Handsome, razor brave and impossibly disciplined, he lived like a monk in uniform.

Handsome, razor brave and impossibly disciplined, he lived like a monk in uniform.

A devoted Catholic, no smoking, no drinking and no womanizing. In a military circle known for excess, Nzeogwu was the one officer nobody could buy, bribe or bend.

And that was exactly why the political class feared him.
In 1966 he led the coup that shook Nigeria to its core.
A coup many still whisper was the boldest attempt to clean up the country. To some he was a patriot trying to rescue Nigeria from corruption. To others he was the spark that ignited decades of political instability.

Whether loved or hated, one thing is certain. He forced Nigeria to confront the truth about itself.

When the system he tried to fix rejected him, Nzeogwu did what many still call the most shocking decision of his career. He joined Biafra. Not for power. Not for rank. But because he believed the Igbo deserved justice and a future Nigeria had refused to give.

He died at just thirty in Nsukka, cut down in an ambush during a night operation. Ironically the same Nigerian forces he fought against buried him in Kaduna with full military honors. Even his enemies could not deny his greatness.

From Okpanam in Delta State he rose from quiet beginnings to become the most debated officer
Nigeria ever produced. Praised in the East, feared in the North, studied in military schools around the world.

From Okpanam in Delta State he rose from quiet beginnings to become the most debated officer
Nigeria ever produced. Praised in the East, feared in the North, studied in military schools around the world.

Decades later his name still burns like hot coal.

Chukwuma Kaduna Nzeogwu. The soldier who tried to change Nigeria and paid for it with his life.

A hero to some.

A warning to others.

A legend to everyone.