‘Brutal killing of Ahmadu Bello, seed of evil that continues to haunt Nigeria’ —Shehu Sani

As Nigeria joins the rest of the world to mark the Armed Forces Remembrance Day today, the former lawmaker who represented Kaduna Central senatorial district in the National Assembly, Senator Shehu Sani, has attributed the harrowing situation in the country to the brutal killing of former Premier of Northern Nigeria, Sir Ahmadu Bello, popularly known as Sardauna of Sokoto, and others in 1966 in a bloody coup staged by some young army officers.

Sir Bello was assassinated on January 15, 1966 in a coup led by Major Chukwuma Kaduna Nzeogwu, which toppled Nigeria’s post-independence government.

The Sardauna who was still serving as premier of Northern Nigeria at the time of his assassination, was murdered in what has come to be described by many northerners as an Igbo coup which has ultimately led to a deepening distrust that has continued to dog the unity of the nation.

Other prominent Nigerians who were killed in the coup included Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, the Prime Minister of Nigeria, Sir Kashim Ibrahim, the Shettima of Borno and the Governor of the Old Northern Region, Chief Samuel Ladoke Akintola, the Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland and the Premier of the Old Western Region, Chief Remilekun Adetokunboh Fani-Kayode Q.C., the Balogun of Ife, the Deputy Premier of the Old Western Region.

Others were Chief Festus Samuel Okotie-Eboh, the Minister of Finance of Nigeria, Brigadier Samuel Adesujo Ademulegun, Commander of the 1st Brigade, Nigerian Army, Brigadier Zakariya Maimalari, Commander of the 2nd Brigade of the Nigerian Army,
and Alhaja Hafsatu Bello, the wife of the Sardauna of Sokoto, among others.

To commemorate the remembrance of the brutal coup, Senator Sani, in a post on his X handle on Wednesday, said the killing of Bello and the others still haunts Nigeria today.

The politician turned activist noted that Sir Bello did everything for his people and his country Nigeria but died a materially poor man aa no house, vehicle or company could be traced to his name or any of his family members in Kaduna where he lived, led and waa brutally murdered, stressing that after he was killed, his belongings were taken to his family home in Sokoto.

“For those of us in Kaduna where the Late Premier of Northern Nigeria lived, led and was brutally murdered, we couldn’t yet find any house, vehicle or company traced to his name or any of his family members,” Sani wrote.

“After he was killed, his belongings were taken to his family home in Sokoto.

“The late Sardauna did everything for his people and his country and died a materially poor man.

“His murder and that of others in 1966 was the seed of evil that continues to haunt our country.

“May the souls of all the victims of the 1966 coup rest in peace. Ameen.”

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