On July 1966, Thomson Umunnakwe Aguiyi Ironsi, was murd. ered in cold blo.od in Ibadan, where he had gone to honour the invitation of the then military governor of Western region, Adekunle Fajuyi.
Ironsi had made to leave for Lagos, but Adekunle pleaded that he spent the night.
In the early hours of the next day, Northern military group led by major Theophilus .Y. Danjuma stormed the government house where Ironsi had spent the night.
They arrested Ironsi, and questioned him about being a party to the coup that has claimed the life of prominent northerners of which the Saudauna of Sokoto and Abubakar Tafewa Balewa were among.
Ironsi denied knowing a thing about the coup.
The coup was led by Chukwuemeka Nzeogwu Kaduna, a Delta state man.
The Northern soldiers over powered Ironsi and Fajuyi.
They were both eventually sh.ot multiple times.
After the gruesome demise of Ironsi, lieutenant – Colonel Yakubu Gowon, Ironsi’s chief of army staff was appointed to take over the leadership of Nigeria after three days of Ironsi’s demise.
Ironsi was an Igbo man from Umuahia.
He was the first Nigerian Military head of state.
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