General Muritala Rufai Ramat Mohammed

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This name sounds familiar  with every Nigerian thanks to the naira  notes  but if you aren't then you've  got to read the story of the people's  general and the youngest Head of State to be killed in Office. 

He was born on the 8th of November, 1938 in the northern part of Nigeria, later joined the army in 1958 as an Officer Cadet at Sandhurst Royal military Academy in England, after returning back to his mother land he was commissioned as Second Lieutenant in 1961, he later became the Officer in charge of the First Brigade Signal Troop in Kaduna, Nigeria. He left the shores of Nigeria once again to study Advanced Telecommunication Technique in England and after returning back in 1964 he was made the Major and appointed Commanding Officer 1st Signal Squadron in Apapa, Lagos.

Between 1964 to 1971 Muritala was trained, transferred, and held many key position in the govt and finally on the 7th August 1974, the head of state, General Yakubu Gowon appointed him as the new Federal Commissioner for Communications, which he combined with his military duties as Inspector of Signals at the Army Signals Headquarters in Apapa, Lagos. Roughly a year after Gen. Yakubu Growing was overthrown as Brig.General Muritala was made the Head of State.

Immediately, he set off to restructure the country especially during the oil boom and demobilizing the numbers of Nigerian soldier also cutting down govt expenses and bringing in private firm to come in he gradually became the people's general through his actions but his past during the biafra war still hunt him.
He also created 7 more states and very well remembered for planning FCT Abuja as the Federal Seat of Nigeria after seeing the deep congestion of Lagos.
History will always remember Gen. Muritala during the Nigeria Civil War also known as the Biafra war, he was the GOC of the second division mandated to push back the Biafra army, he was reported to have massacre around 100,000 igbos in Asaba

Friday, February 13th, 1976- The People's General, Murtala Ramat Mohammed is shot and assassinated in an abortive coup.

40 years ago today, as Lagosians prepared for the Valentine, Nigeria's Head of State was shot in cold blood in his Mercedes Benz car. The blood stains and bullet holes of the coup plotters on the car can still be seen at the National Museum in Lagos. He was succeeded by Chief Lt.General Olusegun Obasanjo .

Murtala remains the youngest Head of State to die in office. He was only 37 years old. His portrait can be seen on the 20 naira note and interestingly, the Ikeja airport in Lagos which he seized in the July 28/29 1966 counter-coup, is named after him as Murtala Mohammed International Airport.

5 Things You Don't Know About General Muritala Mohamed .

1. He was actually born of an Edo man and a Hausa/fulani woman. But he grew up in the North all his life.
2. He was instrumental in the coup detat of Gen. Agunyi Ironsi
   3.He spent only 7 months in office.

Histiry is Bitch,it favours the Victor