Murtala Mohammed assassinated in abortive coup, Obasanjo assumes power

Murtala Mohammed assassinated in abortive coup, Obasanjo assumes power Conflicting reports on Radio Nigeria on Friday (23 February) firstly claimed that the Government of Brigadier Murtala Muhammed had been overthrown in a coup by young army officers then later broadcasts reported that the coup had been crushed. A Lieutenant-Colonel in the Nigerian Army made the original broadcast. It followed shooting in some sections of Lagos.The officer said Nigeria's borders had been closed and that a dusk-to-dawn curfew had been imposed. However, later on Friday afternoon a Government spokesman said the coup had been crushed and the Government was in full power.

17TH MAY 1976 -  ITN NEWS MILITARY RULER OBASANJO ANNOUNCES EXECUTION OF COLONEL DIMKA WHO WAS ACCUSED OF LEADING ABORTIVE FEBRUARY COUP THE 31ST PERSON EXECUTED  The head of the Federal Military Government of Nigeria, Lieutenant General Olusegan Obasanjo, announced in a television and radio broadcast on Saturday (15 May) the execution of the Colonel who led an abortive coup against the Nigerian Government on 13 February this year. The Nigerian leader said that the rebel officer, Lieutenant Colonel B.S. Dimka, was executed by a firing squad earlier on Saturday. Also executed by the same firing squad was Mr. J.D. Gomwalk, a former senior official. On 11 march, thirty other people were executed for their roles in the abortive coup. In his broadcast, Lieutenant General Obasanjo told Nigerians that Britain had refused to extradited General Yakubu Gowan, the 40 year-old former head-of-state who was deposed in July, 1975, and who is now a university student in England. The Nigerian Government has said that the abortive coup had been aimed at restoring General Gowon, and it wants him to return to Nigeria to answer charges that he was involved. The General has denied any connection with the unsuccessful coup. General Murtala Mohammed, who was head-of-state at the time of the abortive coup, died in the rebellion. 27th Feb 1976 - ITN News Students demand extradiction of Gowon who was accused of sponsoring the abortive coup Rioting students, demonstrating over the death of former Nigerian Head of State, General Murtala Muhammed, ransacked the British High Commission in Lagos on Tuesday (17 February). The students, calling for a full investigation into the attempted coup in which General Muhammed was killed, were eventually driven from the building by Police using tear gas. But first the hundreds of students smashed windows and ransacked the Reuter news agency office in the building. The students carried banners and called for the extradition of General Gowon to Nigeria to face changes that the helped plan the coup. Britain claimed compensation for damage to the building, but later withdrew the claim. The Nigerian government issued a statement saying that the coup, on 13 February, was aimed at restoring General Gowon to power. Most of the armed forces remained loyal to the government and quickly crushed the rebellion. General Gowon was ousted by General Muhammed in July, 1975, while he was in Uganda for an Organisation of African Unity (OAU) Conference. General Muhammed, who was 37, was buried at his home town of Kano, in Northern Nigeria 36 hours after his assassination in Lagos. At the end of seven days of mourning on Friday (20 February) memorial services for the late General were held in Christian churches and mosques throughout the country. 13th March 1976 Lagos: Obasanjo executes 32 Men he claims were involved in the abortive coup Thousands of people watched the public executions in Lagos, Nigeria of 32 men condemned for their involvement in last month's abortive coup in which General Murtala Muhammed, the Head of State, was assassinated. The executions took place on Thursday (11 March) in two locations. One group, which included the former Commissioner for Defence, Major-General I.D. Bisalla, faced a firing squad at Bar Beach, Victoria Island, while another was executed at Kirikiri Prison. A Largos radio correspondent reported that at Kirikiri Prison the thousands who had gathered to watch the execution were impatient and that "security men had the uncomfortable task of keeping the crowd under control." Another radio correspondent said of the shooting at Bar Beach: "They were all in mufti. Most of them looked sober, while some managed to smile at reporters. Their confessions were taken before a firing squad of 15 opened fire. The firing lasted about 10 minutes." The leader of the coup, Lieutenant-Colonel Bukar Dimka, was not among those executed on Thursday, although he was presented to journalists on the same day. A recording of his interrogation was played and he made a statement saying that he had not confessed under duress. Wanted for the murder of General Muhammed, Colonel Dimka eluded capture until 5 March. 14th March 1976 NIGERIA: CHIEF OF STAFF, BRIGADIER SHEU YAR'ADUA, REVEALS HOW ABORTIVE COUP WAS PLANNED. 15th March 1976 (approx) - Associated Press New military ruler Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo meets with U.S. Ambassador Andrew Young as Obasanjo adopts pro-U.S. policies\