Nigeria's First Coup

Published: Jan. 15, 2014, 9 a.m.

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On 15 January 1966 a small group of Nigerian army officers launched a bloody coup against the civilian government. It marked the start of the military's involvement in Nigerian politics which would last for decades and set Nigeria on a path to civil war. We hear from one of the soldiers who took part, Colonel Ben Gbulie.

(Photo: Nigerian troops on the streets of Lagos, 16 January 1966. Credit: AP)

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