The family of Nigeria’s first military Head of State, the late General Johnson Thomas Umunnakwe Aguiyi-Ironsi, has called on the Federal Government to offer a formal apology and compensation over his assassination during the 1966 counter-coup.
Speaking during an interview on Arise Television’s Prime Time on Thursday, the head of the family, Imo Aguiyi-Ironsi, who is the late military leader’s nephew, said the family deserved justice, reconciliation and official recognition for the loss they suffered.
According to CDA News Nigeria, Imo described the late Aguiyi-Ironsi as a detribalised leader with a clear vision for Nigeria, noting that he served as Head of State for only six months before he was assassinated.
He argued that Aguiyi-Ironsi was not a participant in the January 1966 military coup but became Head of State because he was the most senior military officer after the country’s political leadership was overthrown.
“The only crime he committed was that he was the most senior officer at the time. He accepted the call to serve his fatherland before he was gruesomely assassinated,” he said, adding that the family still awaits a sincere apology and compensation from the Federal Government.
CDA News Nigeria reports that Aguiyi-Ironsi assumed office following the January 1966 coup, which ended Nigeria’s First Republic. He was later killed during the July 1966 counter-coup that also claimed the lives of several military officers and deepened the country’s political crisis.
CDA News Nigeria independently verified the interview and reports the news gathered from the broadcast and other credible sources.
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