In a recent post on X, Dr. Joe Abah, OON (@DrJoeAbah), commented on revelations from former military president General Ibrahim Babangida (IBB), stating, “General Babangida has decided to tell the truth before he dies.
I hope that General Gowon does the same and also seeks the forgiveness of Ndi Igbo before he dies.”
This remark coincides with the release of Babangida’s autobiography, A Journey in Service, which challenges the decades-old narrative surrounding the January 15, Babangida Speaks Truth Before Death, Gowon Urged to Follow in Nigeria.
According to a report by NN News Media, Babangida’s book disputes the widely held belief that the 1966 coup was an ethnically motivated “Igbo Coup” orchestrated by Igbo military officers to dominate Nigeria. Instead, he asserts that the uprising stemmed from deep-seated discontent within the military and political elite, transcending ethnic lines.
Babangida highlights that Major Kaduna Nzeogwu, often cited as the coup’s leader, was Igbo in name only. Raised in Kaduna, Nzeogwu spoke fluent Hausa and identified more closely with Northern Nigeria than with the Igbo ethnic group. The former military leader also points out that several Igbo officers, including Lt-Col. Arthur Unegbe, lost their lives during the coup, undermining the idea of an Igbo-led conspiracy.
The coup’s diverse participants further complicate the ethnic narrative. Non-Igbo officers such as Major Adewale Ademoyega, Captain Ganiyu Adeleke, and Lieutenants Pola Oyewole and Olafimihan were actively involved, while Major John Obienu, an Igbo officer, played a key role in quelling the plot. Babangida also reveals that one of the coup’s goals was to free Chief Obafemi Awolowo from prison and appoint him as Nigeria’s provisional president—a detail that casts doubt on claims of Igbo domination.
As Babangida’s account resurfaces, it reignites debates among Nigerians, historians, and political observers about the true motivations behind the 1966 coup. His call for truth-telling, echoed by Dr. Abah’s hope for reconciliation from figures like General Gowon, underscores the ongoing quest to unravel Nigeria’s complex historical narrative.
