Lt. Col. Buka Suka Dimka’s 1976 Coup Speech

Lt. Col. B. Dimka of the Nigerian Army calling. I bring you good tidings. Murtala Muhammed’s deficiency has been detected. His government is now overthrown by the young revolutionaries. All 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. All commissioners are sacked, except for the armed forces and police commissioners, who will be redeployed. All senior military officers should remain calm in their respective spots. No divisional commanders will issue orders or instructions until further notice. Any attempt to foil these plans from any quarters will be met with death. You are warned: it is all over the 19 states. Any acts of looting or raids will be death. Everyone should be calm. Please stay by your radio for further announcements. All borders, air, and sea ports are closed until further notice. Curfew is imposed from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thank you.

The broadcast marked the start of a short‑lived coup attempt that ultimately failed. Within hours, forces loyal to the government regained control of the radio station, and Dimka fled. He was later captured and, after a court‑martial, executed by firing squad on 15 May 1976