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Word: murtala (lookup in dictionary) (lookup stats)
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...Lagos, the capital. Both high-spirited crowds were assembled to witness the public executions of some 30 soldiers, including four lieutenant colonels and six majors, and a lone civilian. A special military board had convicted them of planning the abortive coup of Feb. 13, in which Head of State Murtala Mohammed was assassinated (TIME, March...

Author: /time Magazine | Title: NIGERIA: Festival of Death | 3/22/1976 | See Source »

...conspirators' one grim success came when they caught Murtala's black Mercedes limousine in a morning rush-hour traffic jam in Lagos. Raking the car with machine-gun fire, the plotters killed Murtala, his chauffeur and an aide. Shortly thereafter, Coup Leader Lieut. Colonel B.S. Dimka and six associates seized the Lagos radio station and announced that they were taking over the government. But there was no support for the action in the army and outlying states, and Dimka soon realized that he was finished. Hands in pockets, he jauntily said, "Excuse me," walked out of the Lagos...

Author: /time Magazine | Title: NIGERIA: Penny-Ante Putsch | 3/1/1976 | See Source »

Following a round-the-clock meeting, the Federal Military Council named a new ruler: former Armed Forces Chief of Staff Lieut. General Olusegun Obasanjo, 38. Trained as an engineer in Britain and India, Obasanjo commanded the division that broke the back of the Biafran insurgency in 1970. Under Murtala, the tough, respected Obasanjo had been the regime's chief spokesman, more involved in managing day-to-day affairs than his somewhat aloof boss...

Author: /time Magazine | Title: NIGERIA: Penny-Ante Putsch | 3/1/1976 | See Source »

Most observers expect Obasanjo to continue Murtala's long-range program. This includes a vigorous war against corruption in government (Murtala sacked more than 11,000 civil servants and 200 army officers), a reduction of 40% in the size of the 250,000-member armed forces, and restoration of civilian rule by October...

Author: /time Magazine | Title: NIGERIA: Penny-Ante Putsch | 3/1/1976 | See Source »

...seventh largest oil exporter, Nigeria's economy has lately been lagging. Unemployment is high, and the effort to cut the armed forces will throw some 100,000 former soldiers on the job market just when jobs are becoming harder to get. Dealing with that problem-and catching Murtala's murderers, who remained at large last week -may well be the biggest immediate challenges to the Obasanjo regime...

Author: /time Magazine | Title: NIGERIA: Penny-Ante Putsch | 3/1/1976 | See Source »

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