Ironsi 

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"...Where was Yakassai when, as a young major in the Nigerian army, Danjuma risked his life in the name of the North (and for its sake) to effect the arrest of the then much dreaded General Aguiyi Ironsi? ..." S. N-I. July 2004"

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"...much dreaded General Aguiyi Ironsi...."?

The above excerpt was taken from a recent write-up by a Northern Nigerian. The elevation to hero status of the murderer of General Ironsi compels us to open a page on Aguiyi Ironsi.  We have two contemporary articles which open a shutter to providing a glimpse into history and the real Ironsi.

Major-General Aguiyi Ironsi was a complete gentlemen and a true soldier of impeccable character.  He never took part in a coup, but actually frustrated and stopped the very first soup in Nigeria in January 1966. He never took over (as in usurp) power but was asked to lead a military government which at the time was begged to take over the reigns of a tattered government, by a confounded, battered and effete civilian adminsitration, much to the latter's relief and the cheering of the entire population of Nigeria at the time. He never stole money from the national coffers. He never made himself rich off the resources of Nigeria.

Aguiyi Ironsi  had two flaws, viz:
1) he was Igbo
2) he believed in, and wanted one-Nigeria--like all Igbos at the time, and like many Igbos still today.

Those were also counted as crimes against him, for which Danjuma, a much junior Northern Nigerian officer, arressted and killed him in a coup d'etat in 1966, a crime committed on behalf of Northern Nigeria, planned and executed on the instructions and desires of Northern Nigeria, as the excerpt above proudly indicates.

Following Danjuma's crime, Nigeria was to go through continuous raping and looting by Northern Nigerian military officers. When out of uniform, they have used their loot and power to continue to run and ruin Nigeria. And, yes, believe it or not, it was one-Nigeria, because, as  they were to find out later, such a structure allowed the North  to control Nigeria, seize, use and abuse the resources, the best and most of which resources were to be found in the South, especially in Biafraland. All the while, the North maintained, fashioned and extended its Muslim traditions and cutlure, independent of and regardless--sometimes, in spite--of the corporate Nigeria or the rest of what made up that corporate. Until his recent retirement, Danjuma served in all these bumbling and rapacious military and the occaional cilian=peusomilitary governments, collecting praise and awards.

Such is the irony--the story of Biafra. Nobody worked harder for Nigeria remaining one than Igbo-Biafrans.  No group was penalized or victimized more for that. Yet, the handwriting is clearly on the wall that Nigeria will never be one, but one-Nigeria--the pretense and excuse thereof, will be used as a weapon for Northern Nigerian Muslims to subjugate, enslave, suppress and exploit all the other Nations currently living and suffering in Nigeria.

Now that many Igbo-Biafrans have embraced and committed to the Biafra alternative--the irony continues. We bring out the facts, experience and history of Igbo-Biafrans dying in support of one-Nigeria in a negative, lethal exercise in futility. Far too many Igbo-Biafrans still insist, for one oreason on another, in trying.

Ironsi was killed regarded, by his Northern killers, as an Igbo villain because he was Igbo and because he wanted one-Nigeria. Nigeria has written its history as such, and popular lores told thusly. His killer is decorated and celebrated as a hero by Nigeria, and is currently enjoying all that Nigeria has to offer her very best in pension and encomium. That is the reality of Nigeria today.

Great lesson for Igbo-Biafrans who may be tempted to continue their support of one-Nigeria..