Joseph Akahan
Encyclopedia
Lt. Colonel Joseph Akahan was Chief of Army Staff (Nigeria
) from May 1967 until May 1968, when he was killed in a helicopter crash during the Nigerian Civil War
.
Local Government Area of Benue State
.
He attended Government College Keffi
where he obtained his Cambridge School Certificate (1952–1956).
He trained as an officer cadet at the RWAFF Training School Teshi, Ghana
(1957–1958) and the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
, United Kingdom
(1958–1960). He was commissed on 23 July 1960.
In the January 1966 coup that brought Major General Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi
to power, the mainly northern Ibadan-based 4th battalion lost its commanding officer who was replaced by an Igbo
, Major Nzefili. The northern officers refused to obey him, and Aguiyi-Ironsi was forced to replace him with Major Joe Akahan, a northern Tiv
officer.
Akahan was one of the leaders of the July 1966 counter-coup in which Aguiyi-Ironsi was killed and replaced General Yakubu Gowon
, and in which there was a mass slaughter of Igbo officers at 4th Battalion in Ibadan
under Akahan's command.
Following the coup he said there would be no more killing by Northern soldiers "since events had now balanced out".
Akahan was appointed Chief of Army Staff in May 1967 shortly before the outbreak of the Nigerian Civil War
.
He was said to be the brain behind the concept of the sea-borne operations led by Colonel Benjamin Adekunle
that captured Bonny
in July 1967.
When he died in a helicopter crash in May 1968, he was replaced as COAS by the relatively inexperienced Hassan Katsina
.
Joe Akahan Barracks is named after him, located in Makurdi
, capital of his home state (Benue) and an early base of operations during the civil war.
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
) from May 1967 until May 1968, when he was killed in a helicopter crash during the Nigerian Civil War
Nigerian Civil War
The Nigerian Civil War, also known as the Nigerian-Biafran War, 6 July 1967–15 January 1970, was a political conflict caused by the attempted secession of the southeastern provinces of Nigeria as the self-proclaimed Republic of Biafra...
.
Birth and education
Akahan was born on 12 April 1937 in GbokoGboko
Gboko is a town in the Benue State of North-central Nigeria. The population is over 500,000, mostly Tiv people. It is the traditional capital of the Tiv tribe and it has the official residence of the Tor-Tiv, who is the paramount traditional ruler of the Tiv people spread in Benue, Taraba, Plateau...
Local Government Area of Benue State
Benue State
Benue is a state in the Middle-Belt region of Nigeria with a population of about 2.8 million in 1991. Tiv, Idoma, and Igede are spoken predominantly. There are other ethnic groups as well. These include Etulo and Abakwa...
.
He attended Government College Keffi
Keffi
Keffi is a Local Government Area in Nasarawa State, Nigeria. Its headquarters are in the town of Keffi.It has an area of 138 km² and a population of 92,664 at the 2006 census.The postal code of the area is 961.- Education :...
where he obtained his Cambridge School Certificate (1952–1956).
He trained as an officer cadet at the RWAFF Training School Teshi, Ghana
Ghana
Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
(1957–1958) and the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst , commonly known simply as Sandhurst, is a British Army officer initial training centre located in Sandhurst, Berkshire, England...
, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
(1958–1960). He was commissed on 23 July 1960.
Military career
Akahan served with the Nigerian Contingent during the United Nations Peacekeeping Operations in Congo.In the January 1966 coup that brought Major General Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi
Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi
Major General Johnson Thomas Umunnakwe Aguiyi-Ironsi was a Nigerian soldier. He served as the Head of State of Nigeria from January 16, 1966 until he was overthrown and killed on July 29, 1966 by a group of northern army officers who revolted against the government.- Early life :Thomas Umunnakwe...
to power, the mainly northern Ibadan-based 4th battalion lost its commanding officer who was replaced by an Igbo
Igbo people
Igbo people, also referred to as the Ibo, Ebo, Eboans or Heebo are an ethnic group living chiefly in southeastern Nigeria. They speak Igbo, which includes various Igboid languages and dialects; today, a majority of them speak English alongside Igbo as a result of British colonialism...
, Major Nzefili. The northern officers refused to obey him, and Aguiyi-Ironsi was forced to replace him with Major Joe Akahan, a northern Tiv
Tiv
Tiv are an ethno-linguistic group or ethnic nation in West Africa. They constitute approximately 2.5% of Nigeria's total population, and number over 5.6 million individuals throughout Nigeria and Cameroon. The Tiv are the 4th largest ethnic group in Nigeria. Tiv language is spoken by about 6...
officer.
Akahan was one of the leaders of the July 1966 counter-coup in which Aguiyi-Ironsi was killed and replaced General Yakubu Gowon
Yakubu Gowon
General Yakubu "Jack" Dan-Yumma Gowon was the head of state of Nigeria from 1966 to 1975. He took power after one military coup d'etat and was overthrown in another...
, and in which there was a mass slaughter of Igbo officers at 4th Battalion in Ibadan
Ibadan
Ibadan is the capital city of Oyo State and the third largest metropolitan area in Nigeria, after Lagos and Kano, with a population of 1,338,659 according to the 2006 census. Ibadan is also the largest metropolitan geographical area...
under Akahan's command.
Following the coup he said there would be no more killing by Northern soldiers "since events had now balanced out".
Akahan was appointed Chief of Army Staff in May 1967 shortly before the outbreak of the Nigerian Civil War
Nigerian Civil War
The Nigerian Civil War, also known as the Nigerian-Biafran War, 6 July 1967–15 January 1970, was a political conflict caused by the attempted secession of the southeastern provinces of Nigeria as the self-proclaimed Republic of Biafra...
.
He was said to be the brain behind the concept of the sea-borne operations led by Colonel Benjamin Adekunle
Benjamin Adekunle
General Benjamin Adesanya Maja Adekunle, Nigerian Army, , was a Nigerian military leader.-Early years and background:...
that captured Bonny
Bonny
Bonny is a town and a Local Government Area in Rivers State in southeast Nigeria, on the Bight of Biafra. It was also the capital of the Kingdom of Bonny. Traditionally it was a major trading post of the eastern delta....
in July 1967.
When he died in a helicopter crash in May 1968, he was replaced as COAS by the relatively inexperienced Hassan Katsina
Hassan Katsina
Hassan Katsina was a Nigerian General and son of Usman Nagogo, the emir of Katsina from 1944-1981. He was governor of the Northern Region of Nigeria from 1966-1967...
.
Joe Akahan Barracks is named after him, located in Makurdi
Makurdi
Makurdi is the capital of Benue State in Nigeria. The city is located in central Nigeria along the Benue river bank and was the base for the Nigerian Air Force's MiG 21 and SEPECAT Jaguar aircraft squadrons...
, capital of his home state (Benue) and an early base of operations during the civil war.