The story below; was about the failed Gideon Orkar coup of 1990. It is part of eyeonthenews’ Down Memory Lane, to refresh the memory of Nigerians, especially the students of history. Enjoy it…

The Orkar coup was a failed coup attempt in Nigeria led by Major Gideon Orkar on April 22, 1990, against the government of General Ibrahim Babangida.

The coup was notable for its violent nature, its use of the FRCN radio station for a coup address, and for calling for the secession of five northern states.

The coup was unsuccessful, and Orkar and other conspirators were tried and executed by the Babangida-led regime.

Key aspects of the Orkar coup:
Date: April 22, 1990.

Leader: Major Gideon Orkar.
Target: The government of General Ibrahim Babangida.

Key events:
Conspirators attacked Dodan Barracks, the military headquarters and presidential villa, where Babangida was present but managed to escape.
They seized control of military posts and the FRCN radio station.
In a broadcast, Orkar announced the coup and called for the excision of five northern states (Bauchi, Borno, Katsina, Kano, and Sokoto) from Nigeria.
Outcome: The coup was crushed by the Babangida regime.

Aftermath:
Orkar and 41 other conspirators were convicted of treason and executed.
Analysts noted that the ethnic bias in the coup’s broadcast was a factor in its failure, as it was likely to alienate potential supporters.

-Source: wikipedia.