Personality in Focus
Murtala Mohammed: Remembering Originator of ‘Fellow Nigerians’ 47 Years After
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By Eric Elezuo
He is noted as the first person to use the popular military catch phrase ‘fellow Nigerians’, and popularised it among subsequent leaders, who had used it at all coup situations. He is Murtala Ramat Muhammad GCFR, Nigeria’s third military Head of State, who was murdered in cold blood on February 13, 1976, less than eight months after he took over administration.
Born on November 8, 1938, Mohammed is believed to have led the 1966 Nigerian counter-coup in overthrowing the Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi military regime and featured prominently during the Nigerian Civil War and thereafter ruled over Nigeria from 30 July 1975 until his assassination on that fateful February 13, 1976 morning.
He was in Kano, into a ruling-class religious family, Murtala served in the Nigerian Army as a cadet in the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst. He later served in Congo; eventually rose through the ranks to become brigadier general in 1971, aged 33, becoming one of the youngest generals in Nigeria. Three years later Murtala became the Federal Commissioner for Communications in Lagos. As a conservative and federalist, Murtala regretted the overthrow of the First Republic and the promulgation of Aguiyi Ironsi’s unification decree of 1966. He was devastated by the assassination of Sir Ahmadu Bello, and for a time seriously considered the secession of Northern Nigeria. His career redoubled after Chukwuma Kaduna Nzeogwu and the young majors orchestrated the first military coup in Nigeria of 1966 coup empowering him to lead the mutiny of the night of 29 July 1966 in Abeokuta. Murtala was briefly considered as Supreme Commander before the appointment of Yakubu Gowon. He also masterminded the July 1966 counter coup, which evidently, sparked the Nigerian Civil War.
During the war, he commandeered Nigeria’s second infantry division which was responsible for the death of civilians and much of the rebels. His command’s use of veteran soldiers, no quarter, and scorched earth strategies led to between 10,000 and 30,000 deaths. Combined with the total wartime death toll of three million making the civil war one of the deadliest in modern history. Three years later the Federal military government declared victory which bolstered Murtala’s image over Nigeria and in particular the north as a military leader through the post-war era of “reconciliation, reconstruction, and rehabilitation”. In post-civil-war Nigeria, Murtala ruled with more power than any Nigerian leader before or since, and developed a charismatic authority and cult of personality. During the Cold War he maintained Nigerian neutrality through participation in the non-aligned movement but supported the Soviet Union — during the latter’s effort in the Angolan Civil War
Nigeria under Murtala presided over a period of rampant economic prosperity. At the same time, his regime transitioned from being authoritarian into consensus decision-making with Murtala the leader of a military triumvirate, alongside Generals Olusegun Obasanjo and Theophilus Danjuma. The dictatorship softened and Murtala unveiled plans for the demilitarization of politics. In 1976 barely seven months into his nascent rule Murtala without having time to see his plans implemented was assassinated in a failed coup d’ètat attempt, being succeeded by Olusegun Obasanjo as Head of State, who, in turn, led the Nigerian transition to democracy with the Second Nigerian Republic.
The legacy of Murtala in Nigerian history remains controversial as the nature of his rule changed over time. His reign was marked by both brutal repression, and economic prosperity, which greatly improved the quality of life in Nigeria. His dictatorial style proved highly adaptable, which enabled wide-sweeping social and economic reform, while consistent pursuits during his reign centered on highly centralised government, authoritarianism, federalism, national Federalism, and pan-Africanism.
Murtala Muhammed was born on November 8, 1938 in Kano. His father, Muhammed Riskuwa, was from the Fulani Genawa clan, who had a history of Islamic jurisprudence as both his paternal grandfather Suleman and paternal great-grandfather Mohammed Zangi served as Chief Judges in Kano Emirate and held the title of chief Alkali of Kano. His father worked in the Kano Native Authority and was related to Aminu Kano, Inuwa Wada, and Aminu Wali. He died in 1953, his mother, Uwani Rahamatu, was from the Kanuri and Fulani Jobawa clan, the Jobawa clan members include the Makama of Kano and Abdullahi Aliyu Sumaila, his maternal grandfather Yakubu Soja a World War I veteran was from Dawakin Tofa while his maternal grandmother Hajiya Hauwau (Aya) was from Gezawa, he was educated at Cikin Gida Elementary School which was inside the emir’s palace.
