1966: THE ASSASSINATION OF LT. COL. ARTHUR CHINYELU UNEGBE

Anuforo’s next target was the residence of the Quartermaster-General at the Army Headquarters, Lieutenant-Colonel Arthur Chinyelu Unegbe. His house at 7, Point Road, Apapa, was just a few metres away from Colonel Mohammed’s house. So, Anuforo ordered some of the soldiers to follow on foot due to the presence of the Colonel in the car.

As the Quartermaster-General, Lieutenant-Colonel Unegbe was responsible for the provision of every weapon, ammunition, vehicle, equipment, clothing, and food for the Army in general. Although he held no command nor battalion of troops, he was a senior officer who, as a threat to the “revolution”, had to be gunned down. Without the death of the senior officers, their “revolution” stood no chance.

On arrival at Unegbe's house, Anuforo entered alone. When he found him, he shot him immediately in the presence of his pregnant wife. Anuforo came downstairs and ordered some of the soldiers to bring out the dead body of the Lieutenant-Colonel.

“Come down from the car, sir,” Anuforo called out to Colonel Mohammed calmly, who got down and stared hard at him. The Colonel had not spoken a word since his arrest and the harmattan did not help matters at all. Still tied with the rifle slings, he had expected the worst.

“Say your last prayers, sir,” Anuforo said, “you are to be shot.”

Colonel Kur Mohammed glared but did not plead for mercy nor argue in any other manner. Like a zephyr, he was gentle and calm as he simply knelt down and mumbled a silent prayer until he was rained, in the back, with bullets by Anuforo who had been restless with his gun for the past one hour.

The Colonel fell facedown as life hissed out of him.

Colonel Mohammed's body was then crammed into the boot of Anuforo's car while Unegbe’s body was placed on the floor at the back of the car. The vehicles then proceeded to the Federal Guard Officers' Mess where Anuforo met Major Chukwuka and James Yakubu Pam, who had been waiting at the rendezvous for the rest of them.

At the Mess, the two bodies of Colonel Mohammed and Lieutenant-Colonel Arthur Unegbe were unloaded on the ground. It was 3:10 am.

Source: Page 58-59, A Carnage Before Dawn, Based on Nigeria’s First Coup D’état.

Photo Credit: Mustapha Lawal via Moses Babatunde (HistoryVille Group)

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