FEBRUARY 13 1976: THE DAY MURTALA WAS K1LL£D AND GOWON’S NAME WAS DRAGG£D IN…

FEBRUARY 13 1976: THE DAY MURTALA WAS K1LL£D AND GOWON’S NAME WAS DRAGG£D IN…

On the morning of February 13, 1976, Nigeria’s Head of State, Gen. Murtala Mohammed, was ass@ssinated in a f@iled CØ”ŪP in Lagos.

His car was @mbushed at Ikoyi by Lt. Col. Buka Suka Dimka and sold!ers of the signal corps. Dimka announced on radio that the gover”nment had been overthrøwn.

So why was Gen. Yakubu Gowon implic@ted?

1. Dimka’s Radio Broadcast
   During the co”up announcement, Dimka claimed the co”up had the support of former Hëad of State, Gen. Yakubu Gowon,who was then living in ex!le in the UK after being overthrøwn in 1975. This immediately put Gowon’s name in the story.
2. The Timing
   Gowon had been overthrøwn 8 months earlier by Murtala himself in a bloo”dless co”up on July 29, 1975. So people speculated: was this a “comeback” attempt by Gowon loy@lists?
3. The Tri@l & Findings
   After the co”up f@iled, Dimka and others were @rrested and tried.
   In Cou’rt, Dimka maintained that Gowon was involved. However, no concrete evidence was ever produced to link Gowon directly to the planning or £x£cution of the ass@ss!nation. The tribun@l and the Fedēral govern”ment concluded that Dimka acted with a small group of õffiçērs. Gowon consistently den!ed any involvement from London.
4. Govern”ment’s Action
   Even without proof, the Nigerian govern”ment decl@red Gowon wanted in connection with the co”up. He was stripped of his r@nk and tried in absenti@. Gowon remained in the UK teaching at the University of Warwick until he was p@rdoned and allowed to return to Nigeria in 1982 under PRĒSIDENT Shagari.

The Bottom Line:
Gowon was named by the co”up plotters on radio and in Cou’rt, but was never proven
to be part of the plot. Most historians agree it was an attempt by Dimka’s faction to gain legitimacy by dr@gging Gowon’s name into it.

Murtala’s de@th cut short major reforms, but his 200-day rule is still remembered as one of Nigeria’s most decisive.

Question -Do you think Dimka was telling the truth when he accused Gowon, or was he just looking for someone to blame?