Joseph Dechi Gomwalk was a Nigerian police commissioner who became the first Military Governor of Benue-Plateau State in 1967. During his eight years in office, his administration contributed to the establishment of the institution that became the University of Jos and founded a state-owned newspaper. His governorship also became entangled in political controversies that reflected the challenges of administering Nigeria’s diverse Middle Belt.
On 15 May 1976, less than a year after leaving office, Gomwalk was executed by firing squad at Kirikiri Prison in Lagos following his conviction in connection with the failed military coup of 13 February 1976.
His execution brought an abrupt end to a public career that had developed during the final years of British colonial rule and the turbulent period following Nigerian independence.
Fifty years later, his life remains closely associated with the development of Benue-Plateau State, the expansion of higher education in Jos and the political upheavals that transformed Nigeria during the 1970s.
Early Life and Education of Joseph Dechi Gomwalk
Biographical accounts record that Joseph Dechi Gomwalk was born on 13 April 1935 in Amper, in the former Plateau Province of Northern Nigeria.
He belonged to the Ngas ethnic group and came from an area now situated within Kanke Local Government Area of Plateau State.
His early education took place in Amper and Gindiri, including Boys’ Secondary School, Gindiri.
He subsequently studied at the Nigerian College of Arts, Science and Technology in Zaria before proceeding to University College, Ibadan, where he studied zoology and parasitology.
His educational background reflected the growing opportunities available to Nigerians who entered higher education during the final years of colonial administration.
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Gomwalk began his professional career in scientific and administrative work before joining the Nigerian police service in the politically turbulent period following the military interventions of 1966.
His appointment as governor in 1967 would take him from public service into the leadership of one of Nigeria’s newly created states.
The Creation of Benue-Plateau State in 1967
On 27 May 1967, the military government of General Yakubu Gowon announced the creation of twelve states, replacing Nigeria’s four-region structure.
The restructuring occurred amid an escalating political crisis that would culminate in the Nigerian Civil War.
Benue-Plateau State was created from territory previously administered as part of the Northern Region, with Jos designated as its capital.
Gomwalk became the state’s first Military Governor.
Although he held a military governorship, Gomwalk was not an army officer. He was a commissioner of police appointed to govern under the military administration.
Gomwalk governed Benue-Plateau from 1967 until July 1975.
His administration coincided with the Nigerian Civil War of 1967 to 1970, the subsequent reconstruction period and efforts to develop public institutions within the newly established state.
Benue-Plateau contained communities with different ethnic, religious and regional identities. The creation of a separate state offered opportunities for administrative development, but it did not eliminate longstanding disagreements over political representation and the distribution of public resources.
These competing interests would become increasingly important during the later years of Gomwalk’s governorship.
Joseph Dechi Gomwalk and the Establishment of Higher Education in Jos
One of the most enduring institutional developments associated with Gomwalk’s administration was the establishment of the University of Ibadan’s Jos campus.
The campus eventually developed into the University of Jos, one of Nigeria’s federal universities.
The initiative emerged through cooperation between the Benue-Plateau State Government and the University of Ibadan.
A letter dated 20 May 1970 from Gomwalk to the university outlined the state’s need for highly trained personnel and the potential contribution of a university presence in Jos.
The University of Ibadan subsequently undertook consultations and academic planning to establish a campus in the state capital.
In January 1971, the university’s Senate resolved that steps should be taken towards establishing the campus.
The project involved university administrators, academic planning committees and officials of the Benue-Plateau State Government.
Professor E. A. Ayandele was appointed the first Acting Principal of the Jos campus.
The institution began operating in November 1971, and its first students were admitted in January 1972.
The campus opened its doors to students on 20 January 1972.
The State Government’s Financial Contribution
Gomwalk’s administration provided financial and material assistance to make the new campus operational.
During the formal opening ceremony in 1972, he reported that the Benue-Plateau State Government had spent £444,000 on accommodation and other facilities required for the institution.
The university’s Acting Vice-Chancellor, Professor G. M. Edington, publicly acknowledged the contribution of Gomwalk’s administration and the people of Benue-Plateau to the establishment of the campus.
The state government’s involvement reflected a wider objective of expanding access to higher education and developing the skilled workforce needed for public administration, education and economic development.
However, the institution was not established as a university owned by the Benue-Plateau State Government.
Gomwalk explained during the opening ceremony that the Jos campus was an extension of the University of Ibadan.
Academic administration, admissions and institutional policy remained the responsibility of Ibadan.
The development of the campus was therefore a collaborative undertaking involving the state government, university authorities and academic planners.
From the Jos Campus to the University of Jos
The Jos campus initially admitted students for preliminary studies.
Degree courses in Arts began in October 1973, followed by courses in Science and Education in 1974.
