NIGERIA: MAJOR-GENERAL AGUIYI-IRONSI SPEAKS TO PROVINCIAL RULERS ON DAY BEFORE HE WAS KIDNAPPED DURING COUP: SCENES IN LAGOS AS NEWS OF COUP SPREAD.

Record ID: 237697

  • Title: NIGERIA: MAJOR-GENERAL AGUIYI-IRONSI SPEAKS TO PROVINCIAL RULERS ON DAY BEFORE HE WAS KIDNAPPED DURING COUP: SCENES IN LAGOS AS NEWS OF COUP SPREAD.
  • Date: 2nd August 1966
  • Summary: 1. GV HOUSE OF CHIEFS 0.03 2. GV ESCORT AND IRONSI ARRIVES 0.22 3. SV CHIEFS ARRIVING 0.24 4. SV IRONSI UP STEPS 0.29 5. CU CHIEF 0.31 6. SCU IRONSI SPEAKS 0.39 7. GV THREE RULERS LOOK ON 0.42 8. CU PAN ONLOOKERS 0.48 9. CU IRONSI SPEAKS 0.53 10. GV PAN MILITARY OFFICERS 0.56 11. SV IRONSI AND OTHERS TOUR BUILDING 1.03 12. TV IRONSI LAUGHS WITH CHIEF 1.10 13. CU IRONSI 1.14 14. SV IRONSI OUTSIDE BUILDING ZOOM OUT TO CROWDS AROUND 1.19 15. GV IRONSI IN CAR AND AWAY 1.24 16. GV CENTRAL OF LAGOS WITH ARMY TRUCK 1.32 17. GV ARMY ORDNANCE DEPOT 1.37 18. CU SIGN: "WELCOME TO WESTERN NIGERIA" 1.41 19. GV IBO FAMILIES AT DEPOT 1.47 20. SV PAN DITTO 1.54 21. GV DESERTED STREET 1.58 22. SV PAN EMPTY STORES AND CLOSED SHOPS 2.07 23. SV WOMAN TAKES CHILDREN FROM SCHOOL 2.13 24. SV GROUP HIRE A TAXI 2.21 25. SV PEOPLE HURRY HOME (3 SHOTS) 2.40 Initials GHB/VS/RM/OS Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 17th August 1966 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: IBADAN AND LAGOS, NIGERIA
  • Country: Nigeria
  • Reuters ID: LVA15SPZA0LBU6R00VJTBG9FA2NT
  • Story Text: NIGERIA'S NEW REGIME - FORMED AFTER AN ARMY MUTINY - TODAY (TUESDAY) ANNOUNCED THE RELEASE OF SEVERAL PROMINENT CIVILIAN POLITICAL PRISONERS - INCLUDING CHIEF ANTHONY ENAHORO AND CHIEF OBAFEMI AWOLOWO. THE COUNTRY HAD SETTLED INTO AN UNEASY CALM FOLLOWING FRIDAY'S COUP, WHICH COULD BRING THE EMERGENCE OF A NEW REGIME - THE THIRD IN SEVEN YEARS. THERE WAS NO FURTHER NEWS OF THE FATE OF THE COUNTRY'S HEAD OF STATE, MAJOR GENERAL JOHNSON AGUIYI-IRONSI, WHO WAS REPORTED KIDNAPPED BY SOLDIERS IN IBADAN.

    LIEUTENANT-COLONEL YAKUBU GOWON,THE 31-YEAR-OLD SANDHURST TRAINED ARMY CHIEF-OF-STAFF, HAS EMERGED AS A LEADER. HE ASSUMED CONTROL OF THE NIGERIAN GOVERNMENT AND ARMED FORCES ON MONDAY.

    ON THE DAY PRIOR TO THE ARMY MUTINY MAJOR-GENERAL AGUIYI-IRONSI WAS IN THE WESTERN TOWN OF IBADAN MEETING 24 RULERS, SELECTED FROM ALL GROUPS OF PROVINCES, WHO WISHED TO MAKE KNOWN THEIR VIEWS ON THE COUNTRY'S FUTURE ADMINISTRATION. MAJOR-GENERAL AGUIYI-IRONSI ANNOUNCED FROM IBADAN THAT THE MILITARY GOVERNMENT WAS PLANNING A 20-YEAR DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME TO ENSURE RAPID INDUSTRIALISATION, INCREASED FOOD PRODUCTION. FURTHER DIVERSIFICATION OF THE ECONOMY AND MORE EQUITABLE DISTRIBUTION ON INCOMES. IT WAS THE FIRST JOINT MEETING OF NIGERIA'S TRADITIONAL RULERS SINCE INDEPENDENCE IN 1960. MAJOR-GENERAL AGUIYI-IRONSI IS BELIEVED TO HAVE BEEN KIDNAPPED TOGETHER WITH THE MILITARY GOVERNMENT OF THE WESTERN PROVINCE, LIEUTENANT COLONEL FAJUYI, THE NEXT DAY.

    OBSERVERS IN NIGERIA SAW THE WEEKEND MUTINY AS BRINGING TO A HEAD DISTRUST BETWEEN THE COUNTRY'S TWO BIGGEST TRIBAL GROUPS - THE HAUSAS OF THE NORTH AND THE IBOS OF THE SOUTH EAST. HAUSAS OFFICERS AND MEN WERE BELIEVED TO HAVE REBELLED BECAUSE OF THEIR SUSPICIONS THAT IBOS WERE TRYING TO DOMINATE THE COUNTRY FOLLOWING THE COUP WHICH OUSTED CIVILIAN RULE LAST JANUARY.

    WHEN NEWS OF THE COUP REACHED LAGOS AND IBADAN AT THE WEEKEND THERE WAS ANXIETY AMONG IBO FAMILIES THAT THEY MIGHT BE A TARGET FOR VIOLENCE. SOME PREPARED TO LEAVE, AND STALLS AND SHOPS WERE CLOSED. IBO OFFICERS FLED FROM LAGOS BARRACKS.

    TODAY THE NEW REGIME CONDEMNED FALSE RUMOURS AND ISSUED THREE DENIALS. IT DENIED FIRST THAT IT WAS PLANNING TO PARTITION THE COUNTRY INTO SEPARATE TRIBAL COMPONENTS; SECONDLY THAT RIVAL HAUSA AND IBO PEOPLES WERE BEING REPATRIATED TO THEIR OWN PARTS OF THE COUNTRY,AND THIRDLY THAT FOREIGN TROOPS FROM ANOTHER AFRICAN COUNTRY HAD ARRIVED IN THE NORTH AND WERE MARCHING DOWN THE SOUTH.

    THESE STATEMENTS, TOGETHER WITH THE RELEASE OF THE CIVILIAN POLITICAL PRISONERS, WERE SEEN AS AN ATTEMPT BY THE GOVERNMENT NOW HEADED BY LIEUTENANT-COLONEL GOWON TO DAMP DOWN TRIBAL FEELINGS, AND REMOVE IBO FEARS THAT THEY WERE NOW AT THE MERCY OF THE HAUSAS.
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