Major Chukwuma Kaduna Nzeogwu: The Death of Nigeria’s First Coup Leader as Reported by Daily Times in 1967

The August 2, 1967 Daily Times front page captured the fall of one of Nigeria’s most controversial soldiers during the early days of the Civil War

On Wednesday, August 2, 1967, the front page of the Daily Times of Nigeria carried one of the most striking wartime headlines of the decade — the death of Major Chukwuma Kaduna Nzeogwu, a man whose actions in 1966 had changed the course of Nigerian history forever.

The newspaper reported that Nzeogwu, the leader of the January 15, 1966 coup d’état, had been killed by Federal troops near Nsukka, approximately 22 miles from Enugu, while leading Biafran forces during the early phase of the Nigerian Civil War. The report marked the end of a turbulent life that had begun with revolutionary zeal and ended in the chaos of a divided nation.

The Front Page That Captured a Turning Point

The Daily Times headline of August 2, 1967, read with solemn finality — “Nzeogwu is Dead.” The accompanying photograph showed the fallen officer whose name had become synonymous with Nigeria’s first coup. The issue also featured images of Federal soldiers inspecting captured weapons, symbolising the government’s growing confidence in its campaign against the secessionist Republic of Biafra.

Another story on the same front page detailed how Biafran forces lost an aircraft during an air raid at Bonny, a coastal town that had been recaptured by Federal troops a week earlier. The coverage reflected the rapidly shifting dynamics of the war — a conflict that had erupted just a month earlier, in July 1967, after the Eastern Region declared independence.

Who Was Major Chukwuma Kaduna Nzeogwu?

Born on February 26, 1937, in Kaduna, to Igbo parents from Okpanam in Delta State, Chukwuma Kaduna Nzeogwu was a bold and brilliant officer in the Nigerian Army. Educated at St. John’s College, Kaduna, and later trained at Sandhurst Military Academy in the United Kingdom, Nzeogwu quickly rose through the ranks to become one of the most ideologically driven young officers of his time.

In January 1966, at the age of 29, Nzeogwu led a coup aimed at ending corruption and political instability in Nigeria’s First Republic. The coup, however, turned bloody — with the assassination of key political leaders including Prime Minister Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, Northern Premier Sir Ahmadu Bello, and Western Premier Chief Samuel Ladoke Akintola.

Although Nzeogwu claimed his mission was patriotic, the ethnic imbalance in the killings led to widespread resentment, especially in Northern Nigeria, and triggered the counter-coup of July 1966, which ultimately brought Lt. Colonel Yakubu Gowon to power.

From Detention to the Biafran War Front

After the counter-coup, Nzeogwu was arrested and detained in Kaduna. However, when the Nigerian Civil War broke out in July 1967, he was released by Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, the leader of the secessionist Biafra, who sought to enlist him as part of the Biafran military command.

Despite being on the Biafran side, many accounts suggest that Nzeogwu’s allegiance was not entirely political — he reportedly sought unity for Nigeria but believed the Federal Government had failed to uphold justice. His presence at the front lines reflected his lifelong dedication to military duty rather than political ambition.

The Circumstances of His Death

According to reports from the Daily Times and other wartime sources, Nzeogwu was killed in action near Nsukka by Federal troops. It was said that he led a reconnaissance mission that turned into a direct confrontation. His body was later recovered and buried by Federal forces with full military honours, a gesture of respect ordered by Head of State Yakubu Gowon, who recognised Nzeogwu’s courage despite their opposing sides.

This rare act of honour demonstrated the complex legacy Nzeogwu left behind — both as a soldier condemned for rebellion and as a patriot admired for his bravery.

Legacy of a Controversial Patriot

Major Chukwuma Kaduna Nzeogwu’s death marked the symbolic end of the revolutionary idealism that had inspired Nigeria’s first military coup. While many viewed his actions as a catalyst for the decades of military rule that followed, others regarded him as a misguided patriot who sought to cleanse Nigeria’s political system of corruption and tribalism.

Over the years, Nzeogwu has remained a polarising yet respected figure in Nigerian history. His words from a 1966 interview continue to echo in national discourse:

> “We wanted to change the country for the better — to make it a place where no one is oppressed.”

His burial by the same Federal Government he once opposed serves as a reminder that even amid division, the ideals of unity and honour can transcend conflict.

Historical Context: The Nigerian Civil War

The Daily Times front page that reported Nzeogwu’s death came at a time when the Nigerian Civil War was intensifying. The war, which lasted from July 1967 to January 1970, pitted Federal forces against the secessionist Republic of Biafra led by Lt. Colonel Ojukwu.

It was one of Africa’s most devastating conflicts, resulting in the deaths of over a million people, mostly civilians. The war exposed deep ethnic, political, and economic tensions within Nigeria — many of which still shape the country’s politics today.

References:

Daily Times Nigeria, August 2, 1967.

Madiebo, A. (1980). The Nigerian Revolution and the Biafran War. Fourth Dimension Publishers.

The Guardian Nigeria (2017). Remembering Major Chukwuma Kaduna Nzeogwu.

Federal Ministry of Information Archives, Lagos.