Former President Goodluck Jonathan has described the late General Murtala Mohammed as one of the most dynamic and impactful military leaders in Nigeria’s history.
Jonathan spoke about Mohammed’s legacy in a video shared by Splash FM 105.5 during a discussion on important events in Nigeria’s political and military past.
According to Jonathan, Mohammed’s influence remained significant despite his brief tenure as military Head of State.
“One of our most dynamic military Heads of State, late General Murtala Mohammed, was assassinated in a military coup,” he said.
Mohammed took power in 1975 and was assassinated in Lagos in February 1976 during an unsuccessful coup attempt. His death remains a significant episode in Nigeria’s post-independence history.
Jonathan also mentioned a story concerning a speech Mohammed reportedly delivered in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. He said he had heard that the address displeased certain interests and was subsequently associated with speculation about the circumstances surrounding Mohammed’s death.
The former president, however, made it clear that he was not presenting the account as fact. He acknowledged that he did not have firsthand information about the events and could not independently confirm the claims.
Jonathan also avoided making a direct connection between Mohammed’s Addis Ababa speech and his assassination, describing the account as one of several narratives that have emerged over the years.
He pointed to former President Olusegun Obasanjo as someone who could offer greater insight into what happened. Obasanjo was Mohammed’s second-in-command at the time and became Head of State after Mohammed’s death in 1976.
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