Major Godwin Onyefuru, a retired Nigerian Army officer, still carries the scars of the 1966 coup that reshaped the nation’s history. Now 84 and visually impaired, Onyefuru reflects on his harrowing experiences following the coup, including incarceration and near-death encounters. In this interview with ACHOR ABIMAJE, he recounts how his deepest regret was being unknowingly led to the home of his mentor, the then Adjutant-General of the Nigerian Army, Col. James Yakubu Pam, where he was abducted and shot at point-blank range by Maj. Chris Anuforo.
Major Onyefuru, can you take us through your early military journey and training, and explain how your experiences prepared you, or perhaps didn’t prepare you for the unexpected events of the January 1966 coup
I am Godwin Nwanchukwu Chukwukaordinaka Onyefuru, from Achi in Oji River local government area of Enugu State. I was born in 1942 into a Christian family and baptized as an infant at St. Andrew’s Anglican Church, Ahanu Achi. We were nine siblings, but today I am the only one still alive. I lost my father early, in 1956, just as I was about to begin my military journey at the age of 14.
I joined the Nigerian Army through the Boys’ Company and later the military school, where I was trained in Zaria from 1956 to 1958. After completing our studies and examinations, eight of us were selected in 1958 to further our education in the United Kingdom. While in England, at the Royal Army Medical Corps Depot in Keogh Barracks, I chose the medical line, specialising in pharmacy. I later attended the School of Pharmacy Technology in Aldershot and completed my training successfully by October 1962.
After my studies, I was attached to the Military Hospital, Milbank, part of the Royal Army Medical Hospital, where I worked until early 1963. I returned to Nigeria in February 1963, and the following month, I appeared before the selection board at the Nigerian Military Training College (NMTC), where I was chosen for officer training. Our batch was subsequently sent to the Indian Military Academy, where I trained for about one and a half years. Some notable officers, including Ibrahim Babangida, who was senior to me by three months, were also there.
Upon completing my training, I returned to Nigeria and was posted to the 2nd Battalion of the Nigerian Army, initially in Abeokuta and later moved to Ikeja Cantonment. By then, I was a Second Lieutenant. It was while serving there that the events leading to the January 15, 1966 coup unfolded. We were informed of a meeting under the pretext of internal security operations and inspections. As junior officers, we were unaware of the intentions of some senior officers. That meeting eventually marked the beginning of what became Nigeria’s first military coup.
Can you describe the moments leading up to that fateful assignment ( Coup) , and how it felt to be sent on a mission without knowing its true purpose?
I was detailed along with other officers, without being told the true purpose of the operation. We were simply grouped together, and our leader was Major Humphrey Chukwuka, a fine officer from Nnobi in present-day Anambra State and a committed Christian. We worshipped together regularly.
At the time, I was with three other junior officers, one sergeant, and two supernumerary personnel. Major Chukwuka instructed us to get into a Land Rover, telling us we were going on patrol. I had no idea that we were heading for a specific target. As fate would have it, we drove straight to the house of my mentor, where he was ordered to come out.
Would you take us through the moment you arrived at your mentor’s house, unveil his identity and the emotions you experienced seeing him confronted in that situation?
My mentor was Lt. Col. James Yakubu Pam. He was then the Adjutant-General of the Nigerian Army at Army Headquarters. When we arrived, Major Chukwuka ordered him to come out after knocking on the door. His wife was crying. When I saw him, I was devastated. This was my mentor, my oga, a man who took special interest in my career and closely followed my progress in the Army.
It was painful to witness a junior officer issuing commands to such a senior and respected officer. Col. Pam, General Yakubu Gowon, and I all worshipped at St. Luke’s Church near the 68 Military Hospital in Yaba. I used to sit behind Col. Pam and General Gowon during services. I had known General Gowon since our training days in Zaria, as they were all senior officers.
Trying to calm Col. Pam’s wife, I told her, Mama, don’t worry, he will come back. I genuinely believed we had been sent to make an arrest, though I did not know the reason. The other soldiers with us, a sergeant and two corporals, are all deceased now.
What unfolded after your mentor was taken away, and how did you react to the events that followed at the Ikoyi location?
We moved to a location in Ikoyi where all those arrested were taken. When we arrived, a Major, Major Chris Anuforo, called Major Chukwuka out of the Land Rover. They spoke in whispers. From what I overheard, they were saying that General Aguiyi-Ironsi had escaped.
While we were still seated inside the vehicle, Major Anuforo ordered Col. Pam to come out. We were all shocked. Almost immediately, I heard the sound of gunshots, pa, pa, pa. I was stunned. I could not believe that my own mentor had just been killed.
Who was responsible for the shooting, and how did that event impact you on a personal level?
The shooting was carried out by Major Chris Anuforo. Before that day, I did not know him personally, but from that act alone, I came to see him as a wicked and heartless man. The reason was that General Aguiyi-Ironsi, who was also meant to be arrested, had escaped. Because they failed to arrest Ironsi, my mentor became the victim.
