Editor's note: In
this piece, Chijoke Ngobili debunks beleives that former military head
of state Murtala Mohammed is not a hero as presumed by many Nigerians.
Ngobili said Mohammed's heroism and martyrdom have managed to stay like a cult for four decades now.
“With
each passing year, I get afraid. I am scared of the consequences of
ignorance and apathy towards history exhibited by younger generations of
Nigerians, especially the Igbo who were the victims of the Civil war.
One may reincarnate to this part of the world after his first life to
see villains honoured as heroes—simply out of ignorance.
Historians call it “biographical revisionism”—a very dangerous thing that can eat away the fabrics of human integrity.
February 13, 2017—few days ago—was the 41st anniversary of the murder of Murtala Muhammed in a bloody coup.
After
the January coup of 1966 led by Nzeogwu and other soldiers, Murtala
Ramat Muhammed came to the limelight of political and military affairs
in Nigeria.
He was only 28 at that time. His
life was to last for only a decade between 1966 and 1976 after his 28th
birthday. Between those 10 years, Murtala Ramat Muhammed succeeded in
achieving a record that has remained unbeaten in the history of
violence, bloodletting and passionate hate—all towards the Igbo.
Ramat
rose with blood and bullets in 1966 and fell with same blood and
bullets in 1976. For 4 out of those 10 years—(in fairness to him)—Ramat
was killing and killing. If he wasn’t killing, he was ordering others to
kill. If he wasn’t ordering people to kill, he was taking out his anger
on those who are trying to prevent him from killing.
The
casualties of Murtala’s genius at violence were not in tens or hundreds
or thousands; they ran into tens of thousands of Igbo military men and
civilians—even more! The records are in books. Never an exaggeration!
Not long after Murtala died, a burst of his head was embossed on the 20 naira currency note.
The
busiest airport in Nigeria was named after him. Ajoke, his widow
together with the kids later launched a foundation called “Murtala
Muhammed Foundation” in his memory.
A total of 40 Nigerian soldiers were summarily executed for having a hand in his murder.
Thirty-eight
of them were Northerners from either Plateau, Kaduna or Gongola while 2
(Majors Kola Afolabi & Olaosebikan Ogunmekan) were Yoruba from
Kwara and Osun States (cf pgs 249-250 of Oil, Politics and Violence by
Max Siollun). Many others were either jailed or punished in another way.
So much for a man whose thirst for blood was unprecedented!
Some highways and streets were also named after him. Overnight, Ramat became a “hero” and a “martyr” canonized by his military accomplices and other ignorant/misguided civilians.
His
heroism and martyrdom have managed to stay like a cult for four decades
now. His less than one year as Head of State automatically wiped off
his numerous years of abomination—masterminded by his biographical
revisionists.
The younger generations
grew up to know little or nothing of his four years of untold violence
against Igbo people. They only saw the few years of his ‘heroism’. And
that is what they still see today.
There
is the new movie titled “76” which has been airing at different
cinemas. I do not know exactly how that movie portrays Murtala Ramat
Muhammed but the movie has something about him as one of its dominant
themes.
My
only fear is that many young people from my generation, especially the
Igbo will get to watch the movie but may never care about reading or
researching the horrible story behind the true life of one of the
movie’s major characters—Murtala Muhammed.
But
I am consoled by the efforts of some Igbo journalists, historians and
documentarians to ensure that generations won’t be deceived and allowed
to perish in ignorance and apathy.
I
am glad that some Asaba educated people have taken on the giant step of
running a documentary in 2013 on the killings of thousands of Asaba men
and boys at Ogbe Osowa, supervised and headed by the so-called hero,
Murtala Ramat Muhammed and his ‘guys’ in 1967.
The documentary has been
refreshed and made more available online this week and I hope thousands
of Igbo people will access, share and watch it with utmost concentration
and attention to the details.
To ndi
Igbo: The atrocities of Murtala Ramat Muhammed should never be
forgotten or forgiven, especially out of ignorance and apathy. Our
Ancestors who were cut down by his bullets would never allow us peace
both in this life and in death, if we ever do.”
SOURCE-https://www.naij.com/1090535-opinion-murtala-mohammed-a-hero.html
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