Dambazau and I were asked to announce military coup to overthrow Jonathan – General Usman

Kukasheka Usman, retired Nigerian Army general has admitted knowledge of an attempted coup d’état to overthrow President Goodluck Jonathan in 2010 Peoples’s Gazette repoert.

Usman served for years as army spokesman until his voluntary retirement in 2019.

According to him, he was part of a closed group of officers who worked with then-Chief of Army Staff Abdulrahman Dambazau to manage the violent overthrow that was brewing among the military top brass.

“When we visited 44 Reference Hospital, Kaduna, people were asking when is the announcement going to be made about taking over the government. I’m so happy General Akinyemi, the GOC 3 Armoured Division, is still alive. You can ask him.”

Mr Usman said while speaking at the 2022 Blueprint Newspapers Annual Public Lectures and Impact Awards on Tuesday in Abuja.

Usman said Dambazau did not execute the coup largely due to his patriotism and entreaties of foreign diplomats.

“The international community showed concern to the extent that they had to meet with him, where he promised that he will not take over the government,” Mr Usman said. He said some politicians were also involved in the defunct coup moves, which had reached an advanced stage that only a “phone call” from Mr Dambazau would have been enough to set things in motion.

“A simple phone call to him (General Akinyemi) to roll out the tanks and General Dambazau would have been head of state, but he resisted that temptation,” the retired brigadier-general claimed.