The family of Nigeria’s first military Head of State, Major General Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi, has called on the Federal Government to issue an official apology and provide compensation over his killing during the 1966 counter-coup.
The family also appealed for genuine reconciliation, saying the circumstances surrounding his death remain a painful chapter that requires national healing.
The family’s representative, Imo Aguiyi-Ironsi, made the demand during an interview with Arise News on Thursday.
“I think the family needs apology. The family needs to be compensated. We need sincere apology. We need sincere reconciliation,” he said.
Describing Aguiyi-Ironsi as a visionary and patriotic leader, he argued that the former Head of State was unjustly targeted despite having no involvement in the January 1966 coup.
“He was a man of vision. He was a detribalised Nigerian. He was a good leader,” he said.
Imo noted that Aguiyi-Ironsi’s time as Head of State lasted only six months before it was violently cut short.
“He occupied the seat of Head of State for only six months, and he was taken away from us. Not because of a sin he committed, because he wasn’t part of the January 1966 coup,” he said.
He maintained that it was widely accepted that Aguiyi-Ironsi had no role in the coup, adding that he was killed because of the position he held as the country’s most senior military officer.
“Only because of his position as the most senior military officer, he was told to take charge. And then that cost him his life,” he said.
The family representative expressed hope that the appeal would reach government officials and other stakeholders capable of addressing the matter.
“I hope there are people who are in positions to make this happen that are listening to you tonight,” he said.
Aguiyi-Ironsi became Nigeria’s military Head of State on January 16, 1966, following the coup that claimed the lives of several political leaders, including Prime Minister Abubakar Tafawa Balewa.
He survived the coup and helped restore order, but his administration’s decision to introduce Decree 34, which moved Nigeria towards a more centralised system of government, as well as his failure to prosecute the coup plotters, generated opposition among some northern military officers.
He was killed on July 29, 1966, alongside his host, Lieutenant Colonel Adekunle Fajuyi, during a military uprising led by northern officers, an event that became known as the July counter-coup.
