By
Yinka Odumakin
The ancient city of Ibadan comes alive on
Friday July 29, 2016 as dignitaries from all walks of life converge to remember
that gallant, brave and outstanding soldier, Col Adekunle Fajuyi, who was
murdered 50 years ago by Northern military officers who massed on the capital
of the Western Region to take out then Head of State, Major General Johnson
Aguiyi- Ironsi.
*Col Adekunle Fajuyi |
The International Conference at the University of Ibadan is the place to be as prolific writer
and teacher, Prof Niyi Osundare, speaks on “Fajuyi and the Politics of Remembrance”.
Fiery preacher, Pastor Tunde Bakare and Prof Wale Adebanwi will spice his
thoughts.
I spoke with a 27-year-old a few weeks back and
I was shocked he had no idea who Fajuyi was. And it quickly dawned on me that
those who stopped the teaching of History in our schools have succeeded in
wiping off the memory card of our pertinent stories. They want us
to be blank but we must keep telling our stories. Adekunle Fajuyi did not
commit any crime than the fact that he was playing host to Ironsi on July
29,1966 when Northern officers who staged a revenge coup following
the Kaduna Nzeogwu-led coup of January 15,1966 struck.
Disgruntled Northern officers led by Murtala
Mohammed, TY Danjuma, Martin Adamu and others spearheaded a rebellion within
the army after the event of January. On one occasion, Murtala called Ironsi a
“fool” in the presence of other officers and threatened to avenge the death of
his Northern officer colleagues. His position as the Inspector of Signals
became quite veritable for the planning of the revenge coup nicknamed
“Operation Araba” (Araba is Hausa word for let’s divide it). Murtala and his
Northern colleagues had totally lost confidence in the Nigerian federation and
their plan was to break Northern region from Nigeria .
Their politicians had earlier pulled out of the
Federal Parliament in 1953 after the crisis that followed their rejection of
Enahoro’s motion that Nigeria
should become independent in 1956.They produced an eight-point demand which
effectively wanted a confederal Nigeria
as a precondition to return. As their coup began on July 29, 1966, it was
Murtala who coordinated the take-over of the International Airport in Lagos , an
edifice to be named after him 10 years later. When he and his troops arrived
the airport, they hijacked planes to ferry their families back to the North as
a prelude to the exit of the region from Nigeria .
An Igbo
officer (Captain Okoye) was captured by them and tied to an iron cross and
beaten to death. In Military units across Lagos, Kaduna and Ibadan, Northern
troops went gaga and murdered their Igbo colleagues in gruesome manner,
eliminating hundreds of them. The arrowhead of the whole operation was Murtala
who had close links with NPC as his Uncle Inuwa Wada was the Defence Minister.
When Danjuma and co arrived Ibadan they
made for the Government House where there was a detachment of 106 Artillery
commanded by William Walbe from Plateau State on guard. It later came to
light that Walbe was part of the conspiracy. He later became ADC to Gowon. By
some act of naivety Fajuyi’s ADC was one Lt Adamu, while Ironsi had Lt Sani
Bello.