KILLED BECAUSE OF THE FEAR OF A MIDDLE BELT RESURRECTION TO POWER.
THE DIMKA COUP

KILLED BECAUSE OF THE FEAR OF A MIDDLE BELT RESURRECTION TO POWER.
THE DIMKA COUP
This was not just about killing Murtala. The executions that followed were targeted. WHAT HAPPENED
ON Friday, February 13, 1976. ∼8:00am
Lt. Col. Bukar Suwa Dimka – From Pankshin, Plateau State

1. Ambush: Dimka’s men killed Gen. Murtala Mohammed, Lt. Akintunde Akinsehinwa, and the driver on Ikoyi Road, Lagos.
2. Radio Broadcast: 10am. Dimka announced the overthrow of government.
3. By Feb 14, Brig. Obasanjo and Brig. Danjuma had crushed it. Dimka was arrested in Abakaliki.
4. WHY THE PURGE WAS SO HARSH – “FEAR OF MIDDLE BELT RESURRECTION TO POWER:

Between 1966-1975, Gen. Yakubu Gowon of Pankshin ruled Nigeria for 9 years. He also created 12 states in 1967, which gave Plateau, Benue, and the Middle Belt their own states for the first time.

So in 1976 when Dimka of Pankshin struck, the Northern establishment saw a pattern:
Gowon – Head of State – Pankshin
Gomwalk – Governor – Pankshin
Dimka – Coup Leader – Pankshin
Danjuma – Army Chief – Takum/Middle Belt

The fear in Kaduna/Sokoto circles was: “The Middle Belt had power once. They are trying to take it back again. We must cut it at the root.”

That is why the tribunal and executions focused heavily on Plateau and Benue officers It was a political message, not just a military one.

OFFICERS TAGGED AND KILLED AFTER THE DIMKA COUP*

These were the senior officers executed by firing squad in May 1976 after the tribunal:

EXECUTED:

1. Lt. Col. Bukar Suwa Dimka – Pankshin, Plateau. Coup Leader.
2. Col. Joseph Dechi Gomwalk – Pankshin, Plateau. First Military Governor of Plateau State.
3. Lt. Col. James Wada* – Benue. Former Military Governor of Benue-Plateau State.
4. BISALLA – Plateau.
5. Lt. Col. John Atom Kpera – Benue. Later pardoned and became Governor of Benue State 1979-1983
6. Lt. Col. Ibrahim Bako- Kano. Killed during the coup attempt in Lagos
7. Maj. Danladi Dawa – Plateau.
8. Maj. Musa Welli – Benue.
9. Maj. Michael Ogar – Cross River.
10. Capt. Abubakar Mohammed – Sokoto.
11. Capt. Sunday Okon – Cross River.
12. Capt. Shuaibu Bello – Sokoto.
13. Lt. Solomon Gwanle – Plateau.
14. Lt. Emmanuel Dangiwa – Plateau.
15. 2nd Lt. Joseph Gomwalk Jr – Plateau. _Son of Col. Gomwalk

38 people were executed in total on the first day, The list above includes the most senior Plateau/Benue/Middle Belt officers. The rest were junior officers and civilians._

DISMISSED/JAILED/RETIRED:*
Hundreds of other Middle Belt officers were forcibly retired or posted to non-sensitive positions between 1976-1979. This was called “the 1976 purge.”

3 KEY FACTS

1. Pankshin lost 3 sons in 1 year Gowon was overthrown July 1975. Gomwalk and Dimka were executed May 1976.
2. Plateau + Benue bore the brunt 4 of the 5 most senior executed officers were from Plateau/Benue.
3. The Message From 1976 onward, no Middle Belt officer held the position of Head of State, Chief of Army Staff, or Defence Minister for the next 20 years.

Conclusion:
The Dimka coup lasted 24 hours. But the fear behind it lasted decades.
In Jos and Makurdi, people still say: “1976 was when they decided the Middle Belt must never rule again.”