TRAGIC Story Of How Aguiyi- Ironsi Was Marched Into The bush And Shot Dead During 1966 Coup
Sani Bello, the former aide- de- camp to Nigeria’ s ex- military head of state, Johnson Aguiyi- Ironsi, recently shared the harrowing details of how his principal was killed during the coup d’ etat of July 1966.
In an interview with Daily Trust on Sunday, Bello recounted the events of that fateful day.
Aguiyi- Ironsi had become Nigeria’ s first military head of state after the civilian government led by Tafawa Balewa was overthrown on January 15, 1966.
However, his tenure was short- lived. On July 29, 1966, a countercoup took place, leading to his assassination.
On the day of the coup, Aguiyi- Ironsi was in Ibadan with Adekule Fajuyi, the then military governor of Western Nigeria. Both were eventually killed during the upheaval.
Bello, who was present at the Government House in Ibadan, described the sequence of events that led to their deaths.
According to Bello, Theophilus Danjuma, the former chief of army staff, forcibly dragged him, Aguiyi- Ironsi, and Fajuyi into a convoy headed towards Owo LGA in Ondo State.
All the leaders in the convoy were non- commissioned officers (NCOs), the lowest rank in the Nigerian army, comprising mainly enlisted personnel.
As the convoy proceeded, an extraordinary event occurred. A Land Rover approached late at night, and Fajuyi, sensing something was amiss, asked his aide- de- camp to investigate.
Despite being in separate wings of the Government House, they communicated about the situation.
Fajuyi then ordered vehicles to be brought in, but the poorly constructed Government House, with services located outside, hindered their efforts.
Those sent to fetch the vehicles, including a sergeant- major close to Ironsi, never returned.
Bello, deciding to check on the situation, was arrested at the gate by the police, who had come to escort them to Mapo Hall.
The coup plotters mistook the police’ s arrival as a reinforcement called by Bello, leading to his arrest along with the dignitaries and press secretary.
The convoy drove a distance until it reached a small forest along the Owo road. Suddenly, the staff officer holding a machine gun took charge, cocking the weapon and preparing to fire.
Bello pleaded for the execution to take place in the bush, buying time for Lieutenant Dada to catch up with them. Dada demanded Bello’ s release but couldn’ t secure the safety of Aguiyi- Ironsi and Fajuyi.
Gunshots were heard as Bello was taken away, marking the last he heard of Ironsi. He later recounted how the sergeant- major justified the killings by claiming they tried to escape.
Bello described this final confrontation, detailing the chilling moment when they heard the machine gun fire, signifying the end of Aguiyi- Ironsi and Fajuyi’ s lives.
This account highlights the brutal nature of the coup and the profound impact it had on Nigeria’ s history. Bello’ s narrative serves as a poignant reminder of the violent upheavals that have shaped the nation.
Source
The cable