The First Military Coup In Nigeria On January 15, 1966,Nigeria was jolted awake to the first Military Coup d'état, all over the top politicians were assassinated by young ambitious officers including the Prime Minister Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, Sir Ahmadu Bello, Festus Okotie Eboh and Ladoke Akintola. The coup was masterminded by young majors as a result the coup often referred to as ""Coup of the five majors" spearheaded by Major Kaduna Nzeogwu. The mutineers overthrew several cities but were overpowered and imprisoned after two days. A new government was formed and Johnson Aguyi- Ironsi became Head of State but six months later a counter coup took place where he and his host Francis Adekunle Fajuyi were assassinated. Yakubu Gowon was his successor. Account of Occurrences that Followed An attack against those from Eastern Region ensued particularly those of Igbo descent as violence was unleashed on them. Chinua Achebe gave an excellent personal account of this happenings in his book "There was a Country'' . He said, "It happened that my wife and I had moved recently from Milverton Street to Turnbull Road, after my promotion to director of external broadcasting. Fortunately the soldiers went to our old house in search of me. Some may wonder why the soldiers would be after me so fervently. As I mentioned, it happened that I had just written A Man Of The People, which forecasts a military coup that overthrows a corrupt civilian government. Clearly a case of fact imitating fiction, Nothing else. But some military leaders believed that I must have had something to do with the coup and wanted to bring me in for questioning” Victor Badejo, the director general of Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation, saw me on the premises, he stopped me, and said, “What are you still doing here?” and then said, “life has no duplicate” and then provided further clarification of the situation. Badejo, confirmed a story I had heard of drunken soldiers who came to my office “wanting to find out which was more powerful, their guns or my pen” He was quite anxious on my behalf” I decided the time had come for me to leave and head back to the East. Source: There Was A Country - Chinua Achebe Excerpts: Amanda Kirby Okoye The Federal Public Service Commission relieved non Eastern Nigeria Workers of their duties giving them an ultimatum to return to work or forfeit