Former Military Head of State, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (Rtd), has recounted how he narrowly escaped death during the failed coup led by Major Gideon Orkar on April 22, 1990....CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING.>>
Babangida, in his book, “A Journey in Service,” described the coup as a “rude shock” and detailed the events that unfolded on that fateful night at Dodan Barracks.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!According to Babangida, the coup attempt began in the early hours of the morning while he was asleep, saying that his wife was the first to notice unusual troop movements outside their residence and alerted him.
“The troop movements and formations she had noticed were unusual in the security protocol of the residential part of Dodan Barracks,” he wrote.
As he got up to inspect the situation, gunfire erupted, shattering window panes and signaling the start of an attack.
“Very shortly afterwards, small arms firing commenced. It targeted the residence and office quarters as window panes began to shatter. This was followed by heavy artillery bombardment of the residential quarters,” Babangida narrated.
He explained that his Aide-de-Camp (ADC), Lt-Col. U. K. Bello, immediately took charge of the situation and coordinated efforts to protect the Head of State.
The coup plotters, determined to eliminate Babangida, attempted to storm his residence but were met with stiff resistance from his guards.
“My guards did what they were trained to do best: to protect me and the family as their primary subjects,” Babangida recalled.
He said despite his initial refusal to leave his residence, his security detail forcefully evacuated him and his family to separate safe houses far from Dodan Barracks, which had been heavily damaged by the attack.
Babangida said Bello and loyal troops engaged the coup plotters in a fierce gun battle.
“Lt-Col. U. K. Bello and the boys moved to engage the disloyal soldiers. In the process of moving to deploy the military tank located near the residence, U. K. Bello discovered that the rebel soldiers had earlier sabotaged the vehicle and it could not be used to return the fire of the coup plotters.”
Babangida revealed that while the coup plotters took over the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN) and broadcast their treasonous message, loyal military forces were working tirelessly to counter the insurrection.
He said General Sani Abacha played a crucial role in mobilizing troops to crush the coup, saying “General Sani Abacha took control of the loyal forces as necessary and constantly communicated progress in the operation to foil the coup to me in my safe location.”
According to him, by mid-morning, the coup had been neutralized, and many of the plotters were either arrested or on the run.
Babangida later addressed the nation, reassuring Nigerians of his safety and the defeat of the rebels.
“By the late afternoon, we addressed the nation, reassuring all of the president’s safety and the liquidation of the coup attempt.”
Reflecting on the incident, Babangida expressed disappointment in the betrayal by some of the coup leaders, many of whom he had personally assisted in their military careers.
“I had known many of them personally and helped them in their careers and personal affairs,” he lamented, adding that Orkar, the coup’s leader, had frequently visited him, and Colonel Tony Nyiam, another key conspirator, was a regular correspondent with Dodan Barracks.
Babangida also criticized the content of the coup broadcast, which sought to expel five northern states from Nigeria and tamper with the Sokoto Sultanate.
He described the coup leaders’ demands as “laughable and adolescent,” adding that their rhetoric only served to divide the country along ethnic and religious lines.
“The failure of the coup attempt was also the failure of divisive forces in both the military and the polity,” he stated.
According to him, the event reinforced Nigerians’ confidence in the sovereignty and unity of the country.
Following the coup, Babangida’s administration implemented reforms within the military to prevent a recurrence.
A key change was improved communication within the armed forces to dispel misinformation and discourage mutinous tendencies.
“It dawned on us that a good deal of the misconceptions that informed the Orkar coup speech may have arisen from inadequate communication among members of the armed forces about the policies and programmes of the military government,” he observed.
To address this, he said the government initiated regular Armed Forces Consultative Assemblies, where officers and soldiers were encouraged to voice their concerns and seek clarifications on national policies..…..For More READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE ▶▶
