Former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, has insisted that the January 15, 1966 coup was an Igbo-led uprising, citing former military Head of State Ibrahim Babangida’s book, A Journey in Service, as evidence.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Fani-Kayode dismissed claims that Babangida refuted the ethnic nature of the coup, arguing that those making such assertions are either misinformed or deliberately distorting history.
“I hate to burst your bubble, but there is NOWHERE in IBB’s book where he said that the coup of January 15, 1966, was NOT an Igbo coup. In fact, he alluded to the contrary when he said the coup had taken on an “unmistakable ethnic coloration.”
He emphasized that 99% of the officers who planned and executed the coup were Igbo, while the majority of those killed were non-Igbo military officers and political leaders, including some of their family members.
“We owe it to the memory of those who were so callously slaughtered not to sugarcoat the bitter truth, revise history, or tell lies. The coup was UNMISTAKABLY an Igbo one, and IBB made this very clear when he wrote about its “ethnic coloration”.
Fani-Kayode criticized those attempting to reinterpret Babangida’s words, accusing them of pushing a revisionist agenda. He urged them to read the book carefully before making misleading claims.
“The truth is that the Jan. 15, 1966, coup WAS an Igbo one, and I am glad to say that IBB has confirmed it. This is a FACT, and as our journalist friends will tell you, facts are sacred, and opinion is cheap.”
Fani-Kayode’s remarks have reignited debates over the controversial 1966 coup, a historic event that marked the beginning of military interventions in Nigeria’s political landscape.
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