Politics

A non Commissioned Officer Killed Ironsi..

Published

1 year ago

January 25, 2025

Fifty seven years after his assassination, the departure of General Johnson Aguiyi – Ironsi continues to be engulfed in mystery. Even those closest to him came out with different versions of what transpired in Ibadan, on July 29, 1966.

In all accounts, it is impossible to name who really shot the first African to command United Nations forces and the first Nigerian general. What is certain is that the trigger was pulled by a Non Commissioned Officer ( NCO) after commissioned officers lost control of the rabid situation.

Recently, Col. Sani Bello, then a Second Lieutenant and Ironsi’s Army Aide de Camp ( ADC) debunked claims that he made a deal with the Air Force ADC, Lt. Andrew Nwankwo. The supposed agreement benefitted the duo who escaped as their boss faced imminent death.

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It is curious that it took 57 years for Bello to come out with this version. Nwankwo is late now, so it is difficult to get his reaction. However, I find it odd that a brave officer would agree to run away instead of defending his principal even if death was the price.

Lt. Akintunde Akinsehinwa died defending Gen. Murtala Mohammed in 1976. Maj. Usman Bello was killed as he tried to fight for Gen. Ibrahim Babangida, in 1990. From Bello’s account, he was arrested and detained when he went to ascertain what had become of those who were sent to find out what went wrong at Government House, Ibadan.

While Nwankwo announced to Biafrans that Bello saved him, the latter credits Garba Dada Paiko as their saviour who ordered them into a Land Rover as the killer gang got really blood thirsty. This account makes some sense since Bello and the Ironsi family have continued to relate.

I tend to agree with Bello that he was going to be gunned down, like Ironsi and Col. Adekunle Fajuyi, until Dada Paiko intervened. What I do not know is what happened to Adamu Umoru, Fajuyi’s ADC who was with the other subalterns at Government House Ibadan during the coup.

Paiko and Bello hailed from Bida Province, that could have worked. If Paiko desired, he would have left Nwankwo with the assassins instead of taking him away with Bello. The moment he was about to drive off, Sgt. Tijanni Maiduguri fired the shot that killed the military governor of Western Region.

It is almost certain that no commissioned officer was there when Ironsi died. That explains the different names being bandied about since 1966. Yakubu Danjuma, Dada Paiko, William Walbe, Nuhu Nathan, Clement Dabang, Musa Bitiyong, Ibrahim Rabo, Bako Wali, all these names keep popping up.

Dada Paiko played a major role in the abduction of Ironsi and Fajuyi but denied killing the general. He came out with another puzzle. The name Sgt. Bakari Baba Lapai should interest everyone. He was alleged to have hit Danjuma’s shoulders for wasting time with the Head of State.

According to Paiko, while Nuhu Nathan snatched Ironsi’s crocodile swagger stick called Charlie, Baba Lapai disappeared with it. Till date, there is no trace of Bakari Baba Lapai in Nigeria Army records, so said Paiko who unfortunately, is not alive today to repeat himself.

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August 5, 2023

Unknown Gunman Shot Ironsi, By Emeka Obasi
Aguiyi-Ironsi
Aguiyi-Ironsi

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Paiko further explained that while in the United States in 1963, he came across one Vararo Segura, an Ifa high priest, also known as Obafemi. The story was that supreme power in the world was with Orisha, and it was believed that Chief Ladoke Akintola, governor of Western Region, before Fajuyi possessed such power.

Segura tried to convince Dada Paiko that someone snatched the power from Akintola after his assassination in January 1966. And the verdict was that Ironsi had it in his crocodile swagger stick. A funny tale because the general was in Lagos at the time Emma

Nwobosi led troops to kill Akintola in Ibadan.

The fear of Ironsi was real. As a United Nations Peace keeper in the Congo, he braved Katanga rebels to rescue an Austrian medical team and some Nigerian soldiers. That act earned him the Ritter Kruez ( First Class) medal.

The Congolese rebels under Moise Tshombe were dreaded as cannibals. The killing of Lt. G. Ezeugbana confirmed it. Lt. Olusegun Obasanjo was lucky. He cheated death after being dumped in a vehicle booth. That Ironsi dared them made headlines.

The second Secretary General of the United Nations, Dag Hammarskjold, did not survive the Katanga crisis. His aircraft was blown up near Ndola, Zambia on his way to negotiate a ceasefire between UN troops and Tshombe’s soldiers.

