Nigeria This Week In History: Gen. Murtala Muhammed Was Killed

It was Friday 13 February, 1976. Three Army Generals, inarguably the first three citizens of Nigeria, at different location, prepared for the day’s work and was set to leave their houses. Unbeknownst to them, death lurks around for each of them. Unfortunately, as event would have it, the head paid the ultimate prize! Nigeria This Week In History examines the assassination of the former Head of State, General Murtala Rufai Ramat Muhammed in an abortive coup.

The black Mercedes Benz 600 saloon car which might be opulent among its contemporary, with a waving flag at a corner of its bonnet as a prove of conveying a dignitary, left Gen. Murtala Muhammed personal house in Ikoyi, Lagos en route to his office at Dodan Barracks, which was the then seat of power, with four occupants.

The 37-year-old General, Murtala Muhammed, was sitting at the ‘owner’s corner’, beside him was his ADC, Lt. Akintunde Akinterinwa, at the passenger seat was his orderly, Staff Sergeant Michael Otuwa and the man behind the wheel was Sergeant Adamu Michika.

It was a lone voyage by the low profile Commander-in-Chief, unlike what we have this days, which usually come with motorcade. And the only visible protection in the car was a pistol carried by his orderly, unlike the menace looking combined security force you see today.

The Buka Suka Dimka led ‘young revolutionaries’ took advantage of Gen. Murtala’s low profile lifestyle and lean security guard and struck in a coup d’etat.

Dimka and his group who had been lying in wait for Gen. Murtala Muhammed suddenly came out when the car of the Head of State was stopped along with other cars by traffic warden at Alagbon junction.

What happened next was fast and tragic.

Also read:Nigeria This Week In History: January 15, 1966 Coup. The Darkest Moment Of Ngeria History

The first target of the assailants was Sergeant Adamu Muchika, the driver. He was shot dead immediately, neutralising the car. The remaining three occupants of the car instinctively took cover in the car. Then the attackers went to work with their armed AK-47. They riddled the prestigious Benz with bullets, paused, with no counter attack coming from the car, they were satisfied their job was done and headed to the Nigeria Broadcasting Corporation.

According to the only survivor of the attack, Gen. Murtala’s Orderly, Staff Sergeant Michael Otuwa, all three of them were still alive after that first shelling but were all wounded.

Meanwhile, the ADC to the Head of States, Lt. Akintunde Akinterinwa, believing the assailants had gone, opened the door of the car in a move to safe the life of the Head of State.

That move proved fatal as one of the attackers saw the car door opened and quickly beckoned on others that they were not dead. And so resumed the second phase of assault. This time around, it was only Michael Otuwa that survived it, but not before spending about six month in the hospital.

With the Head of State taken out, Buka Dimka rushed to the NBC believing that the coup had been successful.

The first paragraph of his speech read: “Fellow Nigerians, Murtala Muhammed’s deficiency has been detected. His government is now overthrown by young revolutionaries….” unknowing to Dimka, his other two assault groups were yet to carried out their duty.

The other two Generals, whom as fate would have it, escaped death on that day, were; Lt. General Olusegun Obasanjo, Chief of Staff, Supreme Headquarter, and Lt. General Theophilus Danjuma, Chief of Army Staff. They were both being waited for on their way to work. Fortunately for them, they did not leave home early which made them to hear Buka Dimka’s broadcast while still at home.

An order by Lt. Gen. Theophilous Danjuma to a detachment of soldiers led by Col. Ibrahim Babangida to dislodge Dimka and his men at NBC, aborted the bloody coup.

The fierce gun battle between Ibrahim Babngida’s detachment and Buka Dimka’s coup plotters saw to the end of the coup while Dimka escaped through a tunnel.

Lt. Col. Dimka was however later captured and was executed publicly on 15 May, 1976 at the Maximum Security Prison in Lagos.

Gen. Muhammed Murtala was succeeded by Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo.

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