Military Era & Coups in Nigeria
Military regimes, coups, economic policies, and the transition to democratic governance in Nigeria from 1966 to 1999.
From Barracks to Streets, How Military Rule Made State Violence Ordinary
Military rule has repeatedly reshaped how the state relates to ordinary people. When armed forces take political power, violence often stops being a last...
Colonel Rasheed Shekoni’s Administrative Legacy
Colonel Rasheed Alade Shekoni is a Nigerian military officer who served as Military Administrator of Jigawa State from August 1996 to August 1998 during...
Amanda Azubuike Becomes U.S. Army Brigadier General
Amanda I. Azubuike is the first Nigerian-born woman to be promoted to Brigadier General in the United States Army, a historic milestone that highlights...
Nigeria’s 1966 Coup Ends First Republic
Nigeria gained independence on 1 October 1960, adopting a parliamentary system inherited from Britain, yet beneath the optimism of nationhood, political instability and regional...
Operation Wetẹ and Political Violence in Nigeria
In the early 1960s, Nigeria’s First Republic (1960–1966) faced mounting political tension, particularly in the Western Region. The Action Group (AG), the dominant Yoruba...
Lieutenant Akintunde Akinsehinwa and the 1976 Assassination of General Murtala Muhammed: A Pivotal Moment in Nigeria’s Military Era
On 13 February 1976, Nigeria’s fourth Head of State, General Murtala Ramat Muhammed, was assassinated in Lagos during a failed coup attempt led by...
Aguiyi-Ironsi: Soldier and Statesman
Major General Johnson Thomas Umunnakwe Aguiyi-Ironsi (3 March 1924 – 29 July 1966) remains one of the most consequential figures in Nigeria’s formative years...
Major Bamidele: Loyalty and Betrayal
Major Daniel Idowu Bamidele (1949 – 5 March 1986) remains one of Nigeria’s most notable military figures, remembered for his loyalty, professionalism, and tragic...
Major Nzeogwu: Nigeria’s First Coup Leader and His Final Battle
Major Lieutenant Colonel Patrick Chukwuma Kaduna Nzeogwu was born on February 26, 1937, in Kaduna, Nigeria, to Igbo parents from Okpanam, near Asaba in...
The Assassination of Prime Minister Tafawa Balewa
Explore the assassination of prime minister tafawa balewa. Key context, events, and legacy