He then transferred to Gidan Makama primary school in Kano which was just outside the palace. He then proceeded to Kano Middle School (now Rumfa College, Kano) in 1949, before attending the famous Government College (now Barewa College) in Zaria, where he obtained his school certificate in 1957. At Barewa College, Muhammed was a member of the Cadet Corps and was captain of shooting in his final year. In 1957, he obtained a school leaving certificate and applied to join the Nigerian army later in the year.
Murtala Muhammed joined the Nigerian Army in 1958. He spent short training stints in Nigeria and Ghana and then was trained as an officer cadet at Sandhurst Royal Military Academy in England. After his training, he was commissioned as a second lieutenant in 1961 and assigned to the Nigerian Army Signals that same year, later spending a short stint with the No. 3 Brigade Signals Troop in Congo In 1962, Muhammed was appointed aide-de-camp to M. A. Majekodunmi, the federally-appointed administrator of the Western Region.
In 1963, he became the officer-in-charge of the First Brigade Signal Troop in Kaduna, Nigeria. That year he traveled to the Royal Corps of Signals at Catterick Garrison, England for a course on advanced telecommunications techniques. On his return to Nigeria in 1964, he was promoted to major and appointed officer-commanding, 1st Signal Squadron in Apapa, Lagos. In November 1965, he was made acting Chief of Signals of the Army, while his paternal uncle, Inuwa Wada had recently been appointed Defense Minister.
Mohammed’s coup in 1966 led to the installation of Lieutenant-Colonel Yakubu Gowon as Supreme Commander of the Nigerian Armed Forces, despite the intransigence of Muhammed who wanted the role of Supreme Commander for himself. However, as Gowon was militarily his senior, and finding a lack of support from the British and American advisors, he caved in. Gowon rewarded him by confirming his ranking (he had been an acting Lt. Colonel until then) and his appointment (Inspector of Signals).
In June 1968, he relinquished his commanding position and was posted to Lagos and appointed Inspector of Signals. In April 1968, he was promoted to colonel. The actions of the division during this period, mostly in Asaba became a subject of speculation. In a book published in 2017, S. Elizabeth Bird and Fraser Ottanelli document the 1967 mass murder of civilians by troops of the 2 Division under General Muhammed’s command. They also discuss the events leading up to the massacre, and its impact on Asaba and on the progress of the war, as well as other civilian massacres carried out by soldiers of the 2nd Division at Onitsha and Isheagu.
Between 1970 and 1971, he attended the Joint Service Staff College in England, his supervisor’s report attributed him to having ”a quick agile mind, considerable ability and common sense. He holds strong views which he puts forward in a forthright manner. He is a strong character and determined. However, he finds it difficult to moderate his opinions and finds it difficult to enter into debate with others whose views he may not share”.After the war, he was promoted to brigadier-general in October 1971. Between 1971 and 1974, Muhammed was involved in routine activities within the signals unit of the army. However, he also disagreed with some of the policies being pursued by Gowon.
On 7 August 1974, the head of state, General Yakubu Gowon appointed him as the new Federal Commissioner for Communications, which he combined with his military duties as Inspector of Signals at the Army Signals Headquarters in Apapa, Lagos. On 7 August 1974, General Yakubu Gowon appointed Muhammed as the Federal commissioner (position now called Minister) for communications to oversee and facilitate the nation’s development of cost effective communication infrastructures during the oil boom. After the war and after he took power as head of state, Muhammed started the reorganization and demobilization of 100,000 troops from the armed forces. The number of troops in the armed forces decreased from 250,000 to 150,000.
On 29 July 1975, General Yakubu Gowon was overthrown while attending the 12th summit of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) in Kampala, Uganda. Muhammed took power as the new Military Head of State. Brigadiers Obasanjo (later Lt. General) and Danjuma (later Lt. General) were appointed as Chief of Staff, Supreme HQ and Chief of Army Staff, respectively.
In the coup d’état that brought him to power he introduced the phrases “Fellow Nigerians” and “with immediate effect” to the national lexicon. In a short time, Murtala Muhammed’s policies won him broad popular support, and his decisiveness elevated him to the status of a folk hero.
However his highly popular, often televised “with immediate effect” style of governing, also gained some criticism amongst the countries top civil servants – some of which were Nigeria’s top intellectuals. His ad-hoc Presidential proclamations left his civil service often unprepared, lacking details or even funding to implement his ideas, and his administration led to the dismissal of thousands of civil servants. Over 10,000 civil servants, government employees were dismissed without benefits; reasons stated were age, health, incompetence, or malpractice. The removal of such a large amount of public officials affected the public service, the judiciary, the police and armed forces, the diplomatic service, public corporations, and university officials. Quite a few officials were tried on corruption charges, and an ex-military state governor was executed for gross office misconduct.
