Babangida
Babangida Recounts Failed 1990 Gideon Orkar Coup in New Autobiography
Former military president General Ibrahim Babangida has provided a detailed account of the failed Gideon Orkar coup of 22 April 1990 in his newly launched autobiography, *A Journey in Service*. The book, unveiled on 20 February 2025 in Abuja, offers a gripping narrative of one of Nigeria’s most infamous coup attempts, which aimed to overthrow Babangida’s government and excise five northern states from the federation.
In pages 2011-2015 of the memoir, Babangida described the coup as a “rude surprise,” recalling how his wife first noticed unusual troop movements at their Dodan Barracks residence in Lagos. “She rushed back to me to report that she had noticed some unusual movements on the premises outside,” he wrote. Moments later, gunfire erupted. “Small arms firing commenced… followed by heavy artillery bombardment of the residential quarters,” he recounted.
The coup plotters, led by Major Gideon Orkar, seized key locations, including the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN) station, where they announced their intention to remove Babangida and restructure the country. In his broadcast, Orkar accused Babangida’s regime of corruption and declared plans to expel five northern states from Nigeria. Babangida dismissed these claims as “laughable and adolescent,” noting that the public overwhelmingly rejected the divisive rhetoric.
Despite the chaos, Babangida credited his survival to his loyal guards and the swift actions of senior military officers. “My ADC, Lt-Col U.K. Bello, took charge… My guards did what they were trained to do best: protect me and my family,” he wrote. Tragically, Bello was killed while attempting to deploy a sabotaged military tank against the coup plotters.
Babangida praised General Sani Abacha for coordinating loyal forces to counter the attack. “Abacha constantly communicated progress in the operation to foil the coup,” he noted. By late morning on 22 April, loyal troops had regained control, forcing the rebels into retreat. “The treasonous broadcast on the radio was replaced by sustained martial music,” Babangida recounted.
Reflecting on the betrayal by some of the coup leaders, Babangida expressed deep personal sadness. “I had known many of them personally and helped them in their careers… It was a deep sense of betrayal,” he lamented. Among those executed after being convicted of treason was Major Gideon Orkar himself.
Babangida also highlighted lessons learned from the failed coup, including reforms within the armed forces to improve communication and address grievances among soldiers. He introduced regular consultative assemblies with military personnel to foster transparency and unity. “We ensured officers and men could freely ask questions and proffer suggestions… This eliminated dangerous rumours and alienation within the rank and file,” he explained.
The former military president concluded that while the coup attempt was painful, it ultimately strengthened Nigeria’s unity. “The country emerged stronger… The failure of the coup attempt was also the failure of divisive forces in both the military and polity,” he wrote.
For more details, see: A Journey in Service, Babangida’s newly launched autobiography.
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