As we mark the 60th anniversary of the January 15, 1966, military coup, the echoes of that era still resonate deeply within Nigeria’s political landscape. Major-General IBM Haruna, who served as a Major during that turbulent period, offers a unique lens into why the collapse of the First Republic felt almost inevitable. According to Haruna, the coup was not an isolated event but rather the climax of a nation struggling to find its footing after being “forged in the embryo of colonialism.”
Speaking on the origins of the discord, Haruna points out that while Nigeria gained independence in 1960, it was a sovereignty in name only, as the United Kingdom retained significant influence. The country was divided into three unequal regions North, East, and West each competing for resources and administrative power. This structural imbalance led to a system that sat uncomfortably between a federation and a confederation, creating a breeding ground for ethnic and religious friction.
By 1966, these tensions had permeated the military, which at the time consisted of only about 10,000 soldiers. Haruna recalls a sense of competition between the army and the police, both vying for the attention of politicians who viewed them primarily as security tools rather than institutional pillars. Within the barracks, young officers many of whom were Haruna’s contemporaries from training schools in Ghana and Sandhurst began to believe they could run the country more effectively than the politicians they accused of corruption and tribalism.
The coup led by Kaduna Nzeogwu is often blamed for setting Nigeria back, but Haruna challenges this notion in a candid discussion with Reports. He argues that the country was not progressing even before the military stepped in. Underneath the constitutional agreements of the 1960s were “strong torrents of ethnicity.” He cites the emergence of ethnic-based groups like the Igbo State Union and the Action Group as evidence that the political class was already deeply divided along tribal lines.
When asked if the coup could have been avoided, Haruna is blunt: it was a consequence of how the nation was constituted. He believes the struggle for sovereignty and the expression of disagreement were bound to boil over. Even today, he notes that while we have traded military dictatorships for democracy, the underlying issues power distribution, recruitment bias, and regional dichotomies remain largely unchanged.
Looking at the current security challenges, Haruna views the rise of terrorism as a modern evolution of old conflicts. He remains skeptical of foreign intervention, specifically the recent US missile strikes under President Donald Trump’s administration. To Haruna, such help is rarely free; it is an “investment of power” designed to secure future access to Nigeria’s strategic resources. He maintains that true sovereignty is questioned when a nation cannot maintain order among its own people without outside help.
As Nigeria prepares for the 2027 elections, the General remains hopeful but cautious. His advice to the current leadership is simple: maintain an atmosphere where democracy can breathe. He emphasizes that for the elections to be credible, the government must ensure that security threats do not disempower the citizens’ capacity to choose their leaders. Sixty years after the first coup, the lesson remains that while empires and regimes may rise and fall, the challenge of building a stable, inclusive society is a marathon, not a sprint.
