Aguiyi-Ironsi’s Family Demands Federal Government Apology, Compensation Over 1966 Assassination

The family of Nigeria’s first military Head of State, General Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi, has called on the Federal Government to formally apologise and pay compensation over his assassination, nearly six decades after his death.

The demand was made by Imo Aguiyi-Ironsi, the late leader’s nephew and head of the Aguiyi-Ironsi family, during an appearance on Arise Television’s Prime Time on Thursday.

He described the former Head of State as a visionary and detribalised leader whose tenure was cut short after just six months in office, insisting that history has not treated him fairly.

According to him, General Aguiyi-Ironsi did not participate in the January 1966 military coup that brought an end to Nigeria’s First Republic but only assumed leadership after being called upon as the most senior military officer at the time.

“The only crime he committed was that he was the most senior officer at the time. And he was called upon to take over after the coup. He did not take part in the coup. He accepted the call to serve his fatherland before he was gruesomely assassinated,” he said.

Imo Aguiyi-Ironsi lamented that the family has never received what he described as a sincere apology from the Nigerian government over the assassination, despite the passage of several decades.

“After he was assassinated, people moved on. The family needs to be compensated, given a sincere apology, and reconciliation,” he added.

General Aguiyi-Ironsi became Nigeria’s Head of State following the January 1966 military coup, which overthrew the country’s parliamentary system of government. The coup resulted in the deaths of then Prime Minister Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa and several senior military officers.

Although Aguiyi-Ironsi was not identified as one of the coup plotters, he later assumed leadership as the country’s most senior military officer before he was assassinated in a counter-coup after spending about six months in office.