Murtala Mohammed (8 November 1938-13 February 1976) was Head of State of Nigeria from 30 July 1975 to 13 February 1976, succeeding Yakubu Gowon and preceding Olusegun Obasanjo.
Biography[]
Murtala Mohammed was born on 8 November 1938 in Kano, Nigeria to a Sunni Muslim family. He joined the Nigerian Army in 1958 and served with the United Nations peacekeeping force during the Congo Crisis before supporting the 1966 July Counter Coup against Head of State Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi, although Yakubu Gowon beat him to the title of Head of State. During the Nigerian Civil War, Mohammed ordered the summary execution of Biafran prisoners-of-war and was known as a cruel man, and in 1975 he overthrew Gowon to take power for himself. He decided to increase the role of the private sector and was a supporter of leftism, supporting the MPLA during the Angolan Civil War, and he angered the United States as a result. On 13 February 1976, Buka Suka Dimka led a coup against Mohammed, and mutinous soldiers kiled Mohammed and his aide-de-camp Akintunde Akinsehinwa while they were driving to the Dodan Barracks in Lagos. Olusegun Obasanjo took over, as the coup was aborted and the conspirators killed.