Buka Suka Dimka

Who is Buka Suka Dimka?

Buka Suka Dimka, a Lieutenant Colonel in the Nigerian army, led the February 13, 1976 abortive military coup against the government of General Murtala Ramat Mohammed. General Mohammed was assassinated along with his Aide-de-Camp Lieutenant Akintunde Akinsehinwa, as well as his driver and orderly, when his Mercedes-Benz was ambushed in Ikoyi, Lagos. The coup itself was crushed several hours later by forces loyal to the government. Lieutenant Colonel Dimka fled from the premises of Radio Nigeria at Ikoyi where he had made a broadcast to the nation. He was eventually arrested in the company of a prostitute in Eastern Nigeria. Following a court martial, Lieutenant Colonel Dimka and another 38 military officers and civilians were executed by firing squad.

In a planned broadcast to the nation, Lieutenant Colonel Dimka had cited corruption, indecision, arrest and detention without trial, weakness on the part of the Head of State and maladministration in general as the reasons for overthrowing the government.

The former military head of state, General Yakubu Gowon was implicated in the abortive coup but escaped justice as he was living in exile in London. The British Government refused to extradite him. Years later he was given an official pardon by civilian president Shehu Shagari since there was insufficient evidence to convict him of involvement.