Nowa Omoigui

Book Review: 888 Days in Biafra

Reviewed by Nowa Omoigui

Samuel Enadeghe Umweni. 888 Days in Biafra. Iuniverse. 2007, 236 pages.$24.95. ISBN: 0-595-42594-1

Life is full of surprises and irony. When one has never been imprisoned, one tends to take freedom for granted. When the lack of freedom is the result of extrajudicial factors over which one has no control, and is combined with an ever present threat of death without notice, in wartime, in an environment of starvation, it takes on a surreal quality that only one who has experienced it can describe.

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The Palace Coup of November 17, 1993

November 17th has had its fair share of palace coups in history. It was the day in 1954 that General Gamal Abdel Nasser assumed full powers as Egyptian head of state following the overthrow of President Mohamed Naguib in a Palace coup. On the same day, four years later in 1958, General El-Ferik Ibrahim Abboud, then Sudanese Army Commander-in-Chief, staged the first coup in the history of Sudan when he deposed the civilian government of Abd Allah Khalil. On the same day, in 1971, Prime Minister Thanom engineered a coup against his own government in Thailand. He suspended the 1968 constitution, dissolved parliament, and created a new Troika composed of himself, the deputy prime minister, Field Marshal Praphat Charusathian; and Colonel Narong Kittikachorn. Narong was Thanom's son and Praphat's son-in- law.

Introducing Nowa Omoigui

Nowa Omoigui is an Associate Professor of Medicine and Director of the Division of Cardiovascular Disease*** at the University of South Carolina in Columbia, SC. Board certified in Internal Medicine and Cardiology with special expertise in Interventional Cardiology (Angioplasty, Stents etc.), Dr. Omoigui also has a Masters Degree in Public Health with particular interest in Health Resource Management and Policy. He has many publications in Medical journals. Nowa Omoigui is a graduate of University of Ibadan's famous College of Medicine in Nigeria.

***[Update: Nowa left the academic position in January of 2000, and became founder and CEO of the Cardiovascular Care Group, PA in Columbia, SC]

The Orkar Failed Coup of April 22, 1990

By Nowa Omoigui, MD, MPH, FACC

Shortly after dawn broke on April 22, 1990, the following broadcast was heard over the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN) in Lagos:

"Fellow Nigerian Citizens, On behalf of the patriotic and well-meaning peoples of the Middle Belt and the southern parts of this country, I , Major Gideon Orkar, wish to happily inform you of the successful ousting of the dictatorial, corrupt, drug baronish, evil man, deceitful, homo-sexually-centered, prodigalistic, un-patriotic administration of General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida. We have equally commenced their trials for unabated corruption, mismanagement of national economy, the murders of Dele Giwa, Major-General Mamman Vatsa, with other officers as there was no attempted coup but mere intentions that were yet to materialise and other human rights violations.

The Bakassi Story

By Nowa Omoigui

1. When the Obong of Calabar signed a "Treaty of Protection" with Britain on September 10, 1884 Britain agreed to "extend its protection" to the Obong and his Chiefs. The Obong agreed and promised to refrain from entering into any agreements or treaties with foreign nations or Powers without the prior approval of the British Government. That is, he signed away his Kingdom as a British protectorate. This type of subterfuge was carried out with many of our ancestors. All of this was before "Nigeria" was created. Note too that unlike agreements between metropolitan powers these so called protectorate agreements with African Kingdoms did not have precise definitions of boundaries. On November 15, 1893, Britain and Germany defined their boundaries in Africa, supplemented by another agreement on March 19, 1906. These covered British and German Territories from Yola to Lake Chad.

The Vatsa Conspiracy of 1985

By Nowa Omoigui, (MD, MPH, FACC)

In Nigeria, beginning in the wee hours of December 17th, 1985 and extending for the next two weeks, over one hundred airforce, army and naval officers were arrested en masse for allegedly plotting to overthrow the 4 month old government of Major General Ibrahim Babangida who had himself come to power on August 27, 1985 in a palace coup against Major General Buhari.

After a Preliminary Special Investigation Panel chaired by Brigadier Sani Sami, selected cases were forwarded for court martial. Beginning on Monday 27th January 1986, 17 officers were tried at the Brigade of Guards HQ in Victoria Island, Lagos, by a Special Military Tribunal.

The Vatsa Conspiracy (Part 2) - Some Biosketches

By Nowa Omoigui, (MD, MPH, FACC)

MAJOR GENERAL MAMMAN VATSA
Major General Mamman Vatsa was born on Dec 3, 1940. After attending secondary school at the Government Secondary School Bida, Niger State, he joined the Nigerian Army on the December 10, 1962. Following preparatory training at the Nigerian Military Training College in Kaduna, he was sent to the Indian Military Academy.

Bakassi: The Marston report, 1982

Forwarded By Dr. Nowa Omoigui

On May 12, 1982 Professor Geoffrey Marston, LLB, LLM, Ph.D., of Cambridge University, submitted a detailed report commissioned by Nigeria, to then Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Chief ROA Akinjide.

Marston had been commissioned in November 1981 to advise the Shagari government on the onshore and offshore boundary between Nigeria and Cameroun - in the aftermath of the incident on May 16, 1981 when Nigerian soldiers in three canoes were ambushed and killed by Camerounian soldiers.

Did Gowon Give Away Bakassi to Cameroun?

Did Gowon give away Bakassi to Cameroun? In a letter sent to the Guardian newspaper back in 2002, Nowa Omoigui argued that this claim was "one of the bigger lies of the modern Nigerian generation - a lie which has affected Nigeria's approach over the years to the Bakassi dispute and has even unnecessarily cost the lives of Nigerian soldiers". Here is Nowa's rebuttal in its entirety:

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The Palace Coup of August 27, 1985

By Nowa Omoigui, MD, MPH, FACC

A palace coup is one in which the sudden and decisive change of government illegally or by force is carried out by individuals in positions of authority who are themselves part and parcel of the ruling regime. In other words, one group of members of the Palace court seizes control from another group while the people look on.

