The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has reacted as the nation commemorates the heroes who sacrificed their lives during the 15th January 1966 military coup.
The Forum, through its National Publicity Secretary, Tukur Muhammad-Baba, decried attempts to distort history, emphasizing that the North is still grappling with the aftermath of the conflict.
Reflecting on the historical event via a statement, Muhammad-Baba said, “January 15th, 2024, marks the 58th anniversary of a dark day in Nigeria’s political history. It extends beyond a Remembrance Day for the armed forces, as it was on this day in 1966 that the first military coup unfolded, claiming the lives of 21 individuals.”
“The repercussions of this event have cast a long shadow on Nigeria’s political development. Executed by Major Chukwuma Kaduna Nzeogwu and others, the coup tragically ended the lives of prominent figures, including Prime Minister Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa and Premier of the Northern Region, Alhaji Ahmadu Bello,” he added.
The ACF emphasized that the date marked a poignant moment for Northern Nigeria, losing some of its most illustrious sons.
The coup, he said, signalled the demise of Nigeria’s fledgling democracy, negatively impacting the nation’s political history.
Addressing contemporary challenges, Muhammad-Baba rejected any attempts at historical revisionism, particularly through social media.
“ACF will not tolerate efforts to whitewash the facts surrounding the coup. Historical revisionism cannot erase the ethnic complexities evident in the planning and execution of the event,” he declared.
The ACF called on the people of the North and the nation to observe January 15th annually as a Day of National Mourning for Democracy, so that such tragic events never recur in the nation’s history.
