Nigeria

Nigeria
1960 independence
1966 coup put army officers in power who assassinated the prime minister and premiers. General Yakubu Gowon is
made president.
1966 A second coup results in massacre of thousands of Igbo.
1967 Colonel Emeka Ojukwu, declares the independence of eastern region as the "Republic of Biafra." Three year
bloody civil war ends in 1970 in defeat of Biafra.
1975 General Murtala Muhammed stages a bloodless coup, accusing the military government of delaying the promised
return to civilian rule and becoming corrupt.
1976 General Muhammed is assassinated during an abortive coup. General Olusegun Obasanjo becomes head of state.
1983 Election marred by violence and widespread vote rigging.
1983 coup puts General Muhammadu Buhari in power.
1985 coup puts General Ibrahim Babangida in power.
1990 coup failed. 69 coup plotters executed after secret trials.
1993 Presidental election won by wealthy businessman M.K.O. Abiola.
However, Babangida annuls the election, resulting in 100 killed in riots before Babangida agrees to hand over power.
1993 General Sani Abacha takes over as president and dissolves all democratic political institutions and replaces elected
governors with military officers.
Abacha was active in overthrow of 3 prior presidents before 1993.
1993 U.S. suspends the arms and military assistance to Nigeria, and instead imposes severe sanctions.
Abacha establishes ruthless military dictatorship. Suppresses any opposition, controls press, human rights violations,
causes ecological and economic havoc. Maintains personal security force.
1994 Abiola declares himself the president, but goes into hiding. He is found and put in prison.
1994 Petroleum workers strike demanding Abacha release Abiola and hand over power to him. Abacha arrests the labor
leaders and other opponents, closes media, and curbs dissent.
1995 He executes playwright Ken Saro–Wiwa, resulting in U.S. President Clinton, Nelson Mandela, and other nations
calling for international sanctions, including cutting off all loans. World Bank withdraws its prior $100 million loan.
1995 Abacha alleges 40 military officers were plotting a coup. After a secret tribunal, death sentences result. That
tribunal also sentenced prominent human rights activists, journalists and relatives of coup suspects, many executed by
hanging.
1997 Alleges another coup plotting. They too are executed or imprisoned.
He amasses billions in personal wealth. His generals also acquire huge fortunes.
1998 Abacha planned to continue as president for many years, but died in office of heart attack at age 55.
Abacha Aftermath:
[1999 British customs at Heathrow airport seize $5 million a Nigerian businessman is carrying. Believed he was a
courier for Abacha. All Abacha’s assets are frozen, and British banks report they hold $1.3 billion. How many more
billions did Abacha loot from his country and where did he hide it?
2003 Britain begins repaying Abacha’s funds to Nigeria.]

1998 General Abdulsalami Abubakar takes over government and commutes all sentences of those accused in alleged
coups of 1997 and 1998.
1998 Former military head of state Olusegun Obasanjo, freed from prison by Abubakar, wins the presidential election.
He retires hundreds of military officers from political positions, releases scores of persons held without charge and
recoveres millions of dollars in funds secreted in overseas accounts.
1999 Kaduna state succession attempts result in 100 deaths.
1999 Army destroys a town killing scores in retaliation for murder of 12 policemen.
2000 and 2001 Constant riots result in thousands killed throughout Nigeria.
2006 Olesegun Obasanjo still president with Atiku Abubakar as Vice President.





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