According to veteran writer and novelist Chief Tola Adeniyi, he paid honor to Major Kaduna Nzeogwu, whom he regarded as a hero on a mission to save Nigeria, by visiting his mother following the Nigerian Civil War. Adeniyi discussed his respect for Nzeogwu, the leader of the January 15, 1966 coup, in an interview with The Edmund Obilo Podcast.CONTINUE FULL READING>>>>>
“Yes, I went to Okpanam to see his mother after the war,” Adeniyi recounted. “Because I wanted to see the woman who gave birth to such a great man.
I saw her. I told her that her son fought a gallant fight and that he had a mission to rescue Nigeria and rescue Nigerians. If he had succeeded, we probably wouldn’t be where we are today.”
Nzeogwu, a young military officer led the first coup in Nigeria’s history which sought to overthrow the corrupt political leadership of the time.
While the coup ultimately failed, it set off a chain of events that led to a counter-coup, ethnic tensions, and the eventual outbreak of the Nigerian Civil War.
Adeniyi’s visit to Okpanam, a small town in Delta State shows the lasting impact Nzeogwu’s actions had on Nigeria’s history. His words reflect the belief held by some that Nzeogwu’s vision, though controversial, was aimed at national redemption.
More than five decades after Nzeogwu’s death, his legacy remains a topic of debate. While some see him as a revolutionary hero, others view him as a symbol of Nigeria’s turbulent past.
Adeniyi’s remarks, however, suggest that in his eyes, Nzeogwu was a man of purpose who fought for a better Nigeria.CONTINUE FULL READING>>>>>
