1966 coup: How Ogbemudia survived Dimka’s onslaught, got saved by same Dimka 10 years later
Samuel Ogbemudia would have been a victim on the 1966 counter-coup. But he survived by the whiskers, like something you mostly find in movies.
At the time of the coup, he was the brigade-major at the First Infantry Brigade of the Nigerian Army, Kaduna and Bukar Sukar Dimka, a lieutenant, who was very prominent in the upheavals that culminated in the counter coup of July 1966, was his subordinate.
According to an account of the incident published in Premium Times in 2017, Ogbemudia had placed Dimka under house arrest for breaching an instruction against troop movements.
“During the counter coup in which many southern officers were murdered by mutinous northern soldiers, Dimka saw the opportunity to settle scores permanently with his southerner-boss. While making plans to gather soldiers to seize him, however, Mr. Ogbemudia was tipped off and advised to flee town pronto.
“A Landrover was immediately provided which Ogbemudia jumped into (armed with a sub-machine gun, SMG) and sped out of town (without bothering to pack) chased by a Landrover load of northern soldiers led by Mr. Dimka”, wrote Naiwu Osahon in one of the several recollections of the incident.
“Dimka’s group pursued him to Kontagora where he refuelled, barely eluding them at the fuel station. But they refused to give up, chasing him all the way to Jebba, crossing the Niger Bridge behind him, sometimes shooting. They followed him all the way to Owo in present day Ondo State where he ran out of fuel, abandoned his vehicle and scaled a six-foot fence into dense jungle. At that point they gave up and began their journey back to Kaduna.
“Ogbemudia later hiked back to Benin City, lying low for some time, moving from house to house until things cooled down.”
Ten years later, Ogbemudia was saved by Dimka after he was initially suspected of involvement in the abortive coup that ended Murtala Mohammed’s life in 1976. The suspicion was because he was governor under Yakubu Gowon.
But Dimka was said to have pointed out that he could not have plotted with a former boss (Ogbemudia) whom he had attempted to kill in the past. And so the man who had wanted to ‘finish’ Ogbemudia 10 years ago, saved him from a firing squad.
Ogbemudia was appointed military administrator of Mid-West state (his state) in September 1966 and his administration is still described as one of the best in the state till today. He also later served as elected governor of Bendel state in 1983 and removed the same year when Muhammadu Buhari toppled the government of Shehu Shagari.
Born on September 17, 1932, he passed away on March 9, 2017. He would have been exactly 93 today.
Photo: Ogbemudia (right) and JD Gomwalk, a commissioner of police at that period (date not specified).
Credit: Ethnic African Stories