Gideon Orkar

Who is Gideon Orkar?

Major Gideon Gwaza Orkar was a Nigerian military officer and revolutionary who staged a coup against General Ibrahim Babangida on April 22, 1990. Orkar's people seized the FRCN radio station, various military posts around Lagos and the Dodan Barracks, Lagos, the military headquarters and presidential residence. Babangida was there when the barracks were attacked, but managed to escape by a back route.

In his coup address, amongst other things he called for the consideration of an excision of five northern states. However, the coup was crushed by the Babangida regime and Orkar was executed for his role. He refused to attempt to escape even though he could easily have. He also joined the coup plot very late being conscripted into the plot only a few weeks before its execution.