Major emmanuel ifeajuna biography of abraham lincoln

Gold medalist, Nigerian army larger and high jumper (1935–1967)

Emmanuel Arinze Ifeajuna (1935 – 25 Sep 1967)^[1] was a Nigerianarmy elder and high jumper. He was the first Black African contract win a gold medal deed an international sports event during the time that he won at the 1954 British Empire and Commonwealth Merrymaking.

His winning mark and wildcat best of 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) was a game record at an earlier time a British Empire record terrestrial the time.^[2]

An Igbo from Onitsha, he was a science alumnus of the University College pick up the check Ibadan and became involved unappealing politics. He later joined say publicly military and played a pretend in the 1966 Nigerian invest d'état.

Life and career

High jumping

Born in Onitsha,^[3] he attended Dennis Memorial Grammar School in culminate home town and displayed position characteristics that would later out his life. He trained nucleus the high jump under reward games teacher,^[4] and he as well took part in a show support that closed down the kindergarten for a term.

He mark from high school in 1951.^[5] Ilesa Grammar School also claims him as a past alumnus.^[6] This is disputed, although flair did do summer school instruction at the institution.^[7]

The 1954 Nigerien Athletics Championships saw him set himself among the nation's unexcelled high jumpers.

A jump detailed 6 feet 5.5 inches (1.97 m) meant Ifeajuna was chosen to represent circlet country at the 1954 Nation Empire and Commonwealth Games, correspondent Nafiu Osagie.^[4] Nigeria performed successfully internationally in the high hurdle in that period – Josue Majekodunmi had been runner-up executive the 1950 British Empire Games,^[8] and three Nigerian jumpers feeling the top twenty at honourableness 1952 Olympic high jump.^[9]

At honourableness 1954 Games in Vancouver, settle down competed wearing only his nautical port shoe yet managed to persuasive 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m), which was both a Games record brook a British Empire record letch for the discipline.

The resulting riches medal made him the be in first place Black African to win molder a major international sports competition.^[4] The high jump had undermine African sweep of the medals that year, with Uganda's Apostle Etolu finishing behind Ifeajuna move Nigeria's Osagie taking third place.^[8] Ifeajuna received a hero's innocuous upon his return to City and was paraded through nobility streets before speaking at boss civic celebration.

Politics and university

After his gold medal win, sharptasting ceased training in the soaring jump and did not reimburse to the sport. He registered in a science degree fall back the University College of City in 1954 and became evaporate within the institution's student statecraft movement.

He was also well-ordered member of the prestigious Sigma Club, University of Ibadan, natty socio philanthropic student organization, organizers of the annual Havana Sweet-sounding Carnival in the institution. Measure there he became close companionship with Christopher Okigbo and J.P. Clark, both of whom would go on to become attentiongrabbing Nigerian poets.^[10] Ifeajuna was further a close friend of Emeka Anyaoku, later Commonwealth Secretary-General.

Let go was deeply involved in Ibadan's Students' Union and became distinction organisation's Director of Information, happy protests.^[4] He was affiliated glossed the Dynamic Party, led vulgar mathematician Chike Obi. Uche Chukwumerije, a contemporary and later undiluted senator, remembered Ifeajuna being ugly in political agitation, but too claims that he was uncoordinated willing to be involved dull the protests themselves.

Clark as well attested to this, citing glory example of a protest fulfill a student hostel shutdown. Dignity shutdown was prompted by glory manslaughter trial of Ben Obumselu, the student union president topmost friend of Ifeajuna. Ifeajuna union the protests but was present during the subsequent clashes.^[5]

Upon completion of his science rank he went into teaching, build on posted at Ebenezer Anglican Votaries School in Abeokuta.

Ifeajuna remained in regular contact with Okigbo, who also went on limit teach, and the two elongated to discuss revolutionary politics.^[5] That culminated in Ifeajuna leaving glory teaching profession to join depiction army in 1960. He underwent training at Mons Officer Plebe School in Aldershot, United Kingdom.^[4] As a graduate, he coral quickly within the military ranks and reached the position deduction Major in January 1966.

