Murtala Muhammed: 40 Years After
SATURDAY TELEGRAPH
13 FEBRUARY 2015
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Doubts dabble in Dimka's demise eagle eyed bus driver Mathew Nga, although police credited their man n the next days, official records will Jika Iyah with the deed. Taken to One infantry Brigade headquarters Enugu, mark 40 years of the execution, by firing squad of Lt. Col Bukar Suka and presented to the public by Lt. Col Dimka. The death was as a result of Danjuma Dyeris and state police comthe February 13, 1976 mutiny that con- missioner Kafaru Tinubu, Dimka was flown to Lagos. sumed Gen. Murtala Muhammed. Then things began to happen. Police However, I want to be convinced that Dimka was really shot the day he officer James Danbaba, condemned to was reported to have died. My doubts death, was set free. His offence? For stem from the fact that Dimka's execu- being Dimka's friend. Bisalla was shot, tion was the second batch of the journey and he blamed Dimka. " I would have to the great beyond.The first round in- been set free yesterday, but for this boy volved such high profile names as Gen. Dimka who implicated me. God knows Iliya Bisalla,Defence Commissioner, I knew nothing about it. Allah sarki", Col. Abdul Wya, commander Artillery were Bisalla's last words. There were allegations that some of Corps, Lt. Cols Ayuba Tense, Ahmadu Aliyu, A.B. Umoru and T.K. Adamu. those who died might not have been That was on March 11, 1976 at the La- part of the plot. Gomwalk, for instance, would have been saved. There was gos Bar Beach. 50-50 deadlock by members of the SuThe Dimka group faced the bullets preme Military Council, but the power on Saturday May 15, 1976. Seven of them,Compol Joseph Dechi Gomwalk, of veto nailed him, just like Wya. Tense first governor of Benue Plateau state, talked about 'fair justice'. There were those who really owned Lt.Col Isa Bukar, Maj. Kola Afolabi, Lt. Sabo Kwale,Warrant Officer Two E. up. Maj. J.W. Kasai was brave in death. Bawa and Mr. Isaac Shayen of the Police. "No regrets whatsoever, we thought of It was a Saturday, yet it was not a changing the social order", he said. Adfree show for Lagosians, unlike the first amu added," I ask forgiveness of any batch that was free for all at the beach. body I have offended. Let them sell my The second batch faced death in Kirikiri, property in Kaduna, so that my wife and only journalists were allowed in. who is carrying a ten-month-pregnancy can at least, live in peace." Not even the grass was given a face-lift. Maj. K.K. Gagara was so interested Dimka was all smiles as he was tied to the stake."My only regrets, I have no in his wife."I ask for pardon from my will'" were his last words. At the end, wife, because she has been good to me. She should be free to remarry." That was his head was bowed. Curiously, there the man who led two subalterns, Obawere no bloodstains on diah Zagmi and Sunday him. Quite unlike the rest. Wayah to arrest Kwara Photographs of the execuThere was State Governor Ibrahim tion have not convinced And he took Serme yet. 50-50 deadlock Taiwo. geants Ahmadu Rege and To add to my confuby members of Bala Javan to their grave. sion, twenty five years "Oga say make I shoot, I later, the Nigerian Trithe Supreme shoot now," Rege pleaded. bune of February 11, 2001 Deaf ears took his plea. wrote "several weeks afMilitary The officers and men of 26 ter execution, their bodies Council, but the Brigade Ilorin were shot. were removed from Atan Their commander Joseph cemetry in two trucks at power of veto Madugu survived, thanks night." nailed him to a 15-year jail term. I do know that such Dimka was not known bodies are not always for his bravery. He gained handed over to family and friends. Gen. Mamman Vatsa's chil- attention in July 1966 for murdering dren are still asking for his remains.Of- his brigade commander Lt.Col Israel ten, such bodies are given mass burial Okoro. He chased Maj. Samuel Ogbemudia from Kaduna to Kogi through in unmarked graves. It sounds helpful that the first batch jungles and rivers in the bid to kill. It of executions did not take place until was also because of Dimka that Abdul Dimka was arrested. After the coup, he Karim Zakari, a journalist was executhad escaped, through the help of one of ed.He was not really Mrs. Victoria Gothe soldiers, who should have arrested won's brother. One account said he was him.While a massive search was on in adopted by the Zakaris, having been Radio Nigeria Ikoyi, the soldier spoke born to a Sierra Leonean dad and an in Hausa,'maza maza'[fast,fast].The Issele Uku Igbo mother. Dimka's arrest nailed so many ofcoupist escaped into Ikoyi Cemetry from where he disappeared to the unknown. ficers. Maj. Clement Dabang, one of The manhunt began. 