Muhammed took federal control of the country’s two largest newspapers – Daily Times and New Nigerian; all media in Nigeria was now under federal control. He also took federal control of the remaining state-run universities. On February 3, 1976, the Military Government of Murtala Muhammed created new states and renamed others, the states he created include: Bauchi, Benue, Borno, Imo, Niger, Ogun, and Ondo. This brought the total number of states in Nigeria to nineteen in 1976.
As head of state, Muhammed put in place plans to build a new Federal Capital Territory due to Lagos being overcrowded. He set up a panel headed by Justice Akinola Aguda, which chose the Abuja area as the new capital ahead of other proposed locations. On February 3, 1976, Muhammed announced that the Federal Capital would in the future move to a federal territory location of about 8,000 square kilometres in the central part of the country.
Towards the end of 1975, the administration implemented a mass purge in the Nigerian civil service. The civil service was viewed as undisciplined and lacking a sense of purpose. A retrenchment exercise was implemented as part of a strategy to refocus the service.
Source: Wikipedia
The National President of the Remo Secondary School Old Students Association (RSSOSA), Aare Adetola Emmanuelking, has celebrated the National Vice President of the Association’s UK Branch, Mr. Damola Aiyeola, on the occasion of his 60th birthday, describing him as a God-fearing family man, committed leader and an exemplary Old Student whose years of service have continued to make a meaningful difference in the lives of students and the development of Remo Secondary School and beyond.
In a special birthday message marking the significant milestone, Aare Adetola Emmanuelking described Aiyeola’s 60 years as a life of purpose, faith, family, leadership and service, noting that his contributions to RSSOSA demonstrate a deep understanding of the responsibility that comes with belonging to an association of Old Students.
The RSSOSA National President praised Aiyeola’s leadership as the National Vice President of the Association’s UK Branch, noting that his contribution goes beyond occupying an executive position to actively using his platform to advance the welfare of students and contribute meaningfully to the growth and development of the alma mater.
Aare Adetola Emmanuelking particularly highlighted the various initiatives undertaken by the RSSOSA UK Branch under Aiyeola’s watch, describing them as tangible expressions of the responsibility that Old Students owe to the institution that shaped them.
Some of the notable interventions include the renovation of the UK-adopted classrooms at Remo Secondary School; the donation of learning materials to exceptional students across the Senior and Junior sections of the school; and the support and funding of holiday tutorials for SS3 students. The tutorial programme was further complemented by the donation of textbooks and sanitary pads to the students, addressing both their educational and personal welfare needs.
Commending these initiatives, the RSSOSA National President described Mr. Damola Aiyeola as a leader whose influence is evident in the positive impact being recorded by the UK Branch.
According to him, Aiyeola’s leadership reflects the importance of having people who understand that alumni leadership is ultimately about service, responsibility and giving back. He noted that the story of the RSSOSA UK Branch under Aiyeola’s watch is one of Old Students turning their affection for their alma mater into measurable interventions that improve the lives of present-day students.
As Mr. Damola Aiyeola marks his diamond jubilee, the RSSOSA National President prayed that God would continue to strengthen him, preserve his life and grant him the wisdom and grace required for greater responsibilities.
He prayed for divine health, protection, prosperity, renewed strength and continued fulfilment, asking God to bless and preserve his family and reward the celebrant for his commitment to service.
He further prayed that the years ahead would be even more fruitful and impactful, with greater opportunities to contribute to the advancement of RSSOSA, the UK Branch and Remo Secondary School.
Ethel Caterham, recognised by Guinness World Records as the world’s oldest living person, has turned 117.
Caterham celebrated her birthday on Friday, August 21, 2026, at Hallmark Lakeview Care Home in Lightwater, Surrey, where she lives.
“Thank you for all of the kind birthday wishes. Even at 117, I’ve had many firsts this year, from stroking a llama to holding hands with the King!” Caterham said in a birthday message shared through her care home.
“I’ve had a lovely day celebrating with my family and friends, and I look forward to seeing what next year brings!”
Born on August 21, 1909, in Shipton Bellinger, Hampshire, Caterham is the last known surviving person born during the reign of King Edward VII.
She became the world’s oldest living person in April 2025 after the death of Brazilian nun Inah Canabarro Lucas at the age of 116. Guinness World Records also recognises her as the oldest living woman.
Caterham travelled alone to India at 18, where she worked as a nanny for a British family.
She later met British Army officer Norman Caterham at a dinner party in 1931. They married in 1933 and lived in several countries, including Hong Kong, where Caterham set up a kindergarten.
