The Armed Forces Remembrance Day celebration is an annual event organized to honor members of the Nigerian Armed Forces and its veterans.
Prior to Nigerian’s independence, as a British colony, Poppy Day was celebrated on 11th November, to honor veterans of World War I and II.
Upon the end of the Civil War in 1970 with the surrender of Biafran secessionists forces, January 15 became the new date for the celebration of Armed Forces Remembrance Day in Nigeria.
While the above date appears innocent and dedicated to the memory of those that died in their gallantry bid to keep Nigeria one, it also bounces off on others wrongly.
January 15 in 1966, was the date of the first military coup. This military coup was the fuse that set off series of explosions that resulted in the declaration of the State of Biafra in May 30 of 1967.
Of the actors that stood out in attempting to keep Nigeria one, during the darkest nights of January 15 and May 30, were Major General Johnson Thomas Umunnakwe Aguiyi-Ironsi GCFR MVO MBE and Major Francis Adekunle Fajuyi MC BEM. Both were assassinated by a team of soldiers commanded by Major T.Y.Danjuma on 29 July 1966.
Another person found complicit in their assassination, is Lieutenant Colonel Yakubu Dan-Yumma ‘Jack’ Gowon, Ironi’s Chief of Army Staff. He letter became head of state after the assassination of Ironsi.
Ironsi made all sacrifices required to keep Nigeria one after Major General Chukwuma Kaduna Nzeukwu and other 4 Majors struck, killing a great number of reverenced Northern political leaders.
Ironis made sure that the North did not pull out of Nigeria; made sure that his tribal brothers were not used to dominate or frighten others as there were attempts to tag Nzeogwu’s failed revolution, an Igbo coup aimed at exterminating the North and taking over the country. The revenge coup of July 1966 rode on this “fear” and had to assassinate Ironsi to pave way for the absolute domination of the Armed Forces and Nigeria by the North.
Christian members of minority tribes in the North, were used to give face to this. Two of them are still alive and need to come clean on their roles during this dark period. They are, Yakubu Gowon and T.Y.Danjuma.
How Ironsi was assassinated.
I will quote copiously from the book, Ironsi Nigeria, The Army, Power And Politics authored by Chuks Iloegbunam, the publisher is Eminent Biographies 2019.
The merciless walloping continued. then Ironsi, Fajuyi, Nwankwo, Bello and the others arrested were pushed into 3 Land Rover and two minibuses. The convoy took of but Daniuma did not get to the execution ground with it. He only left his instructions and retuned to the Letmauk Barracks, Ibadan, from where he hurried back to Lagos, mission accomplished.
Those who took the Head of State to his death were Lieutenant Wale, Lieutenant Garba Paiko, Lieutenant Numan and other soldiers, mostly of lower rank.
Inside the vehicles, the beating continued. When the convoy got to the lwo Road junction, it veered into an earth road that cut through a palm bush. The convoy stopped.
The journey resumed on foot almost immediately and the beating continued. Every one of those held was to be shot, but an argument ensued between two of the officers. As Colonel Bello recollects, one of the officers maintained that the instruction was not to kill every arrested person.
Mercifully, he carried the day and that was how people like Mr. S. O. Wey escaped an appointment with the firing squad.
They were all driven back to Ibadan and thrown into detention inside the Letmauk Barracks.
But sadly, Ironsi, Fajuyi, Nwankwo, and Bello were not released. Their castigation continued but the animus was mostly against Ironsi and Fajuyi who were now all blood and gore. The thud of gun butts, the swipe of metal-ended belts, the kick from jungle boots.
“Revenge” was on. The blows descended on the unfortunate whose hands remained tied to their backs. It was that sort of day.
The road to Golgotha soon got to a stream, a little stream in fact, which Ironsi and Fajuyi, since inebriated with blows and punches, no longer had the strength to cross.
Bello and Nwankwo did, being very much younger and not having been subjected to the same overdose of punishment as the General and the Colonel.
It was here that something dramatic happened Just as the soldiers conferred on What to do next. Bello pushed Nwankwo with the plea that he made a dash for it.
The 21-year-old six footer fled into the bushes, moving away as fast as he could until he hid in a large hole covered by undergrowth.
From there he heard the burst of rapid gunfire General Aguiy/ronsi and Lieutenant Colonel Francis Adekunle Fajiyi here finished off.
The execution took place at around 1040 hours.
The rebels first returned to Ibadan with a “triumphant” Numan brandishing his trophy of a stuffed toy crocodile.
Those that belong to the 4th Battalion joined their mates in carrying out killing remained to be done. The ones from Lagos returned to the Federal Capital and they had been many, moved early to Ibadan to await Ironsi’s arrival and quartered in the home of a northern medical doctor who later became controversial Education Minister.
These were the troops Danjuma used to replace regular soldiers on guard duty at Fajuyi’s Government House.
Now back in Lagos they also joined in the killings there. In terms afits primary reason of exacting revenge, the counter-coup was proceeding with ruthless efficiency.
Meanwhile, Nwankwo sat pat in his dungeon, not venturing out until about 1900 hours.
Then he traced his steps back to the little stream. Yes indeed the deed had been done. For some moments he stared at the stream into which the machine-gunned bodies of General Aguytond and Colonel Fajuyi had fallen.
He then did his duty by them, dragging the bodies to terra firma, positioning them and placing a cap over the head of one as a form of identification… According to Hans Anagho, it was reliably gathered that Lieutenant Shelleng returned to Iwo a day later at the head of troops who buried Ironsi and Fajuyi in a shallow grave.
