Military Era & Coups in Nigeria
Military regimes, coups, economic policies, and the transition to democratic governance in Nigeria from 1966 to 1999.
From Power to Prosecution, The 1999 Arraignment of Abacha’s Inner Circle
In October 1999, Lagos became the setting for a scene many Nigerians had doubted they would ever witness. Major Hamza al Mustapha, the former...
Major Daniel Idowu Bamidele
Major Daniel Idowu Bamidele was a Nigerian Army officer executed on 5 March 1986 after conviction by a military tribunal under the regime of...
The Untold Story of Nigeria’s First Royal Air Force Officer in World War II
Emanuel Peter John Adeniyi Thomas was born in Lagos in 1914, when Nigeria was under British colonial administration. Lagos was a growing coastal city...
From Sandhurst to a Shattered Nation
On 8 March 1956, a British archival photograph captured two Nigerian officer cadets, Arthur Chinyelu Unegbe and Alexander A. Madiebo, changing targets at a...
Hassan Usman Katsina and Nigeria’s Fight for Unity
Major General Hassan Usman Katsina, OFR, PSC, known as Ciroman Katsina, was one of Nigeria’s most respected military leaders during the early decades of...
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...