IBB Refutes Claims of Igbo-Led 1966 Coup, Calls for Historical Clarity

February 23, 2025

For decades, the 1966 coup has been widely labeled as an “Igbo coup,” a narrative that has shaped political discourse and ethnic relations in Nigeria. But former military ruler, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (IBB), is now challenging that perception. In his latest book, A Journey In Service, Babangida argues that blaming the Igbo ethnic group for the coup is historically inaccurate.

Sitting in his Minna residence, the retired general speaks with the weight of experience. He was a young officer when the coup unfolded, watching from within the military as the country was plunged into turmoil. He insists that the motivations behind the coup were not ethnic, despite the prominence of Igbo names among the plotters. According to him, the young officers who staged the coup were disillusioned with the political state of Nigeria, believing they were fighting corruption and misrule rather than advancing an ethnic agenda.

Babangida recounts how Major John Obienu, an Igbo officer, actively worked to counter the mutiny. His actions, Babangida says, prove that not all Igbo officers supported the coup. In contrast, Lt-Col. Arthur Unegbe, another Igbo officer, was among those killed by the coup plotters, further weakening the argument that the coup was orchestrated to benefit the Igbo elite.

The retired general pauses before making his next point. Many have forgotten, he says, that the coup’s masterminds aimed to release Obafemi Awolowo from prison and install him as Nigeria’s leader. If the coup had been solely an Igbo affair, why would its key players plan to elevate a Yoruba politician rather than an Igbo one?

Then there’s the matter of Major Kaduna Nzeogwu, often called the face of the coup. Babangida shakes his head at the idea that Nzeogwu, an officer who spoke Hausa fluently and identified strongly with Northern culture, was an Igbo nationalist. Born in Kaduna and raised in the North, Nzeogwu had a cultural identity far more complex than many assume.

Reflecting on the coup’s aftermath, Babangida acknowledges that the events of 1966 deepened ethnic mistrust, leading to cycles of revenge and bloodshed. But he insists that Nigeria must move past these distortions of history. Understanding the true nature of the coup, he says, is essential for fostering unity and preventing future conflicts based on misinformation.

For Babangida, the lessons of history should guide Nigeria toward a future built on truth rather than myths. The 1966 coup, he asserts, was not an ethnic conspiracy but a failed attempt at reform that spiraled into tragedy. And until Nigerians accept that complexity, the wounds of the past may never fully heal.