The family of Nigeria’s first military Head of State, Major General Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi, has called on the Federal Government to issue a formal apology, provide compensation, and pursue genuine reconciliation over his assassination during the July 1966 counter-coup.
Speaking in an interview with Arise News, the head of the Aguiyi-Ironsi family, Imo Aguiyi-Ironsi, said the family has waited nearly six decades for justice and recognition of the circumstances surrounding the former leader’s death.
He described Aguiyi-Ironsi as a visionary and patriotic Nigerian who was unfairly blamed for the January 1966 military coup despite having no involvement in its planning.
According to him, Aguiyi-Ironsi served as Head of State for only six months before he was killed because of his position as the country's most senior military officer, not because he committed any offence.
Imo Aguiyi-Ironsi appealed to the Federal Government to acknowledge what he described as a historical injustice by offering a sincere apology, compensating the family, and promoting national reconciliation.
Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi became Nigeria's Head of State on January 16, 1966, following the January 15 military coup. Although he survived the coup and restored order, his government's policies, including the introduction of Decree No. 34 and his handling of the coup plotters, generated opposition among some northern military officers.
On July 29, 1966, he was assassinated alongside his host, Lieutenant Colonel Adekunle Fajuyi, during a mutiny by northern soldiers that later became known as the July 1966 counter-coup.
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