Thank you.

Brilliant submission. All military takeovers in Nigeria were coups.

The title is simply misleading. Major General Ironsi has nothing to do with the coup. On the other hand, Abacha plotted to overthrow Ernest Shonekan. He engaged Yoruba leaders before that and also told MKO that he wanted to do that to ease him in

@@paschalugo1339 the story of January 15 has been talked about severally but nobody talks about how Ironsi actually took over as Head of State (which is the January 16 coup). The January 15 coup failed in half part as Nzeogwu held control of Military Northern Nigeria while Ironsi controlled Military Southern Nigeria and Federal Civilian Nigeria (as given by Cabinet of Ministers). Ironsi wasn't just given authority by this Cabinet of Ministers, rather he gathered them in a meeting while surrounded by Armed soldiers and vehicles "asking" for a transfer of authority to him as GOC. This is similar to what Abacha did to the Chairman of the ING in 1993. Abacha and other high ranked officers surrounded the office building of Ernest Shonekan with armed soldiers and vehicles then "asked" Shonekan to "willingly" resign as Head of Govt. My argument now is that if Abacha taking over authority from Shonekan is a coup, then Ironsi should as well be deemed a coupist (to some extent) as well. Then again, i understand that labelling Ironsi's takeover as a coup may place Ironsi as being an accomplice to the January 15 actors (which is false).

Wow. You just nailed it perfectly. It's very similar. He forced power out of their hands. He even forced them to write and broadcast the story of "willingly submitting power to the military" It was Ironsi's coup and it's not even based on your comment.

@@khalidbashir4017 according to the coup guys from July 29 rematch, they believe Fajuyi was very much aware of the Jan 15 coup and supported it.

@@mr7teen922 yep Ademoyega also wrote that in his book that Fajuyi is aware and he did all he could to stop the Supreme Military Council from even discussing their prosecutions. Walbe and Danjuma said he (Fajuyi) was the priority target above Ironsi

@@khalidbashir4017 true. Max Siollun made same statements in his book "Oil, Violence and Politics".

​​@@khalidbashir4017Very correct. And the rematch coup and civil war were based on confessions from the main plotters (the Majors and Captain Nwobosi) and others (including NCO). It's on the internet for goodness sake!

Luck?! Do more research on the coup please.

@@VRed224 oh of course I have studied multiple sources on the account of the active and non active participants in that coup- IRONSI was never a conspirator. Saying he is one is just blatant misinformation.

Very misleading

The storyline is accurate...

@@ibrahimshehukorrect3949 what do you know? Still bias about the Ibo’s Ibrahim Shehu.

I know enough,,, am not biased and I don't do blame games

​@@cintas1000Ibos started d war and killed northern and western leaders while dey spared theirs

@@SupremeBros2012 thats the thing. Everybody knows of the January 15 coup but few know of the circumstances around Ironsi assuming office as Head of State. That takeover of power is the January 16 coup mentioned. Ironsi essentially intimidated the Council of Ministers whilst the building was surrounded with armoured vehicles and soldiers requesting transfer of power. That is a Coup D'etat.

John Atom Kpera

@@CHARLESBECHIKAS22-gk9xy whats their story of how it happened?

Don't mind the charlatan historian spilling rubbish

It's not difficult to figure out that General Ironsi was fully involved: 1. The coup leaked several days before the H-Hour and General Ironsi did nothing about it. Ademulegun, Shodeinde, etc complained to him. Our Oga did nothing. 2. Lt Col Adekunle Fajuyi was informed (Ref: the book 'Why we struck' by Adewale Ademoyega) A very high probability that Fajuyi would have informed Ironsi (they were very close) 3. Hillary Njoku and Gowon overheard Ironsi talking to himself saying "but those boys promised not to kill anyone". Gowon is still alive for confirmation. That was why Gowon didn't resist Danjuma from Arresting him. 4. A declassified document is online that also implicates him. Easterners would not want to see the list of all the participants. Over 90% are Easterners. 5. How dare the plotters not plan 'extensively' to arrest or neutralize the number 1 military officer in the country?! Haba. It is very glaring na. 6. David Ejoor was in the same Ikoyi Hotel with Abogo Largama. The latter was killed, former unarmed. 7. Nzeogwu and his men neutralized all military officers apart from Hassan Katsina in Kaduna (He almost killed him actually, he was just luckily spared by Nzeogwu when he pledged his support for the plotters. Ojukwu was in Kano and resisted cooperating with the plotters. I guess he should have been neutralized as well. He even received a telegram that day of the plot, though he didn't participate in it but he was not touched as well. 8. There is a second part of the plotters' confessions. Most participants in the coup (including the main majors involved and others, NCO inclusive) implicated Ironsi. The document is still classified but some military men (Col Adebayo, Gowon, Murtala, Obasanjo, Mobolaji Johnson, and other remaining top military officers) have seen it. That's why Ironsi is not celebrated in the country till date and why the Northerners were so bitter and determined to strike back. Nzeogwu also complained about the sentimental/sectional killings in the Jan 1966 coup (this complaint with the brilliant contents of his speech of declaring Martial law in the North were reasons why he was buried with full military honour) 9. Let's swallow our pride and admit the obvious. The only way forward for Nigeria in my opinion. 10. If this is exposed and talked about, then the counter coup with civil war will also be talked about.

@@VRed224 On January 14, Chief Akintola travelled to meet with the Sarduana in Kaduna, he told them that a coup was imminent and asked for what the Sarduana's plans were. Brigadier Ademulegun was there also and the Sarduana told him not to worry. This was because there was a plan in motion to detain some opposition voices in the Southwest and also move certain officers from command position. Recall that Gowon was to replace Hilary Njoku at Ikeja. Also, after the Prime Ministers conference, British Prime Minister warned Balewa but the latter said sth in the line of Allah determines people's fates. Also, Ironsi travelled to Bauchi in 1966 in early January to tell the Prime Minister that something was amiss. The intelligence reports on the coup by the Police Special Branch were on his desk but only him knew the cause of the delay. On the night of the coup, Yakubu Pam's wife called Ironsi's residence after her husband had been taken. At that exact time, Donatus Okafor and those detailed to arrest Ironsi were still engaged at Maimalari's house. Lastly, Nzeogwu was very open about the coup and spoke to many people about it, some later denied that he did. Therefore, the fact that Ironsi knew a coup was imminent doesn't mean he was in the planning of it, if it was that means he planned the July 29 coup that took him out, after all Madiebo warned him in early June at the State House in the presence of Tony Eze and Gowon.

​@@VRed224 Kindly name the declassified document online so one can search for it

​@@VRed224as for the other classified document is there any other publication, interview or anything of that sort that can corroborate or give a hint about the content of that document

Seconded

😂😂😂😂truth hurts right

@@qadarsaeed Can you define truth with propaganda?

Yes o, please we don't need propaganda again. Coup plotters have told thier stories so Ajuiyi wasn't involved at all.