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Murtala Ramat Muhammed GCFR ((listen ⓘ); 8 November 1938 – 13 February 1976) [3] [4] [5] was a Nigerian military officer and the fourth head of state of Nigeria. He led the 1966 Nigerian counter-coup in overthrowing the military regime of Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi and featured prominently during the Nigerian Civil War and thereafter ruled Nigeria from 29 July 1975 until his assassination on 13 ...
General Murtala Muhammed became head of state in Nigeria on 29 July 1975, when he assumed power after a coup that deposed General Yakubu Gowon. [1] On assuming office, he replaced the military governors of the twelve states that had been appointed by his predecessor.
He replaced or reassigned many of the state governors, and broke up some of the larger states into two or three new states. Obasanjo continued the transition to democracy with the Nigerian Second Republic, began under General Murtala Mohammed, allowing the election of civilian governors who replaced the military appointees in October 1979.
The 1976 Nigerian coup d'état attempt was a military coup attempt which took place in Nigeria on 13 February 1976 [1] when a faction of Armed Forces officers, led by Lieutenant Colonel Bukar Suwa Dimka, attempted to overthrow the government of General Murtala Mohammed (who himself took power in the 1975 coup d'état).
The coup plotters appointed Brigadier Murtala Mohammed as head of state, and Brigadier Olusegun Obasanjo as his deputy. [ 4 ] [ 5 ] [ 6 ] The coup was motivated by unhappiness of junior officers at the lack of progress Gowon had made in moving the country towards democratic rule, while Garba's role as an insider is credited with ensuring that ...
It was masterminded by Lt. Colonel Murtala Muhammed [4] and many other northern military officers. The coup began as a mutiny at roughly midnight of 28 July 1966 [ 5 ] and was a reaction to the killings of Northern politicians and officers by some soldiers on 15 January 1966 (see 1966 Nigerian coup d'état ).
Aguiyi-Ironsi was succeeded by General Yakubu Gowon, who established a Supreme Military Council. Gowon held power until July 1975, when he was overthrown in another coup. Brigadier (later General) Murtala Mohammed succeeded Gowon. Months later, in February 1976, Mohammed was assassinated by Buka Suka Dimka and others
In October 1967 the Nigerian Gen. Murtala Mohammed began bombardment of Onitsha and later led a 10-boat armada across the Niger River into the city. Nigerian soldiers looted and burned the Onitsha market to the ground, which gave the Biafrans time to re-organize and mount a counter-attack.