Few figures in Nigerian history have generated as much debate as Major Patrick Chukwuma Kaduna Nzeogwu. To some Nigerians, he was a patriotic soldier who tried to save the country from corruption, political instability, and poor leadership. To others, he was a military officer whose actions helped destroy Nigeria’s First Republic and set the country on the path to civil war. More than half a century later, opinions remain sharply divided over whether he should be remembered as a hero or a villain.
Born on February 26, 1937, Nzeogwu was one of the most talented officers of his generation. He joined the Nigerian Army in 1957, trained in Ghana and later at the prestigious Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst, in the United Kingdom. Intelligent, disciplined, and outspoken, he quickly rose through the ranks and became the first Nigerian officer in Military Intelligence. His military career earned him a reputation as a dedicated and ambitious officer who was deeply concerned about the future of Nigeria.
Nzeogwu became famous as one of the leading figures behind the military coup of January 15, 1966, an event that changed the course of Nigerian history. While he claimed that the coup was intended to end corruption and bad governance, its consequences were far-reaching and controversial. This raises an important question: was Kaduna Nzeogwu a national hero who sought to reform a failing system, or a villain whose actions contributed to one of the darkest periods in Nigeria’s history?
Nzeogwu’s Ignorance
In April 1967, Kaduna Nzeogwu, in an interview with the journalist Denis Ejindu of Africa and the World, dispelled fears of a looming war. He said:
“No, nobody wants to fight. The East, which is best equipped and best prepared for war, does not want to attack anybody. The North cannot fight, and Lagos cannot fight now. If they had attacked the East in August or September, they would have had a walkover. Today, I think they will be ill-advised to try.”
Chukwuma Kaduna Nzeogwu was simply a man carried away by youthful exuberance. A soldier who wanted the best for his country, bold and brave, who did not understand that the problem with Nigeria was more than what a band of young Majors could solve with the barrel of a gun.
Nzeogwu was smart and lucky. He was well-loved by many of his fellow officers and subordinates. His superiors disliked him. The Major was seen as one who believed he knew it all. They, therefore, sent him to the Nigerian Military Training College (NMTC), later reorganised and upgraded to become the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA), Kaduna, to train future officers. He was not to be trusted with a command position. And Nzeogwu was there as Chief Instructor.
Nigeria’s First Military Coup
The First Military Coup carried out in Nigeria on January 15, 1966, was bound to fail because, as an intelligence officer of three years, Kaduna Nzeogwu’s intelligence did not teach him not to embark on such a near-impossible dream, even though they achieved some of their aims, which were to eliminate the senior officers who occupied strategic positions.
The Commanding Officer, 1 Brigade, Kaduna, Brigadier Samuel Adesujo Ademulegun, was killed with his pregnant wife, Latifat (Sisi Nurse), in their bedroom.
In Lagos, Brigadier Zakariya Maimalari was executed; Chief of Staff, Army Headquarters, Colonel Kur Mohammed, Adjutant General, Lieutenant-Colonel James Yakubu Pam, Quarter Master General, Lieutenant-Colonel Arthur Chinyelu Unegbe, and Commanding Officer, Fourth Battalion Ibadan, Lieutenant-Colonel Abogo Largema, were all killed in cold blood.
The nation’s first and only Prime Minister, Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, was not spared. Two Premiers, Sir Ahmadu Bello of the North and Chief Samuel Ladoke Akintola of the West, died, as well as Finance Minister Festus Okotie-Eboh.
How Nigeria’s First Military Coup Failed
In May 1967, just a month after Kaduna Nzeogwu’s chat with Ejindu, the war was imminent. Nzeogwu did not see it coming. And it consumed him. Now, this is where the irony lies. The civil war happened just because some sections of Nigeria felt the January coup, which Nzeogwu was instrumental in, was a grand plan by the Igbo to take over Nigeria. Thus, the North paid back with a counter-coup on July 29, 1966.
About 30,000 innocent soldiers and civilians were murdered in the 1966 anti-Igbo pogrom. Some millions more were to be later killed during the war.
Interestingly, those who foiled the coup were senior Igbo officers. Major-General Johnson Aguiyi- Ironsi, Colonel Conrad Chukwujimje Dibia Nwawo, Lieutenant-Colonels Chukwuemeka Ojukwu, Alexander Attah Madiebo, and Major Alphonso Keshi.
As Brigade Major, 1 Brigade, Kaduna, Keshi informed Madiebo of the coup. Madiebo moved over to the Brigade Headquarters, where Kaduna Nzeogwu had taken over Ademulegun’s seat and worked on Nzeogwu. Ojukwu, Commanding Officer Fifth Battalion, Kano, stood his ground strategically, and all worked with Aguiyi-Ironsi to fly in Nwawo, then Defence Attaché in London, and Nzeogwu’s teacher. Only then could the major be softened.
Kaduna Nzeogwu: Death and Legacy
Kaduna Nzeogwu did not believe in Biafra. He was named Kaduna by his Northern friends and spoke Hausa fluently, even more than the Igbo language. He wore Hausa clothing in lieu of Igbo clothing. However, he was killed by Nigerian soldiers of the 21st Battalion near Nsukka on July 29, 1967.
The troops were under Captain Inua Mohammed Wushishi. The sector was led by Nzeogwu’s friend, Lieutenant-Colonel Folusho Sotomi. The major was only 30.
Chukwuma Kaduna Nzeogwu hailed from Okpanam, near Asaba, present-day Delta State, Southern Nigeria, but he’s buried in an Army cemetery in Kaduna, his place of birth, in full military honours, with his body mutilated and eyes gorged out by unknown irate Nigerian soldiers.
Nigeria made Nzeogwu. Nigeria killed Nzeogwu. Nigeria buried Nzeogwu in full military honours.
Despite being a bachelor, Kaduna Nzeogwu was never a womaniser, nor was he a drunk. He believed in the country, Nigeria. But the Igbo, especially the Okpanam people, continue to be stigmatised for a bloody coup in which he was involved and explicitly carried out.
So, was Major Patrick Chukwuma Kaduna Nzeogwu a hero or a villain? Let us know in the comments.
Want to understand what really happened during Nigeria’s first military coup? Read A Carnage Before Dawn. It offers a carefully researched, vividly told account of January 15, 1966, through a storytelling style that will keep you glued to the book’s pages.
You can get the e-book here and the paperback here.
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