PERSONALITY OF THE DAY: LATE MAJOR CHUKWUMA KADUNA NZEOGWU (1937-1967)

Major Chukwuma Kaduna Nzeogwu, (1937–1967) was born in Kaduna to Igbo  parents from Okpanam Town, near Asaba in the present day Delta State.
 He was an infantry and intelligence officer of the Nigerian Army Nzeogwu was an ambitious young military officer and a Roman Catholic.

He attended the military academy at Sandhurst in England, and became the Chief Instructor at the Nigerian Military Training College in Kaduna.
The forerunner of the Nigerian Army Intelligence Corps (NAIC) was the Field Security Section (FSS) of the Royal Nigerian Army, which was established on 1st November, 1962.
The FSS was essentially a security organization whose functions included vetting of Nigerian Army (NA) personnel, document security and counter-intelligence.

Major Nzeogwu was the first Nigerian Officer to hold that appointment from November 1962 to 1964 and the first to stage a revolutionary military coup in the early hours of January 15, 1966.The coup led to the death of the Prime Minister, Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, Premier of the Northern region, Sir. Amadu Bello and the Premier of Western region Chief S L Akintola.

 Nzeogwu died in action on July 29, 1967. After the end of civil  war,  the then Head of state , Major General Yakubu Gowon, gave order for him to be buried at the military cemetery in Kaduna with full military honour.

I will love to say something about this guy. To some people he was a bloody coupist, to some he was a revolutionary and to majority he was born ahead of his time! At tender age of 30, he was a Major; he held a responsible post as Commander, the Field Security Section (FSS), at the same time the Chief Instructor at the Nigerian Military Training College in Kaduna! Wao, now tell me, you Nigerian youths where were at that age? Militants, Political thugs and cultists that are what you are! Kai, my people perish for lack of knowledge.