Military Era & Coups in Nigeria
Military regimes, coups, economic policies, and the transition to democratic governance in Nigeria from 1966 to 1999.
Before the Fall: How Militaries Shape Political Change in Times of Crisis
Military coups have shaped the political landscape of many nations, particularly in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. A coup d’état occurs when members of...
Nigeria’s First Republic: Why Westminster Democracy Failed After Independence
When Nigeria gained independence on 1 October 1960, the country adopted a parliamentary system modelled on Britain’s Westminster democracy. The new political arrangement featured...
How Lieutenant Colonel Abogo Largema Was Killed at Ikoyi Hotel During Nigeria’s 1966 Coup
Before dawn on 15 January 1966, Lagos was already changing course. Soldiers were moving under sealed orders, senior figures were being seized, and violence...
Dimka’s Failed Coup, The Day Nigeria’s Head of State Was Gunned Down
Lieutenant Colonel Bukar Suka Dimka was born in 1940 in what was then British Nigeria. Public records do not preserve many reliable details about...
“You Go Die”, Dr Moses Majekodunmi and the Night Lagos Held Its Breath
Nigeria’s First Republic did not fade quietly. It collapsed in the early hours of 15 January 1966, when a group of young military officers...
He Escaped the Compound, Then Flagged Down the Wrong Car, Maimalari’s Last Night in Ikoyi
In the early hours of 15 January 1966, Lagos moved under the strain of a rebellion that would change Nigeria’s political direction. Soldiers travelled...
Pioneers of the Nigerian Army Officer Corps
The story of the first Nigerians to be commissioned as officers in the Nigerian Army is foundational to the history of Nigeria’s security institutions....
Kam Salem: Nigeria’s Second Indigenous Inspector General of Police
Alhaji Kam Salem served as the Inspector General of Police of Nigeria from 1966 to 1975, a period marked by political instability, military governance...
Nigeria’s January 1966 Coup
On 15 January 1966, a group of young Nigerian Army officers carried out a coup that overthrew the civilian government of the First Republic,...
Nigeria’s Defining Military Coups, How Power Seizures Reshaped the Nation, 1966 to 1993
Nigeria’s modern political story cannot be understood without the coups that repeatedly reset the rules of power. Between 1966 and 1993, military interventions did...