Few hours before fellow soldiers overthrew the regime of Nigeria’s first military leader, Major-General Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi, and took his life on July 29, 1966,

Few hours before fellow soldiers overthrew the regime of Nigeria’s first military leader, Major-General Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi, and took his life on July 29, 1966,

Few hours before fellow soldiers overthrew the regime of Nigeria’s first military leader, Major-General Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi, and took his life on July 29, 1966, he had an opening session of a two-day conference of Nigeria’s traditional rulers in Ibadan. Unfortunately, that was his very last official engagement.

During his speech at the conference, the Supreme Commander, as he was called then, ordered Nigerians to respect the national anthem.

He told the traditional rulers that directives would soon be issued to schools throughout the Republic to sing the national anthem both at the commencement and the close of schools daily.

Major-General Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi used the opportunity of the event to accuse former Nigerian leaders of failing the country in her hour of need as he said partisan interests became equated with the public interest while the citizens became factionalised.

He also accused traditional rulers of pitching their fortunes with one or the other of those warring camps thus bringing the institution of chieftaincy into rid!cule and cøntempt.

The Supreme Commander recalled that some time before January, 1966, law and order broke down in certain parts of the country making it uneasy for the ordinary people to move about while political leaders found it impossible to meet.

He also said life and property were not safe and there were utter bewilderment, frustration and despair.

Major-General Aguiyi-Ironsi further explained that the first aim of the Military Government was to restore law and order where these had broken down.

Unknown to him, the soldiers had mobilised for what would eventually bring his regime, his life and the life of his host to an end.

Photo: The last public appearance of Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi and his host, Lieutenant Colonel Adekunle Fajuyi, the Military Governor of Western Nigeria, in Ibadan a day before the July 29, 1966 cøup.