Was Nzeogwu Recruited Into, Rather Than the Leader of, the 1966 Coup?

This article argues that Major Chukwuma Kaduna Nzeogwu joined the January 1966 coup plot after its early planning stages, rather than leading it from the beginning. It cites the Nigerian Police Special Branch report and accounts by historians including Max Siollun, Ruth First and John Iliffe. According to the sources referenced, officers including Emmanuel Ifeajuna, Donatus Okafor and Oji began discussing a coup in 1965 before Nzeogwu was brought into the group through Christian Anuforo. The article maintains that Nzeogwu later became the public face of the failed operation, helping to create the impression that he was its principal leader. The article also challenges ethnic narratives surrounding the coup, the civil war and the identity of Anioma and Enuani people in Delta North. It calls for a re-examination of historical claims that assign collective responsibility for the events of 1966 to any one ethnic group.

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