In October 1975, after Gomwalk had left office, the Federal Military Government announced the establishment of the University of Jos as a separate institution.
The university subsequently developed its own administrative and academic structures.
Gomwalk’s contribution belongs to the earlier phase of this history, when his government helped bring university education to Jos through cooperation with the University of Ibadan.
His involvement in that project remains one of the most significant institutional developments associated with his governorship.
The Founding of The Nigerian Standard Newspaper
Another important initiative of Gomwalk’s administration was the establishment of The Nigerian Standard in 1972.
The publication, commonly known today as The Nigeria Standard, was created as a state-owned newspaper and became associated with Plateau Publishing Corporation.
The newspaper was headquartered in Jos and became an important part of the state’s media landscape.
Historical accounts associate its establishment with Gomwalk’s dissatisfaction over the limited attention given to Benue-Plateau by newspapers based elsewhere in Northern Nigeria.
One account links the initiative to the coverage of a visit to Jos by Samuel Ogbemudia, then Military Governor of the Mid-Western State.
The newspaper’s early development also involved assistance from the Nigerian Observer in Benin City, where its earliest editions were printed.
The establishment of a state-backed newspaper provided the Benue-Plateau administration with an additional platform for communicating government activities and reporting developments within the state.
It also contributed to the growth of newspaper publishing in Jos.
The newspaper’s subsequent history extended beyond Gomwalk’s governorship and continued under later administrations.
Its establishment illustrates the importance that state governments attached to mass communication during the period of military rule.
The 1974 Corruption Allegations and Political Disputes
Gomwalk’s administration also faced serious political controversy during its later years.
In July 1974, allegations of corruption were publicly made against Joseph Tarka, a federal commissioner and prominent political figure from the Middle Belt.
The controversy surrounding Tarka was followed by allegations against Gomwalk.
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Aper Aku, who would later become the first civilian Governor of Benue State, raised complaints concerning Gomwalk’s administration.
The allegations included claims relating to government contracts, public appointments, property acquisition and political favouritism.
Aku’s complaints developed into a wider political dispute during 1974, with a sworn affidavit becoming an important element of the controversy.
The allegations reflected tensions over political influence and the distribution of government resources within Benue-Plateau.
Gomwalk denied wrongdoing and defended his administration.
The controversy attracted attention beyond the state and became part of wider political disagreements within the Middle Belt.
Tarka resigned from the Federal Executive Council during the controversy surrounding the allegations against him, while Gomwalk remained in office until the military change of government in July 1975.
The dispute illustrated the difficulties of governing a state containing communities with differing political interests and expectations.
It also demonstrated how allegations concerning public administration could become intertwined with broader struggles over representation and political power.
The End of Gomwalk’s Governorship in July 1975
On 29 July 1975, a military coup removed General Yakubu Gowon from power while he was attending an international meeting in Uganda.
Brigadier Murtala Mohammed became Nigeria’s new Head of State.
The change of government brought an end to Gomwalk’s eight-year tenure as Military Governor of Benue-Plateau State.
The new administration introduced significant political and administrative changes, including another restructuring of Nigeria’s state boundaries.
On 3 February 1976, the Federal Military Government created seven additional states, increasing Nigeria’s total from twelve to nineteen.
Benue-Plateau was divided into separate Benue and Plateau states.
Jos became the capital of Plateau State, while Makurdi became the capital of Benue State.
The division marked the end of the administrative territory that Gomwalk had governed since its creation in 1967.
Ten days after the announcement of the new states, Nigeria experienced another military crisis.
The February 1976 Coup Attempt and the Death of Murtala Mohammed
On 13 February 1976, Lieutenant-Colonel Buka Suka Dimka led an attempted military coup against the government of General Murtala Mohammed.
Mohammed was assassinated during the operation in Lagos.
The attempted overthrow of the government failed, and Lieutenant-General Olusegun Obasanjo subsequently became Head of State.
The military authorities launched an extensive investigation into the attempted coup.
Numerous military personnel and civilians were arrested on suspicion of involvement.
Gomwalk was among those implicated in the investigation.
He was subsequently tried under the military government’s procedures, convicted in connection with the attempted coup and sentenced to death.
The proceedings took place within the framework of military rule, at a time when the Nigerian government was responding to the assassination of its Head of State and the attempted seizure of political power.
The authorities carried out a series of executions following the trials.
Gomwalk’s execution took place during the final major round of executions associated with the failed coup.
Joseph Dechi Gomwalk’s Execution on 15 May 1976
On 15 May 1976, Joseph Dechi Gomwalk was executed by firing squad at Kirikiri Prison in Lagos.
He was executed alongside Lieutenant-Colonel Buka Suka Dimka and five other convicted persons.
