It is over 30 years now since the failed military coup d’état masterminded by the late Gideon Gwaza Orkar.
The 1990 Nigerian coup d’état was a military coup attempt which took place in Nigeria, precisely on April 22, 1990 when a faction of Armed Forces officers, led by Major Orkar, attempted to overthrow the then Head of State and Commander-in-Chief if the Armed Forces of Nigeria, General Ibrahim Babangida.
Babangida himself took power in the 1985 coup d’état) and remained in power till 1993.
In the wake of the coup de’tat, Major Orkar and his conspirators, including, one Captain Chris Osho Okooboh, alias Andrew Egbe Igiehon seized the FRCN radio station, various military posts around Lagos and the Dodan Barracks, Lagos, the military headquarters and the presidential residence.
Babangida was present when the barracks were attacked, but managed to escape through a back route
In his coup address, Orkar called for the excision of five northern states.
However, the coup was crushed by the Babangida regime and Orkar, including 41 other conspirators were tried, convicted for treason and later were executed.
Today, all that is history. What readily comes to mind now is the whereabout of Okooboh, who by divine intervention, managed to escape and survived the military execution by bullets from the guns.
Okooboh, was a gallant officer who wields enormous influence among the the oligarchy in the military circle.
His involvement in the coup which many observers refered to as a charade though novel remains a mystery to many till date.
