Days that shook Nigeria Part 1

This are some of the days that truly shook Nigerian and also shaped the Nigeria of today

Nigeria’s Independence

October 1, 1960

The Federal republic of Nigeria gained independence from Britain.

Operation Wetie

May 1962

Deputy Premier of the then Western region Akintola attempted to take over from Chief Awolowo by trying to remove him as leader of the Yoruba party (Action Group). In May 1962 with the Yoruba
Western House of Assembly ready to abdicate Akintola after the party had passed a vote of no
confidence on the premier in one of the party meetings, no sooner had this been concluded
than crisis erupted in the house which spread to other parts of western Nigeria

Major Nseogwu’s Coup

January 15, 1966

The 1966 Nigerian coup d'état began on January 15, 1966 when rebel Southern Nigerian soldiers led by Kaduna Nzeogwu assassinated 11 senior Nigerian politicians and two soldiers as well as kidnapping three others. The coup plotters attacked the cities of Kaduna, Ibadan, and Lagos while also blockading the Niger and Benue River within a two day span of time before the coup plotters were subdued. A senior Army officer, General Aguyi Ironsi then used the coup as a pretext to annex power ending Nigeria's first Republic. It was the spark that erupted into the Nigerian Civil War.

July Rematch (1966 counter-coup)

July 29, 1966.

The Nigerian counter-coup of 1966, or the so called "July Rematch", was the second of many military coups in Nigeria. It was masterminded by Lt Colonel Murtala Muhammed and many northern military officers. The coup started out as a mutiny at roughly mid-night on July 28, 1966 and was a reaction to the killings of Northern politicians and Officers by mostly Igbo soldiers on January 15, 1966. The July mutiny/counter coup resulted in the murder of Nigeria's 1st military Head of State General Aguiyi Ironsi and Lt Colonel Adekunle Fajuyi (who was hosting a visiting Ironsi) in Ibadan by angry northern Non Commissioned Officers (NCOs). Upon the termination of Ironsi's government, Lt Colonel Yakubu Gowon was appointed Head of State by the July 1966 coup conspirators.

Murtala with Akinyemi

The Nigerian civil war.

The Nigerian Civil War, also known as the Biafran War, 6 July 1967 – 15 January 1970, was a war fought to counter the secession of Biafra from Nigeria. Biafra represented nationalist aspirations of the Igbo people, whose leadership felt they could no longer coexist with the Northern-dominated federal government. The conflict resulted from political, economic, ethnic, cultural and religious tensions which preceded Britain's formal decolonization of Nigeria in 1960–1963. Immediate causes of the war in 1966 included a military coup, a counter-coup, and persecution of Igbo living in Northern Nigeria. Control over oil production in the Niger Delta played a vital strategic role.

Crash of Nigeria Airways Flight 825

20 November 1969

On 20 November 1969, Nigeria Airways Flight 825, a Vickers VC-10 aircraft, crashed while on approach to Lagos International Airport in Lagos, Nigeria killing all 87 people on board.

The Assassination of Dele Giwa

October 19, 1986

Dele Giwa was killed by a mail bomb in his Lagos home on 19 October 1986. He’s an accomplished journalist from Ile Ife in Osun State.

Late Dele Giwa

The annulment of June 12, 1993 elections

Presidential elections were held in Nigeria on 12 June 1993, the first since the 1983 military coup. The result was a victory for Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola of the Social Democratic Party, who defeated Bashir Tofa of the National Republican Convention. However, the elections were later annulled by military ruler Ibrahim Babangida, leading to a crisis that ended with Sani Abacha heading a coup later in the year

The execution of Ken Saro-Wiwa

November 10, 1995

Ken Saro Wiwa was a Nigerian author, television producer, and environmental activist and President, of the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP), In May 1994, he was arrested and accused of incitement to murder following the deaths of four Ogoni elders. Saro-Wiwa denied the charges, but was imprisoned for over a year before being found guilty and sentenced to death by a specially convened tribunal, during which nearly all of the defendants' lawyers resigned in protest to the trial's cynical rigging by the Abacha regime. Very few observers were surprised when the tribunal declared a "guilty" verdict, but most were shocked that the penalty would be death by hanging for all nine defendants. However, many were skeptical that the executions would actually occur, as the Nigerian government would face international outrage and possible sanctions and other legal action should the penalties be carried out. But on November 10, 1995, Saro-Wiwa and eight other MOSOP leaders (the "Ogoni Nine") were executed by hanging at the hands of military personnel. According to most accounts, Ken was the last person to be hanged and thus forced to watch the death of his colleagues. It was a day that threw Nigerians into shock and thousands were seen crying openly.

 

Football gold at Atlanta 96

August 3rd 1996 was a day a lot of Nigerians will never forget. It was the day that enemies became friends, drinks were freely given, landlords forgot their rent money, bank MD's embraced their drivers, Monarchs kissed their boy-in-waiting, police and thieves shook hands. It was a day a nation jubilated and celebrated like never seen before in our history. Every Nigeria felt like a winner. The under-23 soccer team, led by Kanu Nwankwu put Nigeria in the world in the world map by winning . We became the first African country to win the gold medal in football event at the Olympics

 

The death of MKO Abiola

July 7, 1998

Every Nigerian can remember exactly where they were when Abiola was reported to have died of a heart attack on Tuesday July 7, 1998 after falling ill during a meeting with a visiting U.S. delegation. Abiola was the apparent winner of the 1993 presidential elections that were canceled by the military. He was jailed the following year and accused of treason by dictator Gen. Sani Abacha. His sudden death drew anger and disbelief, as a lot of people believed he would soon be freed from incarceration following Abacha's death. The days following Abiola's death was that of mayhem and destruction. Staunch Abiola supporters went to the streets, destroying lives and properties. It was a terrible period.