Dimka coup fails

On February 13, 1976, Lieutenant Colonel Buka Suka Dimka led a group of military officers in an attempted coup against the government of General Murtala Mohammed. The conspirators succeeded in assassinating Murtala at his Lagos residence, but failed to secure key strategic locations including the radio station and military headquarters. Within hours, forces loyal to the government, led by General Olusegun Obasanjo, regained control and declared the coup attempt unsuccessful.

The coup plotters were motivated by opposition to some of Murtala's policies, particularly the planned relocation of Nigeria's capital from Lagos to Abuja and concerns about the pace of his reforms. Some conspirators also harbored ethnic grievances and feared marginalization in the proposed return to civilian rule scheduled for 1979. The plot involved both military officers and some civilian politicians who had been affected by Murtala's anti-corruption purges and administrative changes.