I saw that morning were shocking and heartbreaking, and naturally, what the whole country saw was appalling.

It was a day marked by violence, cruelty, and fear.

That series of incidents initiated a pattern of violence that altered our entire history, and its effects continue to impact us today.

It was a sorrowful and horrifying morning, marked by bloodshed and violence.

My memory of the occurrences at our residence is as follows.

Approximately 2:00 a.m., my mother, Chief (Mrs.) Adia Aduni Fani-Kayode, entered the bedroom that I shared with my older brother, Rotimi, and my younger sister, Toyin. I was six years old then.

My other older brother, Akinola, whom we affectionately called Akins, was not with us that night because he was on duty at Kings College, Lagos, while my other younger sister, Tolulope Fani-Kayode, was born a year later!

The power had been shut down by the rebels, leaving us in total darkness, with only the headlights of three or four large, heavy trucks with noisy engines visible and audible.

The official home of the Deputy Prime Minister featured a lengthy driveway, causing the vehicles to take some time to arrive.

We observed four pairs of headlights and listened to the sounds of four trucks arriving along the driveway.

The people in the trucks, who were dressed in uniforms and held flashlights, took their positions and got ready to attack our house while shouting my father’s name and telling him to come out.

My father bravely stepped out to confront them after gathering us, offering a prayer for us and clarifying that since they were seeking him, he needed to go meet them.

He stated that he preferred to go out and face them, and if required, accept his death rather than allow them to enter the house and endanger or harm all of us.

The moment he exited, they attacked him violently. I saw it happen. They hit him, bound him, and threw him into one of the trucks.

The first thing they addressed him with as he emerged was, “Where are your henchmen now, Fani-Power?”

My father’s reply was in line with his usual style, direct and concise. He stated, “I don’t have hooligans, only gentlemen.”

I believe this irritated them, causing them to mistreat him even worse. They bound him, placed him in the back of the truck, and then attacked the house.

As they entered the house, they searched every corner and crevice, firing shots into the ceiling and closets.

They were extremely harsh and terrifying, and we were filled with fear.

My mother was shouting and weeping from the balcony, as all she could concentrate on was her husband, who was at the back of the truck below. There is no question that she cherished him more than anything in the world.

“Please don’t kill him, please don’t kill him!!” she repeatedly shouted at them. I can still picture this scene and hear her voice as she begged, yelled, and wept.

I had no idea where my brother or sister was at that moment since the house was completely chaotic.

I was only six years old at the time, standing in the middle of the hallway upstairs near my parents’ bedroom, surrounded by soldiers who were searching the entire house and frightening my family.

Suddenly, something amazing occurred. Without warning, one of the soldiers approached me, placed his hand on my head, and said, “Don’t be afraid, we won’t kill your father, stop crying.”

He told me this three times. When he said it for the third time, I looked into his eyes and stopped crying.

This happened because he gave me hope and spoke to me with kindness and empathy. From that moment, all my fear and anxiety disappeared.

With renewed self-assurance, I hurried to my mother, who was still shouting from the balcony, and asked her to stop crying, explaining that the soldier had assured them they would not harm my father and that everything would be fine.

I clung to the soldier’s words, and that morning, even with everything happening around me, I never shed tears again.

Four years ago, while he was still alive, I reached out and had a conversation with Captain Nwobosi, the rebel who led the group to our house and was involved in the Ibadan operation that night regarding these incidents.

He validated my memory of events at our home, stating that he recalled hearing my mother scream and seeing me cry.

He stated that he was the officer who had provided me with comfort and assured me that my father would not be harmed.

I cannot verify if it was truly him, but I have no basis to question his statements.

He later requested me to compose the preface for his book, which unfortunately was never launched or published as he passed away a few months later.

The rebels took my father and as the truck pulled away, my mother continued to scream and weep, with everyone else in the house doing the same except for me.

From that place, they went to the house of Chief S.L. Akintola, a distinguished statesman and nationalist, as well as a very beloved uncle of mine.

My mother had called Akintola to let him know about the events that took place in our house.

She was shouting into the phone, demanding to know where her husband had been taken, and by this point, she was extremely upset.

Chief Akintola attempted to soothe her, promising that everything would be fine.

When they arrived at Akintola’s house, he had already anticipated their arrival and was ready for them.

Rather than emerging to greet them, he had positioned some of his officers inside the house, and they began firing.

A confrontation with firearms occurred, causing the rebels to be held up for at least an hour.

As per the Special Branch reports and the official accounts of the mutineers who survived that night and participated in the operation, their plan was to retrieve my father and Chief Akintola from their residences in Ibadan, transport them to Lagos, unite them with the other political figures who had been taken captive, and subsequently carry out their execution collectively.

