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Gowon’s book of barefaced lies
🇳🇬 Nigeria /Culture & Society

Gowon’s book of barefaced lies

From Vanguard · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

Analysis Named sources Context piece
  • The article critiques General Yakubu Gowon's autobiography, specifically a passage claiming he ordered a helicopter evacuation of General Ironsi.
  • It asserts that the named officer, Major Paul Dickson, did not exist in that capacity at the time, and the described event is fabricated.
  • The author contrasts Gowon's account with a previously published biography detailing a conversation where Gowon allegedly discussed Ironsi's potential arrest with Lieutenant Colonel Danjuma.

The article scrutinizes General Yakubu Gowon's autobiography, 'My Life of Duty & Allegiance,' highlighting a passage on page 201 that the author deems a fabrication. Gowon claims he impulsively ordered Major Paul Dickson, overseeing Ikeja Airport, to send a helicopter to Ibadan to evacuate General Aguiyi-Ironsi hours after a countercoup on July 29, 1966, citing Ironsi's potential danger.

On impulse, I called the airport at Ikeja to instruct Major Paul Dickson who oversaw the airport to send a helicopter to Ibadan to evacuate the Supreme Commander.

— General Yakubu GowonFrom his autobiography, 'My Life of Duty & Allegiance,' describing an alleged order to evacuate General Ironsi.

The author contends that this account is demonstrably false, stating that no Major Paul Dickson held such a position in the Nigerian Armed Forces on that date. The only Paul Dickson existing then was an Air Force staff sergeant responsible for sentry duty at the airport. The article questions the credibility of Gowon, a Sandhurst-trained officer, for presenting such an "impudent fiction."

My immediate worry was that General Ironsi’s life might be in danger if I did not make effort to reach him as quickly as possible to give him a situation report.

— General Yakubu GowonFrom his autobiography, explaining his purported motivation for the evacuation order.

Further challenging Gowon's narrative, the article references Lindsay Barrett's 1980 biography, 'Danjuma: The Making of a General.' On page 55, Barrett reports a conversation between Lieutenant Colonel Yakubu Gowon and Major Theophilus Danjuma shortly before Ironsi's abduction. In this reported exchange, Danjuma allegedly states, "We want to arrest the Supreme Commander," to which Gowon, after pauses, reportedly responds, "Alright but please make sure there is no bloodshed."

We want to arrest the Supreme Commander.

— Major Theophilus DanjumaReported by Lindsay Barrett in 'Danjuma: The Making of a General,' during a conversation with Lt. Col. Gowon before Ironsi's abduction.

Forty-five years after Danjuma's biography was published, neither Danjuma nor Barrett has retracted the account. The article questions Gowon's revised recollection of this conversation, where he claims to have suggested moving Ironsi to a safe place like Bida or Ilorin. The author implies that Gowon's autobiography attempts to rewrite history by presenting a false version of events surrounding Ironsi's demise.

Alright but please make sure there is no bloodshed. We have had enough bloodshed.

— General Yakubu GowonReported response to Major Danjuma's statement about arresting the Supreme Commander, according to Lindsay Barrett's biography.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Vanguard. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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