Names of members of General Aguiyi-Ironsi’s Supreme Military Council (1966)

Names of members of General Aguiyi-Ironsi’s Supreme Military Council (1966)

Names of members of General Aguiyi-Ironsi’s Supreme Military Council (1966)

1. Major General Johnson Thomas Umunnakwe Aguiyi-Ironsi
   He was Nigeria’s first Indigenous General and became Head of State after the January 1966 coup. As Chairman of the Supreme Military Council, he attempted to unify the country through Decree No. 34, which introduced a unitary system of government.
2. Lieutenant Colonel Yakubu Gowon
   He served as Chief of Staff of the Nigerian Army under Ironsi. Known for his discipline and calm approach, Gowon later became Nigeria’s Head of State after the July 1966 counter-coup.
3. Commodore Joseph Edet Akinwale Wey
   Wey was the Chief of Naval Staff and one of the senior-most officers in the Nigerian Armed Forces. He played a stabilizing role within the navy and worked closely with Ironsi on national security matters.
4. Colonel George T. Kurubo
   Kurubo served as Commander of the Nigerian Air Force. He was one of the pioneering officers who helped build the young air force and represented air power within the council.
5. Alhaji Kam Salem
   As the Inspector General of Police, Kam Salem represented the Nigeria Police Force in the council. He was responsible for maintaining law and order during a politically sensitive period.
6. Lieutenant Colonel Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu
   Ojukwu was the Military Governor of the Eastern Region. A charismatic and intellectual officer, he played a major role during the national debates of 1966 and later led the Eastern Region during the civil war.
7. Lieutenant Colonel Hassan Usman Katsina
   He served as the Military Governor of the Northern Region. Katsina was respected for helping calm tensions in the North after the January coup and for maintaining order during a volatile time.
8. Lieutenant Colonel Adeyinka Adebayo
   Adebayo was the Military Governor of the Western Region. He worked to stabilize the region, which had experienced political crisis before the coup, and maintained firm administrative control.
9. Lieutenant Colonel David Akpode Ejoor
   Ejoor served as the Military Governor of the Mid-Western Region. He was known for his professionalism and for keeping the Mid-West relatively peaceful during the 1966 national upheavals.