- The family of Nigeria’s first military Head of State, Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi, publicly called on the Federal Government to apologise for his killing in 1966
- Family head Imo Aguiyi-Ironsi spoke during a televised interview on Thursday, describing his uncle as a detribalised Nigerian who was wrongly held responsible for a coup
- The family also called for compensation and reconciliation, arguing that Aguiyi-Ironsi took charge only because of his rank, not out of any personal ambition or wrongdoing
The family of Major-General Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi, Nigeria’s first military Head of State, has asked the Federal Government to issue a formal apology for his killing nearly six decades ago, alongside compensation and what they described as sincere reconciliation.
Imo Aguiyi-Ironsi, who heads the family, made the demand on Thursday, July 30, during an interview on Arise News. “I think the family needs an apology.
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The family needs to be compensated. We need sincere apology. We need sincere reconciliation,” he said.
A leader killed for his position, not his actions
Imo argued that his uncle bore no responsibility for the January 15, 1966 coup that toppled Nigeria’s civilian government and claimed the lives of several top political and military leaders, Punch reported.
Rather than participating in the plot, Aguiyi-Ironsi helped suppress it and assumed power only because he was the most senior military officer available at the time.
“Only because of his position as the most senior military officer, he was told to take charge. And then that cost him his life,” Imo said. He added that this was not a matter of dispute. “Everybody knows that,” he said.
He spoke warmly of his uncle’s character and brief time in office.
“He was a man of vision. He was a detribalized Nigerian. He was a good leader. He occupied the seat of head of state for only six months, and he was taken away from us. Not because of a sin he committed, because he wasn’t part of the January 1966 coup,” he said.
Background on Aguiyi-Ironsi’s death
Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi led Nigeria from January 16, 1966, until his death on July 29 of the same year. His tenure became increasingly contentious after he issued Decree 34, which centralised authority and abolished the federal structure, drawing sharp opposition from northern Nigeria’s military and political establishment, Premium Times reported.
His decision not to prosecute the officers behind the January coup deepened tensions further.
On July 29, 1966, northern soldiers launched what came to be known as the counter-coup. Aguiyi-Ironsi was killed that day in Ibadan alongside his host, Lieutenant Colonel Adekunle Fajuyi, the military governor of the Western Region.
Imo said he hoped those in positions of authority were paying attention to the family’s appeal. “Well, I hope there are people who are in positions to make this happen that are listening to you tonight,” he said.
Ohanaeze Ndigbo remembers Aguiyi Ironsi
Previously, Legit.ng reported that Ohanaeze Ndigbo has marked the 60th anniversary of the killing of Nigeria’s first military Head of State, Major General Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi, and the old Western Region Military Governor, Lieutenant Colonel Adekunle Fajuyi, calling their shared fate one of the most compelling examples of patriotism in the country’s history.
The Igbo apex organisation issued the tribute through its global spokesman, Ezechi Chukwu, in a statement released on Wednesday, July 29, in Enugu.
Source: Legit.ng