60 years after: Remembering the bloody coup that changed Nigeria forever
Nigeria is marking 60 years since the January 15, 1966 coup that toppled the First Republic and opened the door to decades of military rule. The bloody takeover, led by young officers who claimed to be fighting corruption and political chaos, has remained one of the most disputed turning points in the nation’s history. Key political figures, including Prime Minister Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, Northern Premier Ahmadu Bello and Western Premier Ladoke Akintola, were killed along with senior military officers. The fact that most of the victims were northern leaders fuelled deep resentment and the perception of an ethnically biased operation, especially in the North. The coup was quickly followed by a counter coup in July 1966, massacres in the North and, eventually, the Nigerian Civil War between 1967 and 1970. Analysts say these events shattered trust among regions and ethnic […]