‘He died for no crime’: 58 years after, Aguiyi-Ironsi’s family seeks apology, compensation

Fifty-eight years after the killing of Nigeria’s first military Head of State, Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi, his family has called on the Federal Government to apologise, pay compensation and begin a process of reconciliation, insisting that he “died for no crime.”

The head of the family, Imo Aguiyi-Ironsi, made the call 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.

He said his uncle was wrongly blamed for the January 1966 coup, insisting that he had no role in it.

“He was a man of vision. He was a detribalized Nigerian. He was a good leader,” he said.

Imo Aguiyi-Ironsi said his uncle served as Head of State for only six months before he was killed.

“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 it was a fact that many Nigerians already knew.

“Everybody knows that,” he said.

According to him, Aguiyi-Ironsi lost his life because he was the most senior military officer at the time and was asked to take charge after the coup.

“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.

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He expressed hope that the government would listen to the family’s appeal.

“Well, 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 Head of State on January 16, 1966, after the January 15 coup that killed several political leaders.

He survived the coup and helped restore order, but his decision to introduce Decree 34, which centralised power, and his failure to prosecute those behind the coup, led to resentment among some northern military officers.

He was killed on July 29, 1966, alongside his host, Lieutenant Colonel Adekunle Fajuyi, during the July counter-coup.