Adewale Ademoyega (died February 21, 2007) was one of the principal plotters of the January 15, 1966 coup, an event that derailed Nigeria's nascent democracy and introduced military rule to Nigeria.

Early life and education

Adewale was born in Ode Remo in present-day

Ogun State Ogun State is a state in southwestern Nigeria. It is bordered to the south by Lagos State and the Bight of Benin, to the east by Ondo State, and to the north by Oyo and Osun states while its western border forms part of the national borde ...

in southwestern Nigeria. He earned a degree in history from the

University of London The University of London (UoL; abbreviated as Lond or more rarely Londin in Post-nominal letters, post-nominals) is a collegiate university, federal Public university, public research university located in London, England, United Kingdom. The ...

. He was one of the first graduates that enrolled as an officer in the Nigerian Army along with Lieutenant Colonels

Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu (4 November 193326 November 2011) was a Nigerian Officer (armed forces), military officer and political figure who served as President of Biafra from 1967 to 1970. As the military governor of the Eastern Region, Nige ...

and

Victor Banjo Victor Adebukunola Banjo (1 April 1930 – 22 September 1967) was a colonel in the Nigerian Army. He fought in the Biafran Army during the Nigerian Civil War. Banjo was accused of being a coup plotter against Nigerian Prime Minister Abubakar T ...

, and Majors Olufemi Olutoye, Emmanuel Ifeajuna, and Oluwole Rotimi in the 1966 Nigerian army. Adewale Ademoyega was the last graduate to be commissioned directly into the Nigerian Army

Infantry Infantry, or infantryman are a type of soldier who specialize in ground combat, typically fighting dismounted. Historically the term was used to describe foot soldiers, i.e. those who march and fight on foot. In modern usage, the term broadl ...

The Biafra War

During the

Biafran Biafara anglicized as Biafra ( ), officially the Republic of Biafra, was a partially recognised state in West Africa that declared independence from Nigeria and existed from 1967 to 1970. Its territory consisted of the former Eastern Region o ...

civil war, Adewale fought in the "Nigerian Liberation Army", a part of the Biafran army led by Lieutenant Colonel Banjo. Major Ademoyega was released from detention by Biafran Head of State Colonel Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu, on August 13, 1966. He then formed the Biafran 19th Battalion and subsequently took over for Major Emmanuel Ifeajuna, who also helped with the 1966 coup as the chief of staff of the Liberation Army. Unfortunately for Major Ademoyega, Ojukwu received some intelligence that some officer would overthrow him. Major Ademoyega was detained along with several officers and comrades. Several of these officers would later be shot by Biafran forces. Maybe Ademoyega was spared however as he truly had nothing to do with this. He was detained for the remainder of the civil war. Ademoyega was briefly 'freed' after the war. However, Federal forces put him right back in detention for his participation as part of the Liberation Army. He was finally released along with twenty others during the 1974 Independence Day amnesty.

Death

Adewale Ademoyega died on February 21, 2007, after being ill for sometime.

References

Nigerian Army officers Living people Yoruba military personnel Alumni of the University of London Year of birth missing (living people) {{Africa-mil-bio-stub 2007 deaths