1967 in Nigeria
The Nigerian Civil War
In 1967 the Civil war broke out in Nigeria,the war was between the Nigerian troops and Biafran troops .The Head of State at that time was Gen Yakubu Gowon and the Biafran troop where lead by Col Chukuemeka Ojukwu .The war lasted for three years from 6 Jul 1967 – 15 Jan 1970.Gowon had just be chosen as the Head of State after a coup d'état on January 15, 1966 that left the first Military Head of State Major General Johnson Ironsi assassinated.
There was widespread chaos and tumult, lots of people from Eastern Region of Nigeria predominantly of Igbo descent where targeted and attacked in Nothern Nigeria so they fled.Ojukwu reassures the people and encouraged them to go back to their business in other parts of the country.
To mitigate all this occurrences and keep the peace, the federal military government chose delegates to meet with t those of the eastern region met at Aburi, a Ghanaian town, where the popular Aburi Accord was signed.
The Decree No. 8, which was passed which was mainly an embodiment of the accord but shortly after that to what seemed like a contradiction , General Gowon announced the creation of 12 states on May 27, 1967 breaking the Eastern State.
This was the major reason for the secession by Ojukwu subsequently a declaration of independence
A new legal tender was introduced and the old one withdrawn,new Nigerian pound.
The Creation of States
General Yakubu Gowon created twelve states out of the four regions that existed at that time appointing a governor to head them. This move was seen by Col Chukwuemeka Ojukwu as a ploy to weaken the Eastern Region and a breach of the Aburi Accord.
The following were the governors
- Colonel Udoakaha Jacob Esuene South Eastern State
- Lieutenant Commander Papayere Diette-Spiff Rivers State
- Police Commissioner Usman Faruk Northwestern State
- Colonel Mobolaji Olufunso Johnson Lagos State
- Colonel Hassan Usman Katsina Kaduna State
- Colonel Samuel Ogbemudia Bendel State
- Colonel Robert Adeyinka Adebayo Western State
- Colonel Sanni Bello Kano State
- Colonel Chukwuemeka Ojukwu East Central State
- Colonel Ibrahim Taiwo Kwara State
- Colonel Musa Usman Northeastern State
- Police Commissoner Joseph Gomwalk Benue/Plateau State
The Nigerian Defence Academy
In 1967, the Nigerian Defence Academy graduated their first set which included graduating cadets of the NDA Regular 1 Course in March 1967. Cadets Salihu Ibrahim, Rabiu Aliyu, M Dahiru, Oladipo Diya from left to right. The B company of 1st Regular Course of the Nigerian Defence Academy
Members of the Supreme Military Council
NAF (Kurubo) Ejoor (COS Army), Wey (COS SHQ), GOWON,Kam Saleem (IG), Soroh (Navy), Rotimi (West), GbamiboyeCW/Kwara), Asika (EC).Rear Row: Musa Usman (NE), Adekunle (SHQ), Abba Kyari(NC), Ogbemudia (MidWest) Gomwalk (BP), Deitep-Spiff(Rivers), Johnson (Lagos/EKO!), Usman Farouk (NW).
Incumbents
Federal government
Governors
- Bendel State:
- Benue-Plateau State:
- Cross River State:
- East Central State:
- Kaduna State:
- Kano State:
- Kwara State:
- Lagos State:
- Northeastern State:
- Northwestern State:
- Rivers State:
- Western State:
Events
- 6 July - 14 July - Battle of Nsukka, the first military conflict during the Nigerian Civil War.
- 19 September - Republic of Benin established
- 20 September - Republic of Benin disestablished
- 7 October - Asaba massacre took place when federal troops of Nigeria entered Asaba, rounded up as many as 500 Igbo men of Asaba and shot them.[1]
- 17 October - Start of Operation Tiger Claw
Births
- 27 April - Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello, politician
- 8 September - Yvonne Losos de Muñiz, dressage rider
- 16 October - Ike Shorunmu, footballer
- date unknown - Helon Habila, novelist and poet
Deaths
- September - Christopher Okigbo, poet, 37, killed during Nigerian Civil War