Like Today July 29, 1975, General Murtala Muhammad who was described by analysts as Nigeria’s best Head of state took over power from General Yakubu Gowon on first Nigeria’s bloodless coup.
The Coup was tagged bloodless because they said no single shot was fired while addressing the nation after taking over, General Murtala said the “operation was bloodless because we don’t want anyone to lose his or her live’’
Some young Army officers who saw disenchantment with the longest-serving Nigeria’s government by Nigerians, proved reasons to take over and save the nation from embarrassment in the eyes of Nigerians who are tired of Gowon’s 9-year rule.
Read also: 1975 COUP: Why Joe Garba announced Gowon’s ouster
The officers that planned and executed the Coup were Colonel Joseph Nanven Garba, Lt-Colonel Shehu Musa Yar’adua, Colonel Abdul Muhammad among others.
Before they execute the coup, the officers decided to intimate their seniors on the impending rebellion that finally nail down Gowon’s administration on the 9th anniversary of the coup that brought General Yakubu Gowon to power as Nigeria’s Head of State.
The mutineers also identified three young Brigadiers in the Nigerian Army to hand over power to, they were Brigadiers, Murtala Muhammad, Olusegun Obasanjo, and Brigadier Theophilus Yakubu Danjuma, the remaining two are alive, Generals Obasanjo and TY Danjuma.
General Olusegun Obasanjo once revealed in his Book Not My Will, that when young officers were disenchanted with Gowon’s leadership he visited Obasanjo and told him to his face that “if you senior ones will not do anything we are going to do something”
But the manner of the execution of Murtala Coup was very tactical, amazing and surprising, the officers did not take over until when they made sure General Yakubu Gowon left Nigeria for Kampala Uganda to attend the organization of African Unity meeting OAU, The Head of state, General Yakubu Gowon was intimated about the take over while he was comfortably living in the midst of his African colleagues.
Since then, Nigeria had coups that turned to be bloody after that of 1975 that throw away General Gowon.
Other coups after that of General Murtala Muhammad that turned bloody for Nigeria, was the 1983 coup against Late President Shehu Shagari, Nigerian Army lost Brigadier Ibrahim Bako who was sighted with troops on his way to State House Abuja to arrest President Shehu Shagari.
Other unsuccessful military coups that become bloody for Nigeria were Major –General Mamman Vatsa’s of December 1985, when Vatsa was found culpable he was executed by General Babangida, so also the Gideon Okar unsuccessful coup of April 22nd, 1990, The then Head of state General Ibrahim Babangida lost his ADC Colonel Usman Kakanda Bello.
Apart from General Murtala Muhammad’s Coup of 1975, other coups before his were very bloody, the first was that of January 15, 1966, that swept first Nigeria’s civilian government, the Dimka’s abortive coup that led to the killing of General Murtala Muhammad, his ADC Lt. Akintunde Akinsehinwa and his driver Sergeant Adamu on their way to the office on Friday, February 13th, 1976.
