Leaders who died while serving their land

Nigeria has had various leaders since it obtained her independence from Britain in 1960 before becoming a republic three years later. About five of the leaders the country has had died in office through coups which were largely experienced during the military regimes and sickness which was the case of the country’s civilian president from 2007-2010. Below is a list of Nigerian leaders that died before the completion of their tenure. 1.) Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa When the British left in 1960, Tafawa Balewa who hailed from Bauchi State became Nigeria’s first Prime Minister and ruled from 1960 till he was killed on January 15, 1966 in the country’s first ever military coup carried out by soldiers of Igbo extraction led by Major Kaduna Nzeowu. His death made him the first ever Nigerian to die while in office. 2.) Major General Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi He benefited from the coup that led to the assasination of Balewa as he became the head of state but his rule was rather short-lived as he was killed at Lagelu, Oyo State on July 29, 1966 by a cohort of Northern military officers who ganged up against him. His brief stint as head of state saw to the introduction of the Unitary System of Government which was made possible with the implementation of the now infamous decree 34. 3.) General Murtala Ramat Muhammed Muhammed whose life was cut short on February 13, 1976 at a relatively young age of 37, alongisde his Aide-De-Camp (ADC) Lieutenant Akintunde Akinsehinwa was riding in his black Mercedes Benz saloon car on February 13, 1976 when he was killed in an abortive coup attempt led by Lt. Col Buka Suka Dimka. His car was ambushed while en route his office at Dodan Barracks, Lagos. His death sent shock waves across Nigeria. 4.) General Sani Abacha His death was celebrated by Nigerians who were tired of his dictatorial regime and suppression of fundamental human rights. The exact cause of his death is not well understood but sources claim he died of food poisoning at the hands of two Indian prostitutes who poisoned him with an apple. Abacha died in June 1998 while at the presidential Villa in Abuja and was buried on the same day, according to Muslim tradition, without an autopsy. 5.) Umar Musa Yar’Adua He gave up the ghost on 5 May 2010 at the Presidential Villa in Aso Rock though there were speculations that he had died before the day it was announced. Speculations were however rife that he had been unwell even before becoming president and was imposed on Nigerians by President Olusegun Obasanjo. He left the shores of the country on November 23, 2009 for Saudi Arabia due to a medical challenge attributed to pericarditis, a disease condition where there is inflammation of the membrane covering the heart and when he returned to Nigeria on 24 February 2010, people said he was still on life support while some said he was recovering but he never made public appearances until his death was officially announced.