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The Assassination of General Murtala Muhammed on February 13 1976

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The nation was thrown into turmoil on the 13th of February, 1976 after the Head of State and Chief Commander of the Armed Forces of Nigeria, General Murtala Ramat Muhammed, was assassinated in Lagos during an unsuccessful coup led by Lt. Col. Buka Suka Dimka.

History has it that General Murtala Muhammed lived a low-profile life which made his assassination easier for the coup plotters. Around 8 am on the 13th of February, 1976, Gen. Murtala Muhammed set out for his office at Dodan Barracks in an official black Mercedes Benz saloon car. He was in the company of his Aide-de-camp (ADC), Akintunde Akinsheinwa, an orderly, Michael Otuwu and a driver…Click Here To Continue Reading>> …Click Here To Continue Reading>>

 

The only visible sign of protection was a pistol carried by Michael Otuwu. Unlike many other Nigerian leaders, Murtala did not go around with a dozen of reckless-driving convoy. Near the Federal Secretariat at Ikoyi in Lagos, a traffic controller stopped the lane on which the Head of State’s Mercedes-Benz car was.

Murtala Muhammed's Car

Lt-Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo who was the Chief of Staff (Supreme Headquarters) and Lt-Gen. Theophilus Danjuma, the Chief of Army Staff, were also marked for assassination on the same day and almost the same time as the Head of State. General Murtala wasn’t lucky like Lt-Gen. Obasanjo and Lt-Gen. Danjuma who survived the attack.

Assassination of Murtala Muhammed
General Murtala Muhammed

Lt-Col. Dimka and three other coup plotters (Major Rabo, Captain Parwang and Lieutenant Seri) were already in a petrol station, waiting for Murtala’s car. As the car stopped in the traffic, Dimka and his men opened fire on Murtala’s car killing everyone except the orderly, Michael Otuwu who still lives to tell his part of the story.

Otuwu explained that he had earlier seen a man on babanriga (Hausa traditional attire) approach their car immediately it stopped; this man was later identified as Dimka. Otuwu said,

“He (Dimka) shot the driver in the head, then other soldiers loyal to him ran towards the car and opened fire. Murtala would have survived the attack had the coup plotters not noticed the door of his car opened shortly after it was riddled with bullets from AK-47 assault rifles. The moment Dimka’s boys noticed the opened door, another rain of bullets fell on the car and killed Murtala this time.”

Immediately after the assassination, Lt. Col. Buka Suka Dimka ran to the Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) to announce the success of the coup which unknowing to him was not yet successful. READ FULL STORY HERE>>>CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING>>>

Murtala muhammed's burial
General Murtala being laid to rest in 1976

At the NBC, Dimka read his first speech:

“Fellow Nigerians, Murtala Muhammed’s deficiency has been detected. His government is now overthrown by young revolutionaries. All the 19 military governors have no powers over the states they now govern. The states affairs will be run by military brigade commanders until further notice…”

Lt. Col. Dimka, thinking the coup was successful, bragged on,

“Unfortunately for him too, he didn’t live to rectify his dream of ruling Africa’s most populous country. Unlike his predecessor, General Yakubu Gowon, General Muhammed was considered tough, dogged and fearless. It is touted that he applied these characteristics in his resolved fight to rid the country of all form of corruption by some military governor-politicians under General Gowon, whom he said had betrayed the trust and confidence reposed in them by the nation and betrayed the ethics of their profession.”

General Murtala's car
Murtala’s car

“His fight against public sector corruption led to mass dismissals and the retirement of over 10,000 public officials on the grounds of inefficiency and corruption. As it is in modern Nigeria, many of those dismissed or retired were people regarded as highly placed, with connections in high places. Perhaps, it could be said that the difference between General Muhammed and Nigeria’s current crop of leaders is that while the General was willing to make the hard decision for a greater and brighter tomorrow even though as a military regime, today’s leaders lack the political will to make hard choices that could better the lots of the country.”

Col. Ibrahim Babangida led a detachment of soldiers to dislodge Dimka and his men at Radio Nigeria on the others of Lt-Gen. Danjuma. It was reported that Dimka escaped through a tunnel.

Dimka and other coup plotters executed
Dimka and other six coup plotters during their execution

Lt. Col. Dimka was arrested near Abakaliki in Eastern Nigeria on the 6th of March, 1976. On the 15th of May, 1976, Dimka and other six coup plotters were publicly executed by firing squad at the Maximum Security Prison in Lagos.

Gen. Muhammed Murtala was succeeded by Lt-Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo who stayed in power till 1979 when he handed over power to the democratic government of Alhaji Sheu Shagari.

 

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Racist Cops Handcuff Black Female General, Her Call to Pentagon Destroyed Their Careers –

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The handcuffs clicked shut with a sound like a gunshot in the quiet street.

“You’re resisting arrest,” the cop snarled, twisting the Black woman’s arm behind her back.

Bystanders gasped as she was forced onto the hood of the cruiser, her military-sharp posture never faltering.

Then, in a voice like steel, she said, “You have no idea who you just handcuffed. But in 20 minutes, these two officers would beg for their careers back.”

And in an hour, the Pentagon would make sure they never wore a badge again.

General Naomi Carter was used to command, not compliance.

A decorated war strategist, she had just returned from a classified overseas mission and was on her way to debrief at the Pentagon when she stopped for coffee…Click Here To Continue Reading>> …Click Here To Continue Reading>>

 

She had spent her life fighting battles—just not the kind where the enemy wore a blue uniform.

The cops had been watching her since she stepped out of her car.

“Suspicious vehicle,” one muttered, eyeing her luxury sedan.