Palace coups have occurred since antiquity.Pharaoh Amen-em-het Sehetep-ib-re of Ancient Egypt was killed in a palace coup in 1962 B.C.In 555 B.C., Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon was overthrown in a palace coup and replaced by Nabonidus - a reclusive scholar who ate grass thinking he was a goat. In AD 96, Titus Flavius Domitianus (brother of Titus Flavius Vespasianus) was killed during a palace coupin Rome led by Marcus Cocceius Nerva.

Brigadier-General Festus Okechukwu Okonkwo

Commander of the Economic Community Mission in Liberia (ECOMIL) (Aug 2003 - Oct 2003)

He was born on May 30th, 1951 at Agbani in present day Enugu State (actually he is by ethnicity/ancestry from Enugwu-Agidi in Anambra State). He is married to Selinah Ifeoma Okonkwo and blessed with three children.

He is a regular combatant, having been commissioned with Course 13 of the Nigerian Defence Academy. Deployed to the Recce (later Armoured) Corps, he underwent the Young Officers Armour Course at the Nigerian Army Armoured Corps School, then located at Ibadan. He has since undergone a variety of other training courses in Infantry and Armoured warfare as well as High Command, Staff work, and Defence Policy.

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The Murtala Muhammed Coup of 1975

By Nowa Omoigui, MD, MPH, FACC

Murtala Muhammed was born in Kano on November 8, 1938 and attended Barewa College Zaria. In 1959, his course mate cohort entered the Army. Initially educated at the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst, UK, as a regular combatant, he underwent subsequent courses in the teeth arm specialty of Signals. He was commissioned 2nd lieutenant in 1961, rising to the rank of Lieutenant 7 months later.

Col. Dimka's Failed Coup Attempt of February 13, 1976

By Nowa Omoigui, MD, MPH, FACC

Just before 8:30 a.m. on February 13, 1976, the following curious announcement was heard on Radio Nigeria:

Good morning fellow Nigerians, This is Lt. Col. B. Dimka of the Nigerian Army calling. I bring you good tidings. Murtala Muhammed's deficiency has been detected. His government is now overthrown by the young revolutionaries. All the 19 military governors have no powers over the states they now govern. The states affairs will be run by military brigade commanders until further notice

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The Prelude: bloody Coup of January 1966

By Nowa Omoigui, MD, MPH, FACC

In the Nigerian Army's official history of the Civil War, Major General IBM Haruna (rtd), said: "The dominance of the NPC and the perceived dominance of the North in the centre were like a threat to the presumed more enlightened and better educated Southerners who believed they were the backbone of the movement for Nigerian independence but did not succeed the colonial power to run the affairs of the state. So with that background one can now lay the foundation of the perception of the military struggle in Nigerian politics."

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Leaked [Police] Special Branch Report: "Military Rebellion of 15th January 1966"

By Nowamagbe Omoigui, MD, MPH, FACC

This is the Police Report on the official investigation into the coup of 15 January 1966. It was prepared by Police Special Branch Interrogators based on interviews with soldiers, other ranks and some officers who had been arrested after the mutiny. None of the soldiers and officers involved had come to formal trial in a court-martial as of the time of the July 29 1966 "counter-coup". Indeed the fact they were not court-martialed was one of the grievances listed by those officers who carried out the unfortunate operations of July 28-August 1, 1966. The coup report was released to very few individuals in Nigeria and certain foreign governments in early August 1966 - and then leaked. The remainder of the report which allegedly implicated certain other persons has apparently never been released widely to this day. It exists, we are on its trail - and shall publish it on sight.

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OPERATION ‘AURE’: Northern Nigerian Military Counter-Rebellion July, 1966

By Nowa Omoigui, MD

BACKGROUND
In the early hours of January 15, 1966, citing a laundry list of complaints against the political class, there was a military rebellion in Nigeria against the first republic led by a group of Majors who were predominantly of eastern origin, the Prime Minister, a federal minister, two regional premiers, along with top Army officers were brutally assassinated.A number of civilians were also killed. The coup succeeded in Kaduna, the northern region capital, failed in Lagos, the federal capital, and in Ibadan, the western regional capital, but barely took place in Benin the midwestern capital, and Enugu the eastern capital.
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Who is General AO Ogomudia

By Nowa Omoigui

In response to the questions below:
1. Is General Ogomudia the best officer Nigeria has ever produced since he is the first to attain non- political rank of a full General?
2. Did he fight in the civil war and if so in what sector and under which command?
3. What is his background and professional record?

General Alexander Ogomudia is not the first to attain the rank of a full General in the Nigerian Armed Forces during a civilian regime. The first to do so was none other than the outgoing CDS, Navy Admiral Ibrahim Ogohi. An Admiral is a Four Star General. However, General Ogomudia is the first Army Officer to attain the rank of a full (four star) General in the Nigerian Army during a civilian regime.

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From "Glover's Hausas" to 4 Guards Battalion - 141 years later

By Nowa Omoigui

The month of June has special significance to the Nigerian Army. The oldest unit in what is now known as the "Nigerian Army" was born on June 1st, 1863. It was established as a force of 80 men by then Lt. (RN) John Glover, later Administrator of Lagos, when he had to travel overland to Lagos following a ship wreck at Jebba. This article chronicles the history of the unit over time, to the extent that available records permit. It is part of "research-in-progress" and can, therefore, be expected to be updated from time to time.