On Friday, February 13, 1976, Nigeria was shaken by a tragic and violent coup d’état led by Lieutenant Colonel Bukar Suka Dimka. The most devastating outcome of this failed coup was the assassination of the nation’s then Head of State, General Murtala Ramat Muhammed. He was gunned down in Ikoyi, Lagos, as he traveled unescorted to his office at the Dodan Barracks. His death sent shockwaves across the country and marked a dark chapter in Nigeria’s post-independence political history.
General Murtala Muhammed had only been in office for approximately 200 days, yet he was deeply admired for his bold reforms, anti-corruption stance, and efforts to return Nigeria to civilian rule. His untimely death sparked outrage, mourning, and swift retribution by the military establishment.
The coup, though partially successful in its initial hours, quickly collapsed. Loyalist forces, particularly those under the command of then Chief of Staff, Supreme Headquarters, Lieutenant General Olusegun Obasanjo, and General Theophilus Danjuma, regained control of strategic institutions. Dimka had temporarily seized the state radio to broadcast his justification for the coup, accusing the Muhammed regime of corruption and maladministration. However, his broadcast was cut short, and he fled Lagos.
Olusegun Obasanjo, after initial hesitation, accepted the call to leadership and succeeded Muhammed as Head of State. His new regime was determined to punish the conspirators severely and deter future insurrections. What followed was one of the most publicized military trials and mass executions in Nigerian history.
The Court-Martial and Executions
Over 100 military personnel and civilians were arrested in connection to the failed coup. Following military investigations and tribunals, dozens were convicted of plotting, aiding, or executing the coup attempt. The convicted officers were sentenced to death by firing squad, and the executions were carried out in two major rounds.
The first set of executions took place on March 11, 1976, at Bar Beach, Lagos, a location known at the time for public executions. Under the supervision of General Obasanjo’s military government, 31 individuals were executed, including senior officers, junior ranks, and one civilian. These included:
- Major General I. D. Bisalla (former Commissioner for Defence)
- Warrant Officer II Monday Monchon
- Staff Sergeant Richard Dungdang
- Sergeant Sale Pankshin
- Lieutenant Colonel A. R. Aliyu
- Captain M. Parvwong
- Captain J. F. Idi
- Captain S. Wakins
- Lieutenant Mohammed
- Lieutenant E. L. K. Shelleng
- Lieutenant Colonel Ayuba Tense
- Colonel A. D. S. Way
- Lieutenant Colonel T. K. Adamu
- Lieutenant Colonel A. B. Umaru
- Captain A. A. Aliyu
- Captain Augustine Dawurang
- Major M. M. Mshelia
- Lieutenant William Seri
- Major I. B. Ribo
- Major K. K. Gagra
- Captain M. R. Gelip
- Mr. Abdulkarim Zakari (a civilian who assisted in the radio broadcast)
- Lieutenant Peter Ggani
- Major Ola Ogunmekan
- Lieutenant O. Zagmi
- Lieutenant S. Wayah
- Sergeant Ahmadu Rege
- Sergeant Bala Javan
- Warrant Officer II Sambo Dankshin
- Warrant Officer II Emmanuel Dakup Seri
- Major J. W. Kasai
A second round of executions took place between May 15 and 17, 1976, following the capture and trial of the coup leader and his key accomplices. This final round included:
- Lieutenant Colonel Bukar Suka Dimka (leader of the coup)
- Joseph D. Gomwalk (former Military Governor of Benue-Plateau State)
- Lieutenant S. Kwale
- Warrant Officer H. E. Bawa
- Colonel I. Buka
- Major J. K. Afolabi
- H. Shaiyen
Dimka was captured after a nationwide manhunt and interrogation. During his trial, he remained defiant and refused to express remorse. His execution, along with the others, was carried out in secrecy, though public knowledge of it spread quickly.
These executions were meant to send a clear signal that treason and political instability would not be tolerated. While controversial, especially due to the scale and speed of the trials, the actions taken by the Obasanjo-led government reinforced military discipline and temporarily stabilized Nigeria’s political environment.
General Olusegun Obasanjo would go on to continue the reform agenda of the late Murtala Muhammed and, in 1979, became the first military leader in Nigeria to voluntarily hand over power to a democratically elected civilian government. This marked the beginning of Nigeria’s Second Republic.
The 1976 coup attempt remains one of Nigeria’s most defining political crises, remembered not only for the tragic loss of a visionary leader but also for the massive response it provoked from the military and the Nigerian public.