The seven men executed that day were Dimka, Gomwalk, Colonel Isa Bukar, Major J. K. Afolabi, Lieutenant S. Kwale, Warrant Officer II E. Bawa and Mr H. Shaiyen, a police officer.
The executions took place at Kirikiri Prison and were witnessed by military personnel, prison warders and police officers.
Footage of the executions was shown on Nigerian television on the evening of 15 May.
Obasanjo announced the executions during a national broadcast that evening.
Eleven other people received life sentences, while additional defendants received lesser sentences.
The Nigerian government reported that 219 military personnel and civilians had been arrested following the attempted coup.
Of these, 130 were recommended for trial, while 56 of those recommended were subsequently discharged for lack of evidence.
The executions formed part of the military government’s response to the attempted coup and the assassination of Murtala Mohammed.
Gomwalk’s conviction and execution remain central events in accounts of the political consequences of the February 1976 coup attempt.
The proceedings also marked the end of a public career that had included service in the police and eight years as governor of one of Nigeria’s former states.
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The Enduring Legacy of Joseph Dechi Gomwalk
Fifty years after his death, Joseph Dechi Gomwalk remains closely associated with the formative years of Benue-Plateau State.
His governorship coincided with the development of new administrative institutions, the expansion of higher education and the establishment of a state-owned newspaper.
The University of Jos remains the most prominent institution connected to his administration’s developmental initiatives.
Its origins can be traced to the University of Ibadan’s Jos campus, which was established with financial and material support from the Benue-Plateau State Government.
In January 2026, the University of Jos publicly acknowledged the Gomwalk family’s historical relationship with the institution during a condolence visit following the deaths of two of his wives in late 2025.
The university’s Vice-Chancellor, Professor Tanko Ishaya, recognised the family’s contribution to the institution’s history.
The Nigeria Standard also continues to maintain a presence in the state’s media landscape.
These institutions illustrate how decisions made during the formative years of Benue-Plateau continued to influence public life after the state’s division in 1976.
Gomwalk’s history, however, extends beyond the institutions associated with his administration.
The political controversies of 1974, his removal from office in 1975 and his execution following the failed coup of 1976 connect his personal story to broader developments in Nigeria’s military era.
His life reflects both the opportunities created by the establishment of new states and the political uncertainties experienced by public officials during successive changes of military government.
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Conclusion
Joseph Dechi Gomwalk served as the first Military Governor of Benue-Plateau State from 1967 until 1975.
During his governorship, the state participated in establishing the University of Ibadan’s Jos campus and created a newspaper that became part of the region’s media history.
His administration also encountered political disputes and allegations that reflected tensions within the former Benue-Plateau State.
Following the failed military coup of February 1976, he was convicted and executed by firing squad on 15 May 1976.
His death occurred less than a year after he had left office and only a few months after the territory he once governed was divided into separate Benue and Plateau states.
The story of Joseph Dechi Gomwalk remains an important part of Nigeria’s post-independence history, connecting the development of institutions in the Middle Belt with the political upheavals that shaped the country during the 1960s and 1970s.
Author’s Note
Joseph Dechi Gomwalk’s life illustrates how the careers of public officials in Nigeria’s early post-independence years were shaped by both institution-building and political instability. His administration’s contribution to the establishment of higher education in Jos demonstrates how decisions made during the formative years of a state can influence generations beyond the tenure of its founding government. His political controversies and eventual execution also reveal the uncertainty of public life under successive military administrations. Remembering Gomwalk requires an understanding of the institutions his government helped establish, the disputes that marked his leadership and the circumstances that brought his career to an end. His story remains inseparable from the wider history of Nigeria’s Middle Belt and the country’s turbulent transition through military rule.
References
University of Ibadan. (1972). 24th Foundation Day: Addresses and Proceedings. Contemporary institutional publication documenting the formal opening of the Jos campus, including the address delivered by Joseph Dechi Gomwalk and the university’s account of its establishment.
University of Ibadan. (1972). Address by the Acting Vice-Chancellor on the 24th Foundation Day. Professor G. M. Edington’s account of the establishment, funding and academic development of the Jos campus.
University of Jos. Brief History of the University. Official institutional history documenting the development of the Jos campus from 1971 and its establishment as a separate university in October 1975.
United States Department of State. (18 May 1976). Executions of Dimka and Six Others; Gowon Declared a Wanted Person. Diplomatic Telegram 1976LAGOS05708. Contemporary American Embassy report documenting the executions of Gomwalk, Dimka and five others on 15 May 1976, together with the military government’s account of the proceedings.
Nigerian Press Council. Inventory of Newspapers and Magazines Published in Nigeria. Official publication inventory identifying the establishment of The Nigerian Standard in 1972 and its publisher.
University of Jos. (10 January 2026). Official university statement concerning the Gomwalk family and its historical relationship with the institution.