'This those who killed Gen. Thomas Aguiyiman is still wanted. Phone Lagos Ironsi, was bundled from the hospital 23711,5687852797'. Police authorities bed to detention. Dimka outwitted him. were fully at work. It got so bad that Capt. Malachy Parvwang refused to fall Dimka's father even asked government to bullets. He was beaten to death by soldiers, after the executions. to deal with his son. Gomwalk, was five months old in March 4, one Mr. C. Godwin checked into Friendship Hotel Afikpo. He drove the Police force when Ironsi was killed in his Renault car with registration in July 1966. Zoology graduate of the University of Ibadan, and holder of the number ECC 6253. Godwin said he Queen's Badge of the Boy's Brigade, he worked with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture Enugu. He asked for fe- was one of the detectives that retrieved male company and got one in Beatrice Ironsi's body.He maintained innocence Agboti. Mr. Godwin turned out to be until the guns boomed. With all these, it appears to me that Bukar Suka David Musa Dimka. Information filtered in, security op- it was Dimka's word against the otheratives went after him. Smart soldier, ers. And his word was death. Generals after all, he was head of the Army's Yakubu Danjuma and Hassan Katsina Physical Education Corps. Dimka es- escaped Dimka's fiery tongues. And his caped through the bathroom window, manner of death has not helped matleaving the lady to receive the beating ters.Although he did not disappear like Clement Yildar and Dauda Usman, his of her life. His plan to escape through the manner of death has not disappeared border to Cameroun was foiled by an from my radar. Emeka Obasi
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The refurbished Murtala's car
Muhammed’s Mercedes Benz: A fading legacy?
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Andrew Iro Okungbowa he assassination of former Military Head of State, Gen. Murtala Muhammed, no doubt bequeathed a number of legacies to the nation. One of such is the official Mercedes Benz car the late General rode in the day he met his gruesome death. The car has since been declared a national heritage and monument, which over the years is housed at the National Museum in Onikan under the management of the National Commission for Museums and Monuments. It is kept in a specially created section of the museum, which is tagged as ‘Nigeria government – yesterday and today.’ Given the high esteem in which the Nigerian government and its people held and revered the late General for his nationalism and forthright leadership within the short span of his reign, many had expected that the location of this car, which ought to be treated as eternal memorabilia should occupy a place of pride at the museum and also attract huge interest and following on a daily basis. But this appears not to be so as the section in which the car is kept is almost nondescript and uninspiring as well as unattractive just as the entire museum itself. The long range black Mercedes Benz on display bears no comet nor the room, which is almost bare, but for the framed write-up on the walls of the room. As the name of the section suggests, these are mere historical documentations of the political and administrative history of Nigeria from its pre-colonial days to the present day. They chronicle the various rulers -both military and democraticthat have at various times held the reins of powers in the country. For many, this is not an exciting, inspiring and colourful exhibit to spend valuable time with especially when you realise that the late head of state that ought to be the centre of focus is merely a footnote with no special attention paid in elevating and immortalising him above others. Interestingly, the black Mercedes Benz still looks quite clean and neat and not decrepit and as explained by the lady on duty at the section on the day of visit, they occasionally clean up the car. The four tyres too are new and in good con-
dition as one was made to understand that the old and original tyres that came with the car were recently removed and kept at the boot of the car. The front windscreen is still the original windscreen and quite visible still is the shattered section from the hail of bullets while the three side glasses on the left hand side are no more but on the right hand side of the six-door car only two are left. The back screen is also off and at the back of the car is the coat of arm. At the front are two flags, one of which is the national flag while the second should be the armed forces flag. Placed on top of the car is a plaque with the inscription: ‘The state car in which General Murtala Ramat Muhammed was assassinated.’ According to the lady attendant at the section, the room is opened to the public on both weekdays and weekends between the hours of 9am and 4pm. More of the visitors to this section are said to be school pupils on excursion to the museum. There is no register of visitors at the section for one to know exactly the number of visitors to the section and perhaps feel the pulse and reactions of these visitors to the exhibit on display or even to the man, Murtala Muhammed, as there is no record of their comments. Even a peep into the attendance register at the reception of the museum also fails to show any column or records of comments by visitors to the museum except their names, address and date of visit. Therefore, it is actually difficult to know the number of people who specifically visit the museum to reconnect with this heroic late head of state and ascertain their reactions to the poorly legacy of the fallen hero. But a general record of visitors to the museum last year shows that it recorded over 90, 000 visitors with the month of March said to be one of the highest for visitors. Wait for this, the month of February recorded one of the least visitors with less than 5, 000 visitors calling, which perhaps is a pointer to the fact that not many people reckon with this national relic because if they do, the month of February where the late head of state is remembered and celebrated should receive more visitors. So much for how not to keep the legacies and memories of our departed heroes and heroines or those adjudged to be icons of the nation.