1966 coup plotters had no Igbo agenda, says MO Ene

M.O. Ene, author and cultural critic, says the January 1966 military coup was not fuelled by pro-Igbo sentiments.

Ene spoke during an interview with Rudolf Okonkwo on 90MinutesAfrica to mark the 2025 Biafra Remembrance month.

The 1966 coup triggered a chain of events that culminated in the civil war of 1967–1970.

The writer said the trio of Kaduna Nzeogwu, Adewale Ademoyega, and Emmanuel Ifeajuna, who masterminded the military putsch, had different motives.

He added that their agenda was of no benefit to the Igbo people.

“While Ifeajuna would talk about releasing Awolowo and making him Prime Minister, the others have different issues,” he said.

“Nzeogwu does not care about Awolowo or politicians in general. He was socio-culturally a Hausa man. He believes that the Hausa people are being oppressed, and something has to be done about it.

“So, they all had different agendas, and none had anything to do with the Igbo people because the Igbo people had nothing to gain.”

Ene added that Nzeogwu and his conspirators planned to eliminate Odumegwu Ojukwu during the putsch, but by an act of providence, the latter was away from his official residence in Kano when the soldiers came calling.

“Ojukwu could not stay in his official residence because it was noisy for his wife, who was nursing a baby,” he said.

“So his friend, Ado Bayero, invited them to come stay in his house.

“That was how Ojukwu survived and eventually quelled the coup in northern Nigeria. Without him, Nzeogwu would have been unstoppable.”

Speaking on the resurgence of the Biafra agitation, the author implored President Bola Tinubu to give room for dialogue by releasing Nnamdi Kanu from detention.

“Biafra is a spirit. The spirit is moving these guys, and it will move more dangerous people. It doesn’t make any sense to keep the Igbo people in this kind of situation. Telling them you can do whatever you want, and they can’t do anything about it,” he said.

He also asked the federal government to stop trying to extradite Simon Ekpa, the separatist, to Nigeria for trial.