The couple later returned to Britain and raised two daughters. Norman died in 1976. Caterham has since outlived both daughters and is now a grandmother of three and great-grandmother of five.
Her long life has spanned two World Wars, the sinking of the Titanic and the COVID-19 pandemic. She also survived COVID-19 at the age of 110.
Caterham has previously said she believes avoiding arguments has helped her live a long life.
“Never arguing with anyone, I listen and I do what I like,” she said.
One of the highlights of Caterham’s past year was meeting King Charles III in September 2025.
During their meeting, she recalled watching his investiture as Prince of Wales in 1969, when he was 21.
“All the girls were in love with you and wanted to marry you,” she told the King.
Caterham later described meeting Charles and holding his hand as two of the memorable “firsts” she experienced during her 116th year.
The world’s oldest living man, Brazil’s João Marinho Neto, also sent birthday wishes to Caterham, according to Guinness World Records.
Despite reaching 117, Caterham remains five years short of the verified record for the oldest person ever. That record belongs to Frenchwoman Jeanne Calment, who lived to 122 years and 164 days.
For now, Caterham continues to celebrate life with her family and friends while looking ahead to another milestone year.
The National Association of Online Security News Publishers (NAOSNP) has extended warm congratulations to the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Rilwan Disu, on the occasion of his 30th wedding anniversary with his beautiful wife, Mrs. Mutiat Olufunmilola Disu, describing the milestone as a reflection of the stability and discipline the IGP has brought to both his home and his office.
Mrs. Disu, who doubles as National President of the Police Officers Wives Association (POWA), the umbrella body for wives and spouses of police officers nationwide, has been a steady presence alongside her husband through a career that has spanned more than three decades of policing, culminating in his appointment by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the nation’s 23rd indigenous Inspector-General in February 2026.
In a statement signed by NAOSNP National President, Mayor Oki O. Samson, the Association described the union as “a partnership that has clearly shaped a man now trusted with the safety of over 200 million Nigerians,” adding that “thirty years of marriage is no small feat, and we join well-wishers across the country in celebrating the IGP and his amiable wife on this golden occasion.”
The Association noted that Mrs. Disu’s leadership of POWA has itself been an extension of her husband’s community-first approach to policing, with the association playing a quiet but consistent role in supporting the welfare of officers’ families across the Force. This is a mission that mirrors IGP Disu’s own emphasis on troop and personnel welfare since assumption of office.
Beyond the celebration, NAOSNP used the opportunity to reflect on what it described as the sterling contributions IGP Disu has made to President Bola Tinubu’s ongoing security architecture reforms in his first six months in office. The Association recalled that the IGP’s appointment came at a pivotal moment in the country’s history, as the Presidency pursued the most far-reaching restructuring of Nigeria’s security institutions since the Civil War. The reforms include the State Police bill now passed by both chambers of the National Assembly, the expansion of the Nigerian Army from eight to twelve divisions, and the rollout of the Forest Guard corps.
“IGP Disu has actively complimented the reform agenda of Mr. President Tinubu,” Mayor Oki said. “From his welfare-driven leadership of the rank and file to his insistence on intelligence-led and community-rooted policing which were the same approach that made him a celebrated name at the Lagos RRS, he has shown that the Force under his watch is a willing and capable partner in Mr President’s vision for a secure Nigeria.”
NAOSNP also heaped praises on the IGP for the Force’s professional conduct during the just-concluded Osun State governorship election held on August 15, 2026. The Association noted that IGP Disu personally directed a massive security deployment led by DIG Ishyaku Mohammed to the State. The Police deployment included Police mobile units across all 30 local government areas, air and drone surveillance. The Police also engaged with civil society groups such as Yiaga Africa ahead of the poll to strengthen public trust in the process.
Despite isolated incidents, the election was widely adjudged as peaceful and credible, with candidates across party lines, INEC officials, media and residents commended the professionalism of Police officers on ground. Incumbent Governor Ademola Adeleke of the Accord Party was declared winner, defeating APC’s Bola Oyebamiji by over 66,000 votes, in a contest that many observers say passed a key credibility test ahead of the 2027 general elections.
“Osun has once again proven that when the Police lead with professionalism and neutrality, Nigerians reward that conduct with confidence in the process,” Mayor Oki Samson stated.
NAOSNP concluded its statement by wishing IGP Disu and his wife many more years of marital bliss, and expressing confidence that the same discipline, patience and grace that has sustained their union will continue to guide his stewardship of the Nigeria Police Force in the months ahead.