That moment marked the most shocking duty I have ever performed in my life. After the shooting, the four of us were ordered to carry Colonel Pam’s corpse and place it inside the vehicle. This was a man who had followed my military career closely and believed deeply in me.
When I returned from India after my training, I was posted to the Infantry Battalion under Colonel Hilary Njoku from Emekuku, near Owerri. However, the Army Medical Corps wanted me back because I was the first Nigerian Army trained pharmacy technologist trained in the UK, with full professional certification. I also wanted to return to the Medical Corps, but my battalion commander refused to release me.
It took the intervention of Colonel Pam and the Commander of the Army Medical Corps, Colonel Peters, who both came personally to the battalion to request my release. Even then, my commander initially resisted. That experience brought Colonel Pam and me even closer, as he continued to monitor my progress and advancement in the Army.
I was also the first Black officer in the entire Commonwealth to win the Duke of Edinburgh’s Gold Medal in the UK, a feat that was widely publicized. I was held in high esteem, and Colonel Pam was proud of me.
That was how my mentor lost his life through fate and circumstances beyond my understanding at the time. I did not know where I was being sent that night, but perhaps God ordained it so that this story would one day be told.
Does this mean you were not among the planners of the 1966 coup, and if not, who were the main officers responsible for it?
No, I was not. At the time, I was only a Second Lieutenant. The planners of the coup, as we later learned, were senior officers: Major Emmanuel Ifeajuna, Major Chukwuma Kaduna Nzeogwu, Major Adewale Ademoyega, Major Okafor, and others. They were popularly referred to as the “Five Majors.”
Do you believe Major Humphrey Chukwuka was among the planners of the coup, and what roles did other officers like Captain Nwobosi play?
I believe he may have been included among them. The accounts referred to the “Five Majors,” and from what I understand, Major Chukwuka was likely one of those involved.
As for Captain Nwobosi and other officers mentioned in the coup accounts at the time, the Army had two main brigades; one in Kaduna and the other in Lagos. Captain Nwobosi served in the artillery unit. There were also officers like Captain Ben Gbulie who were part of the broader military environment during that period.
When Colonel Pam saw you that night, how did he react, and what was the reaction of others present? Were you personally recognised?
It was dark, so I could not clearly see his facial reaction. But he definitely saw me. I was right there. He knew me very well, especially because we worshipped in the same church. I am sure he recognised me, but he did not call my name. At that moment, only Major Chukwuka and the sergeant were armed; the rest of us were not.
After the coup, what happened when you returned to Britain, and how did your commanders try to secure your release?
I returned to Britain, and in fact, they were looking for me there. My commander, Lieutenant General Sir Alexander Drummond, even flew to Nigeria to personally appeal to General Yakubu Gowon for my release. However, General Gowon said it was against government policy.
What lessons do you think Nigeria can learn from the 1966 coup to promote national unity and prevent similar crises in the future?
The greatest lesson I have learned is to fear God and fear no man. We must trust in God, do what pleases Him, and obey His laws. We should respect one another, remain humble, worship faithfully, and love our neighbours as ourselves, regardless of where they come from.
The 1966 coup and the Civil War taught us hard lessons about unity, leadership, and accountability. Nigeria risks repeating history if we fail to remember and learn from those events. Reconciliation, understanding, and national cohesion are essential to prevent past mistakes from recurring.”
Did you ever appear before the Oputa Panel?
No, I did not appear before the panel at all.
Were you ever summoned by the Oputa Panel, or did you submit any memorandum to them?
No, I was neither summoned nor did I submit any memorandum. My eyesight problems did not start recently; I lost both eyes over time. I had my first glaucoma operation in Britain in 1979.
That same year, people from home contacted me to return to Nigeria because they were forming a political party.
I returned to my village, Achi, and was encouraged to join the Nigerian Peoples Party (NPP), which I did in 1979. At the time, my family was still in the UK. I returned alone to see if things would work out, especially since I was earning very little while working at Old Church Hospital in Romford, Essex, England.
After returning, I was elected as a member of the Enugu State House of Assembly under the administration of Jim Nwobodo. In 1981, I went back to the UK to bring my family home. By then, I had completely lost sight in my left eye. I underwent surgery at the London Eye Hospital, though I still had limited vision in my right eye.
At the end of the Second Republic, a series of coups followed. I was later employed in Lagos by Alhaji Abdulazeez Ude from Udi as his Chief Security Officer. Life and struggle continued. Sometime later, I cannot recall the exact year, I was appointed by the Oji River local government as a S
supervisory councillor for Education. Since then, I have continued to struggle and persevere.bSixty years after the 1966 coup, Nigeria continues to face challenges as a nation.
What message would you like to give to Nigerians today?
My message to Nigerians is simple: we must seek genuine and sincere reconciliation. We have one God and one Creator, who made us in His image and likeness and gave us laws to live by. God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, so that whoever believes in Him may be saved. Forgiveness, love, and peaceful coexistence must reign in our hearts and across the nation.
