In the early hours of 15th January, 1966, a group of young army officers, mostly from the Igbo ethnic group, led what is now known as the First Military Coup in Nigeria. The coup was aimed at overthrowing the civilian government headed by Prime Minister, Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, whom the plotters accused of corruption,…

Major General Mamman Jiya Vatsa was a highly decorated officer in the Nigerian Army, with a distinguished career that spanned several decades. He was a close friend and ally of General Ibrahim Babangida, who had assumed power in a military coup in 1985. However, despite their close relationship, Vatsa was accused of plotting a coup…