The challenge they faced was that Akintola opposed them, and he along with his police officers ended up injuring two soldiers who arrived at his house.

One of the soldiers, named apparently James, lost his fingers and the other lost his ear.

After a while, Akintola’s supplies of bullets were exhausted and the gunfire ceased.

His officers lowered their weapons and they gave up. He emerged waving a white cloth, and the moment he stepped outside they killed him.

My father observed Akintola’s brutal killing with complete astonishment, disbelief, and terror, as he was restrained in the back of the truck where he had a clear view of all that occurred.

The troops seemed furious because two of their comrades had been injured and Akintola put up a fight and slowed them down.

After they murdered him, they proceeded to Lagos with my father.

Upon arriving, they proceeded to the Officer’s Mess at Dodan Barracks in Ikoyi, where they bound him, seated him on the floor of a room, and placed him under strict detention by encircling him with six highly aggressive and insulting soldiers.

Fortunately, he was rescued approximately two hours later following a tense firefight, by loyalist forces commanded by Lt. Tokida, who led his team into the room and was under the leadership of Captain Paul Tarfa at that time.

They were instructed to release my father by Lt. Col. Yakubu Gowon, who still held command over most of the troops at Dodan Barracks and continued to support the Federal Government.

Bullets were flying in all directions during the intense gunfight as my father remained tied in the center of the room, completely exposed. Despite this, not a single bullet hit him!

This was undoubtedly the Hand of God, and once more, divine providence was evident, as under normal circumstances, few could have escaped or survived such an encounter without being killed by direct fire or a stray bullet. For this, I attribute glory to God.

At the same time, three soldiers who had bound my father and put him under guard in that room were killed before his eyes, while two of Takoda’s fighters who stormed the room to rescue him died in the confrontation.

At this point, allow me to note that besides my father, fortune also favored and saved Sir Kashim Ibrahim, the Shettima of Borno and Governor of the Old Northern Region, from death that morning.

He was taken from his residence in Kaduna by the rebels but eventually freed by forces loyal to the government.

When the rebels took my father away, everyone in our house believed he had died.

The following morning, a few police officers arrived and escorted us to the home of my mother’s first cousin, Justice Atanda Fatai-Williams, who was then a judge in the Western Region. He subsequently served as the Chief Justice of Nigeria.

From that place, we were taken to the residence of Justice Adenekan Ademola, another judge in the High Court during that period, who was a very close companion of my father. My father eventually served as a Judge in the Court of Appeal, and his father, Sir Adetokunboh Ademola, went on to become the first Nigerian Chief Justice of the Federation.

At this stage, the entire nation was engulfed in chaos, and nobody had any idea what was happening.

We listened to many tales and could no longer understand what was happening. There was disorder and uncertainty, and the whole country was overwhelmed by anxiety.

Two days later, my father eventually called us via phone and informed us that he was fine.

When we heard his voice, I kept saying to my mother, “I told you, I told you.”

Justice Ademola and his beloved wife, who was my mother’s closest friend, a Ghanaian woman named Mrs. Frances Ademola (formerly Quarshie-Idun), whom we affectionately referred to as Aunty Frances, whose father was Justice Samuel Okai Quarshie-Idun, the Chief Justice of the High Court of Western Nigeria and later President of the East African Court of Appeal, shed tears of happiness.

My mother was also crying, as were my brother and sister, while I remained joyful because I was certain he would not be killed, and I had already informed them all.

I am convinced that the soldier who assured me my father would not be harmed was employed by God to deliver a message to me on that day, amidst the chaos and terror. I believe God communicated through him that evening.

No matter who he was, the man spoke with assurance and power, which leads me to conclude that he was either an officer or someone in a position of authority.

The events that took place on the night of January 15th, 1966, were beyond excuse, unforgivable, unacceptable, avoidable, unwarranted, and completely inhumane.

It triggered a sequence of events that led to devastating outcomes for our nation, effects of which we continue to experience today.

It hindered our progress as a people and the political growth of our nation.

If it hadn’t occurred, our history would have been significantly different. Let us hope we never witness anything like this again.

(Chief Femi Fani-Kayode holds the titles of Sadaukin Shinkafi, Wakilin Doka Potiskum, Otunba Joga Orile, and Aare Ajagunla of Otun Ekiti. He is a legal professional, previously serving as a Senior Special Assistant on Public Affairs to President Olusegun Obasanjo, and has also held the positions of Minister of Culture and Tourism of Nigeria, Minister of Aviation of Nigeria, and is an Ambassador-Designate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.)

Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc.Syndigate.info).