Those who took Ironsi and Fajuyi away, knew they returned from Congo with medals. What they did not know was that the crocodile swagger stick was bought in Lubumbashi as a souvenir.

It possessed no power from Orisha. Apparently, Baba Lapai was a ghost sent from the spirit world.

The mystery is endless. Stories continue to fly. Some said Ironsi and Fajuyi were tied to a Land Rover, driven to Olodo Village along Ibadan – Iwo Road, tied to trees and executed. Another account said they were buried in a shallow grave at Lalupon. However, their bodies were exhumed from the Military Cemetery, Jericho, Ibadan.

How strange that some of the names associated with Ironsi’s death in 1966, were also killed much later over coup plots. Dabang, Rabo, Umoru died in 1976. Bitiyong was executed in 1986. Others who were part of second coup of 1966, died following a third coup in 1976. Murtala, Isa Bukar, Abdul Wya, Bukar Dimka, Mac Donald Gotibp, Sabo Kwale, all lost their lives.

Bello was commissioned on July 29, 1965. Hammarskjold was born on July 29, 1905. Ironsi died on July 29, 1966. His successor, Yakubu Gowon, was overthrown on July 29, 1975. Murtala who led the coup against Ironsi, became Head of State on July 29, 1975.

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Politics

OHANAEZE YOUTH COUNCIL REPLIES NORTHERN ELDERS FORUM: YES, IGBO YOUTHS WANT BIAFRA

Published

15 hours ago

February 5, 2026

Ekwutos Blog

By Comrade Igboayaka O. Igboayaka

President OHANEZE YOUTH COUNCIL

The Ohanaeze Youth Council (OYC) has formally replied to the recent statement credited to the Northern Elders Forum, wherein they suggested that if Igbo youths truly desire Biafra, the Nigerian government should not stand in their way.

While we acknowledge this rare moment of honesty, OYC states clearly and unequivocally:-Yes — Igbo youths want Biafra. And this desire is not born out of hatred, but out of decades of injustice, exclusion, and systemic oppression.

The agitation for Biafra is the direct consequence of Nigeria’s persistent failure to build an equitable and inclusive federation.

WHY IGBO YOUTHS ARE DEMANDING BIAFRA

Our position is anchored on undeniable realities:-

*1. Political Differences:-Nigeria’s political structure has consistently marginalized the Southeast. Since the return to democracy in 1999, the Igbo nation has been deliberately excluded from key leadership positions, particularly the Presidency and critical security offices. Federal appointments, resource control, and political representation remain grossly imbalanced against Ndigbo.The so-called federal system operates more like a unitary arrangement where certain regions dominate while others are reduced to spectators.*

*2. Social Differences:-Social integration in Nigeria has collapsed. Igbo citizens face profiling, harassment, and selective enforcement of laws across different parts of the country. Peaceful protests in Igboland are met with military brutality, while violent extremism elsewhere often receives negotiation and amnesty.This double standard has deepened alienation among Igbo youths.*

*3. Cultural Differences:-Our language, traditions, and values are neither protected nor promoted within the Nigerian framework. Instead, Igbo culture is routinely undermined and treated as inferior. A nation that fails to respect the cultural identity of its people cannot claim unity.*

*4. Religious Differences:-Religious intolerance has become normalized. Christian communities in the Southeast feel increasingly threatened in a country where religious bias influences policy, security response, and governance. The absence of genuine religious neutrality further widens the divide.*

*5. Ethnic Hate Against Ndigbo:- Anti-Igbo rhetoric has been openly displayed in national discourse. From threats of expulsion to hate speeches and coordinated attacks, Ndigbo have become targets within their own country. Properties belonging to Igbos are often destroyed during crises, with little or no compensation or justice.This persistent hostility sends a clear message;we are not wanted.*

*6. Systemic Marginalization:- From abandoned federal roads to exclusion from major infrastructure projects, from poor seaport development to economic strangulation, the Southeast remains deliberately underdeveloped. Igbo youths graduate into unemployment, poverty, and despair while watching other regions benefit disproportionately from national resources.*

*This is not accidental. It is structural.*

*OUR MESSAGE IS SIMPLE*
*Igbo youths are not asking for war.*

*Igbo youths are asking for dignity.*

*Igbo youths are asking for freedom.*

*Igbo youths are asking for self-determination.*

*If Nigeria cannot guarantee justice, equity, and equal opportunity for all, then the call for Biafra becomes not just legitimate — but inevitable.*

*To the Northern Elders Forum: we appreciate your acknowledgment. Now let the Nigerian state also have the courage to respect the democratic will of a people.*

*You cannot force unity where there is no justice.*

*Powered by OHANAEZE YOUTH COUNCIL (OYC)*

Politics

FULL LIST: Nigeria now has 21 registered political parties

Published

18 hours ago

February 5, 2026

Ekwutos Blog

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has approved two new political parties ahead of the 2027 general elections, raising the total number of registered parties in Nigeria to 21.

INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan (SAN), announced the approval of the Democratic Leadership Alliance (DLA) and the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) in Abuja on Thursday. While DLA met all statutory requirements, NDC was registered following a Federal High Court order.

Full list of registered political parties in Nigeria:

All Progressives Congress (APC)
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)
Accord (A)
Social Democratic Party (SDP)
Labour Party (LP)
All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA)
African Democratic Congress (ADC)
Boot Party (BP)
Action Democratic Party (ADP)
African Action Congress (AAC)
Action Alliance (AA)
National Rescue Movement (NRM)
Zenith Labour Party (ZLP)
New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP)
Allied Peoples Movement (APM)
Peoples Redemption Party (PRP)
Action Peoples Party (APP)
Young Progressives Party (YPP)
Youth Party (YP)
Democratic Leadership Alliance (DLA) – new
Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) – new

INEC said the new parties were registered as part of efforts to deepen democratic participation and broaden political choices for Nigerians.

Politics

Nnamdi Kanu appeals conviction, faults terrorism trial

Published

2 days ago

February 4, 2026

Ekwutos Blog

Leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu. Photo: X/Aloy Ejimakor

The detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, has filed a notice of appeal challenging his conviction and multiple sentences imposed by the Federal High Court in Abuja, insisting that the trial was riddled with fundamental legal errors and amounted to a miscarriage of justice.

In the notice of appeal dated February 4, 2026, Kanu said he was appealing against his conviction and sentences on seven counts, including terrorism-related offences, for which he received five life sentences and additional prison terms after being found guilty on November 20, 2025.

“I, Nnamdi Kanu, the Appellant, having been convicted and sentenced… do hereby give notice of appeal against my conviction,” the document stated.

Kanu was convicted for offences including “committing an act preparatory to or in furtherance of an act of terrorism,” “making a broadcast… with intent to intimidate the population,” and “being the leader and member of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), a proscribed organisation in Nigeria,” among others.

Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court, Abuja, delivered the judgment on November 20, 2025, sentencing Kanu to five life terms for terrorism-related offences, 20 years’ imprisonment for being the leader of the proscribed IPOB, and five years’ imprisonment with no option of fine for importing a radio transmitter without a licence.

In his grounds of appeal, the IPOB leader accused the trial court of failing to resolve what he described as a “foundational disruption of the original trial process” following the 2017 military operation at his Afara-Ukwu residence.

“The learned trial judge erred in law by failing to resolve the procedural and competence consequences of the foundational disruption of the original trial process in September 2017,” Kanu argued.

He also contended that the court proceeded to trial and judgment while his preliminary objection challenging the competence of the proceedings remained unresolved.

“The learned trial judge did not hear or determine the objection,” the appeal document stated, adding that judgment was delivered “while the objection remained pending and undetermined.”

Kanu further faulted the court for delivering judgment while his bail application was still pending, arguing that this affected the fairness of the trial process.

He also claimed that the trial court convicted him under a law that had already been repealed, stating that “the learned trial judge erred in law by convicting and sentencing the Appellant under the Terrorism Prevention (Amendment) Act, 2013, notwithstanding its repeal by the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, prior to judgment.”

Kanu further argued that he was subjected to double jeopardy, contrary to Section 36(9) of the 1999 Constitution, after being retried on facts he said had earlier been nullified by the Court of Appeal.

He also complained that he was denied fair hearing, claiming that he was not allowed to file or present a final written address before judgment was delivered.

Among the reliefs sought, Kanu asked the Court of Appeal to allow the appeal, quash his conviction and sentences, and “discharge and acquit the Appellant in respect of all the counts.”

He also informed the appellate court of his desire to be present at the hearing of the appeal, stating, “I want to be present at the hearing of the appeal because I may be conducting the appeal in person.”

Kanu is currently being held at a correctional facility in Sokoto State, after his application to be transferred to a different facility in either Niger or Nasarawa State was denied.