When she questioned their unnecessary stop, they escalated.

“You fit a description.”

Then came the cuffs, the shove, the condescending smirk.

That’s when Naomi stopped being just a citizen.

“Let me make a call,” she demanded.

The taller cop laughed. “You ain’t calling nobody.”

But Naomi had memorized emergency protocols better than they’d memorized their own badges.

With her hands restrained, she recited a series of numbers to a horrified bystander. READ FULL STORY HERE>>>CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING>>>

“Dial it now.”

The phone rang twice before a voice answered: “Pentagon secure line.”

The cops froze. Then came the words that turned their blood to ice.

“This is General Carter. Badge numbers 4,872 and 5,193 just detained me unlawfully. I need immediate confirmation of their authority.”

For the first time, doubt flickered in the officer’s eyes.

The dispatcher’s radio erupted with panic.

“All units, stand down. Stand down.”

Backup arrived, but not for them.

The chief’s voice cracked over the comms. “You just cuffed a Pentagon-level officer. God help you.”

Naomi stood straight as her cuffs were removed.

The cops stammered apologies, but she simply picked up the phone.

“Secretary, I want their records audited. Every stop. Every complaint.”

Then to the officers: “You targeted the wrong woman today.”

By sundown, the officers were suspended. By week’s end, charged.

And as Naomi walked into the Pentagon the next morning, the news played footage of their perp walk.

Proof that even generals in street clothes outrank prejudice.

 

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One of death row’s oldest inmates gave scathing final words before execution by lethal injection –

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Oscar Franklin Smith, a 75-year-old man who had been on death row for decades, was executed in Tennessee by lethal injection. He was found guilty of murdering his wife, Judith Robirds Smith, and her two teenage sons, Chad and Jason Burnett, back in 1989.

But even as he was about to die, Oscar kept saying he didn’t do it. He claimed he was innocent, and he never changed his story in all the years he spent in prison. Just before the execution, he spoke out strongly, criticizing the justice system and the governor of Tennessee, Bill Lee.

He said the system is broken and doesn’t always get it right. He believed that not only was he innocent, but that there are other men like him still sitting in prison, waiting to die for crimes they didn’t commit. He said the governor is foolish if he doesn’t see that. Oscar’s last words included the phrase “I didn’t kill her,” which he reportedly said several times before he died. He was declared dead at 10:47 a.m…Click Here To Continue Reading>> …Click Here To Continue Reading>>

Oscar had been given a temporary delay in 2022, when the governor called off the execution at the last minute. But that decision was reversed later, and the execution went ahead. Even though he had lived over three decades after the crime while maintaining his innocence, the courts and the state stood by the original conviction. READ FULL STORY HERE>>>CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING>>>

After Oscar’s death, the family of the victims spoke to reporters. Judith’s sister, Terri Osborne, said losing her sister and two nephews had left a permanent wound. She said the pain of that loss will always stay with their family. No matter how much time passes, it still hurts deeply.

Terri also used the moment to talk about the issue of domestic violence. She said the murders are a tragic reminder of what can happen in abusive relationships. She wanted people who are in danger at home to know that they are not alone. She understood how hard it is to leave someone who is abusive, but she hoped this tragedy would push others to find safety and support. She also said she hopes more help and resources can be made available to people who are living in fear or dealing with abuse.

Her brother, Mike Robirds, also spoke. He said that no one should have to live the way their sister did — in fear. And no family should have to go through the heartbreak that they have endured. Their words were full of sadness, but also a message of hope for others who might still be suffering in silence.

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People in shock after hearing bizarre leaked audio from Trump’s new head of Social Security reacting to job offer –

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Frank Bisignano, a former executive from Wall Street, has just taken on a major role leading the Social Security Administration—a huge federal agency that handles benefits for over 70 million Americans. But it turns out he was just as surprised by the job offer as everyone else.

In a meeting with Social Security managers from across the country, held on May 21, Bisignano openly admitted that he hadn’t been looking for a new job and had no idea he was being considered for such a major government role. A recording of this meeting was leaked, and it’s left a lot of people both amused and concerned.

In the audio, Bisignano talks about how he got a phone call out of the blue about the Social Security job. He said he wasn’t job hunting at all, and once he heard about the position, he had to start Googling to figure out what exactly the commissioner of Social Security does. He even joked that he’s one of the best Googlers on the East Coast. At one point, he said something like, “What the heck is the commissioner of Social Security?” showing just how unexpected the appointment was for him…Click Here To Continue Reading>> …Click Here To Continue Reading>>

 

Ironically, during that same meeting, he complained about people leaking information to the media—while the very meeting itself ended up getting leaked. READ FULL STORY HERE>>>CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING>>>

Despite the jokes and the lighthearted way he presented himself, many people online didn’t take it well. On social media, some users mocked him for appearing clueless about the job and accused the Trump administration of giving important positions to people who aren’t qualified. One person sarcastically said he must be relying on the “fake it till you make it” approach. Another commented that having actual experience seems to be a disqualifier when it comes to getting hired in the Trump team.

Others, however, defended Bisignano. Some argued that you don’t need a PhD or deep government experience to run the Social Security Administration. Instead, they pointed out that what the agency really needs is someone with real leadership experience—someone who knows how to run big organizations and get results. They said Bisignano fits that bill, having led billion-dollar companies and managed large teams.

All in all, Bisignano’s surprise and honesty about not knowing much about the job have drawn mixed reactions. While some people think it’s refreshing or even funny, others are worried that such an important agency is being led by someone who admits he had to Google what the job even is.

 

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