In the early hours of January 15, 1966, mutinous elements within the Nigerian Army launched coordinated actions aimed at ending the First Republic’s civilian government. Movements unfolded across major centers of power, including Lagos, the federal capital, Kaduna, a major military hub in the North, and Ibadan, an important political and administrative center in the West.
The operation did not achieve full national control, but it decisively ended civilian rule. By January 16, 1966, Major General Johnson Aguiyi Ironsi, the most senior serving officer in the Nigerian Army, assumed power as Head of the National Military Government. What began as a junior officer led uprising resulted in a fundamental shift in Nigeria’s political direction.
The events of those two days became a turning point, shaping the military’s role in governance and setting the stage for the counter coup of July 1966 and the wider crisis that followed.
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What the coup set out to achieve
The coup’s objective was to remove key political and military leaders and replace the existing system with a new military order. The plan relied on speed, secrecy, and coordinated action across multiple regions. Arrests, seizures, and control of strategic installations were intended to happen almost simultaneously.
In reality, execution varied from one location to another. Some units moved decisively, others hesitated or failed to reach their objectives, and coordination between axes broke down. As a result, the coup did not produce a unified revolutionary government under the plotters. Authority instead passed quickly to the senior military command, which was still intact.
The principal plotters, names most often linked to planning and leadership
Over the years, a core group of officers has consistently appeared in accounts of the coup’s planning and execution. While no official list was produced at the time, these names are repeatedly associated with leadership roles and strategic direction.
Majors commonly identified as central figures
- Major Chukwuma Kaduna Nzeogwu
- Major Emmanuel Arinze Ifeajuna
- Major Adewale Ademoyega
- Major Chris Christian Anuforo
- Major Donatus Okafor (Don Okafor)
- Major Timothy Onwuatuegwu
- Major Humphrey Iwuchukwu Chukwuka
These officers are widely linked to the conception of the coup and to leadership within its main operational theaters.
Other key officers frequently mentioned
- Captain Emmanuel Nwobosi
- Captain Ben Gbulie
Both men are regularly referenced in narratives of the January 1966 events and in accounts of what followed, including detention after the coup failed to consolidate national power.
Who led where, understanding the main operational axes
Kaduna and the Northern operations
Major Chukwuma Kaduna Nzeogwu is closely associated with leadership of the Kaduna operations. Kaduna’s strategic importance lay in its concentration of military formations and its ability to influence events beyond the Northern Region. In many retellings, this axis appeared the most organized during the initial phase of the coup.
Lagos and the federal capital
Major Emmanuel Ifeajuna is most often linked to leadership of the Lagos axis. Control of Lagos meant access to federal leadership, broadcast facilities, and the symbols of national authority. Other officers, including Ademoyega, Anuforo, Chukwuka, and Okafor, are frequently connected to planning and actions within the Lagos area.
Ibadan and the Western Region
Ibadan featured prominently because the Western Region was already politically unstable following the 1965 crisis. Captain Emmanuel Nwobosi is commonly associated with activities in the Ibadan area, connecting regional execution to plans formed in Lagos.
The killings and their lasting impact
Beyond the collapse of civilian government, the most enduring legacy of January 1966 lies in the killings that accompanied the coup. Senior political leaders and high-ranking military officers were among the victims, with prominent figures in the Northern and Western Regions affected during the operations.
For many Nigerians, particularly in the North, the pattern of the killings created a perception of targeted violence. That perception deepened mistrust and fear, both within the armed forces and among civilians. The months that followed did little to ease tensions, and by mid year, retaliatory action and widespread unrest pushed the country further toward instability.
How the story has been told over time
Accounts of the January 1966 coup vary in emphasis and detail. Some focus on a small circle of planners, others expand the narrative to include a wider group of officers involved in specific operations. Participant memoirs, later interviews, and historical reconstructions have all shaped how the story is remembered.
One influential framing emphasizes a small number of majors, a phrase that entered popular memory through later writings. At the same time, many accounts acknowledge a broader circle of officers whose roles ranged from planning to execution across different regions. Together, these perspectives form the commonly accepted picture of how the coup unfolded
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What January 1966 set in motion
The coup of January 1966 ended Nigeria’s First Republic and ushered in an era of military rule. It altered the balance between civilian authority and the armed forces, intensified regional suspicions, and laid the groundwork for the counter coup of July 1966 and the violent conflicts that followed.
More than half a century later, the events of that night remain central to understanding Nigeria’s modern political history. They explain not only how military rule began, but why trust between regions and institutions proved so fragile in the years that followed.
Author’s Note
January 1966 stands as a moment when actions taken in a single night reshaped an entire nation, revealing how ambition, miscalculation, and fractured coordination within the military brought civilian rule to an abrupt end and redirected Nigeria’s political journey.
References
Nigeria, A Country Study, Federal Research Division, Library of Congress, fifth edition, 1992, section on the 1966 coups.
Foreign Relations of the United States, 1964–1968, Volume XXIV, Africa, editorial note on the January 1966 coup and Ironsi’s assumption of power.
Adewale Ademoyega, Why We Struck, The Story of the First Nigerian Coup, Evans Brothers, 1981.
Ben Gbulie, Nigeria’s Five Majors, Coup d’état of 15th January 1966.
Max Siollun, historical research and writings on Nigeria’s first military coup.
