By Emeka Obasi
Military strategists must devote quite some time to study Lt. General Theophilus Yakubu Danjuma. There is something about this man that needs to be thrown up in the annals of leadership and power struggle. He did not rise to the rank of a Four-Star general yet he towers above some Heads of State.

• Rtd Gen. T. Y. Danjuma

Danjuma rose to power as Army Chief in the Murtala Mohammed regime. That is something that should be of interest to tacticians. He was not fully involved in the plot to topple General Yakubu Gowon. The job was done by younger officers like Cols. Ibrahim Taiwo, Abdullahi Mohammed,Alfred Aduloju, Joe Garba and Lt.Cols. Ibrahim Babangida and Shehu Musa Yar’Adua.

As Head of State, Gen. Mohammed only had Iliya Bisalla, one of his course mates in the Supreme Military Council. Their other Sandhurst Intake 27 mates, Mohammed Shuwa and Ibrahim Haruna were appointed ministers just like Bisalla. As members of the Federal Executive Council, the duo did not have any command position in the Army.

Danjuma made sure his Nigeria Military Training College ( NMTC ) course one mates controlled the Army. Alani Akinrinade, Martin Adamu and Emmanuel Abisoye were made General Officers Commanding (GOC). At that time there were three divisions. Lagos Garrison Organisation was upgraded. John Obada joined the fray. Obada had joined the Army same day as Gibson Jalo on September 25, 1959 but was at Sandhurst, same set with Akinrinade, Adamu, Abisoye and Ben Gbulie(August 1960s December 12, 1962).

The Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst, England is one of the oldest and best military institutions globally. The Officers Cadet School, Mons, Aldershot was a ground to train non professional officers and cadets who undertook a short course to officer rank but were considered sound enough to continue their training while in service.

Jalo went to  Mons and was commissioned in 1960. Obada moved to Sandhurst and became an officer in 1962. Danjuma was Mons trained from October 1960 to March 1961 alongside Samuel Ogbemudia and David Bamigboye. So they were commissioned a year before their NMTC mates who bagged Sandhurst honours.

Danjuma headed the Army, displacing all civil war GOCs except Gen.Olusegun Obasanjo and Brig.Benjamin Adekunle. The former was Chief of Staff Supreme Headquarters while the latter had been retired. And both were mates. The difference was that while Obasanjo and Folusho Sotomi were Mons bound, Adekunle, Jacob Esuene and Humphrey Chukuka made it to Sandhurst.

Bisalla, IBM Haruna and Shuwa as well as Jalo who had been GOCs found themselves out of command. Danjuma was not one during the civil war. He was Bisalla’s General Staff Officer (GSO) in One Division. In fact, Bisalla once served as Army Chief in 1967 before  Hassan Usman Katsina. Danjuma became GOC in 1975.

Out of Nigeria, the Defence Attache in London, Ignatius Obeya, was Danjuma’s NMTC mate. His wife was sister to Patrick Amadi ‘s wife. Obasanjo and Amadi joined the Army same day and OBJ would later find love in the same Amadi sisters Uratta,  Owerri home.

Danjuma’s influence did not go down well with some of his former Middle Belt colleagues. They did not like his promotion to the rank of Lt. General while Bisalla was made a Major General with Shuwa and IBM. As Defence Minister, the Chief of Army Staff was superior to Defence minister Bisalla. Danjuma’s mates Akinrinade, Adamu, Abisoye and Obada became Two-Star generals with Murtala’s course mates.

On February 13, 1976, they struck. Among the plotters were those Danjuma led to arrest Gen. Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi in 1966. Ibrahim Rabo, MacDonald Gotipb, Clement Dabang and Sabo Kwale. Led by Bukar Dimka, they killed Murtala but could not get Danjuma. Bisalla and Col. Abdul Wya were executed for their alleged roles in the coup.

From there Danjuma became even more powerful. According to another of his NMTC mates, Godwin Alabi -Isama, the Army boss would have taken control following the assassination of Gen. Mohammed. He was checkmated by his pals, Akinrinade, who took a bold step from his One Division Headquarters, Kaduna by condemning the coup, and Alabi – Isama.

At that time, General Obasanjo was in a prominent Lagos millionaire’s home having escaped death. The bullets meant for him were delivered to Col. Reis Dumuje of Army Ordnance. Danjuma came out boldly to take charge sending Babangida to confront Dimka. That task was eventually accomplished by Col. Chris Ugokwe.

Obasanjo, encouraged by Akinrinade and Alabi -Isama, emerged as new Head of State. Danjuma’s influence was still visible. Shuwa should have been elevated to the No.2 position since Danjuma was not interested. That meant Shuwa would be promoted. The position went to a more junior officer, Lt. Col. Yar’Adua. The argument was that someone from the core North had to step in to assuage the feelings of that part of the country.

Shuwa was Murtala’s mate and a Northern Muslim.  Possibly, his appointment would have threatened the Army Chief’s power. Lt. Col. Buhari lost out. He had served under Obasanjo in Owerri as Acting Commander, 16 Brigade when Col. Utuk was on leave. Maybe, Buhari would have tilted towards the new Commander – in – Chief.

To be honest, Danjuma contrary to popular belief, did not kill Gen. Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi. Although he led troops to abduct the General, he lost command when an NCO pushed him aside as Titus Numan seized the Big man’s crocodile staff. The killers left without Danjuma.

It is instructive that a man trained in Aldershot outwitted Sandhurst officers and till date enjoys tremendous influence in Nigeria. Mons was scrapped in 1972, so you cannot find it as a military college. That has not diminished Danjuma’s relevance. When he sneezes, Taraba catches cold. When he smiles, South Atlantic Petroleum Limited(SAPETRO ) breathes.

Surely, this Takum man who captained the cricket team of Provincial Secondary School,  Katsina- Ala is still waxing stronger. His wife was a senator. His brother-in-law is a minister. His man is a governor. And he is a billionaire. He really does have Nigeria in the back seat of his SUV.