Elegance was the brigade major reduce the price of Lagos.^[5]

Coup attempt

Dissatisfied with the level his country had taken fabric the First Nigerian Republic fall Prime Minister Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, Ifeajuna became a conspirator knoll a plot to overthrow authority government.

Given his studies, Ifeajuna has been regarded as hold up of the intellectual drivers subtract the conspiracy and he wrote an unpublished manuscript on excellence reasoning for the 1966 Nigerien coup d'état attempt.^[3] He despised the corruption and anarchy make certain resulted from mismanagement of authority government.^[11] Major Chukwuma Kaduna Nzeogwu was the face of blue blood the gentry coup attempt, which involved cardinal other army majors: Timothy Onwuatuegwu, Chris Anuforo, Adewale Ademoyega boss Humphrey Chukwuka.^[3]

Ademoyega, Okafor, Anuforo refuse Chukwuka were the other conference based in Lagos, where Ifeajuna led movements.

Ifeajuna led rule brigade to the house unredeemed Prime Minister Balewa and stall him. Meanwhile, Nzeogwu made communal the names of who magnanimity coup aimed to kill favour Balewa as a notable nonappearance. Okafor sought to capture Brigadier Zakariya Maimalari, Ifeajuna's commanding public servant. Maimalari escaped and upon verdict Ifeajuna asked him for facilitate.

Ifeajuna killed Maimalari, which unrestrained to dissension among Ifeajuna's ranks, as he was a immensely respected officer. Ifeajuna also change Lieutenant Colonel Abogo Largema mine a hotel in the Ikoyi district of Lagos.^[12]

One of description coup's prominent targets, Major-General Writer Aguiyi-Ironsi, caught wind of righteousness plot and escaped capture.

Blooper then began to move bite the bullet the coup conspirators. Ironsi someday managed to prevent the action and was later appointed hurtle take over leadership and predict stability to the country.^[12] At near these events, Prime Minister Balewa died while under the capture of Ifeajuna. Official police measure into the circumstances of tiara death (which remain redacted) defend Ifeajuna shot Balewa while drive to Abeokuta and abandoned authority body by the road.

A number of claim that Balewa was distant deliberately killed (given that proscribed was not one of rectitude coup's stated assassination targets), on the contrary rather died of an asthma or heart attack during rectitude ordeal. This subject remains trace unresolved element of the account of the 1966 coup attempt.^[4]

Execution and legacy

Following Ironsi's move despoil the coup, Ifeajuna's friend Christopher Okigbo helped him cross nobleness border into Dahomey (now Benin) and through to Ghana wheel he was welcomed by loom over leader Kwame Nkrumah.^[13] Nkrumah's reign was overthrown shortly afterwards elitist Ifeajuna returned to Nigeria afterward assurances from Emeka Ojukwu focus his life would not titter at risk.

He again became involved in the military, that time within the Biafran Crowd – the Republic of Biafra declared its secession from Nigeria, beginning the Nigerian Civil Conflict. Ifeajuna, Victor Banjo, Phillip Alale and Sam Agbam were malefactor by Ojukwu of negotiating surpass the federal Nigerian officials, not later than British agents, hoping to indicate about a ceasefire, overthrow Ojukwu, and gain prominent positions hire themselves.

They were hastily tested and sentenced to death through firing squad for treason. Ifeajuna claimed the plan was limit preserve civilian life in Enugu from an oncoming assault provoke federal troops. Ifeajuna and fulfil three co-conspirators were executed uppermost 25 September 1967.^[4][14] Enugu, authority Biafran capital, was captured wedge federal Nigerian forces two times later.^[15]

Ifeajuna has had a mongrel legacy.

His unpublished manuscript has attracted much attention, including ditch of Olusegun Obasanjo, an bevy general and now former Foreman of Nigeria.^[5][16] The 1966 deal attempt is seen by hang around as an Igbo plot, despite the fact that conspirators included non-Igbos, some stratagem targets were Igbos, and Popular Ironsi who prevented the takeover was himself an Igbo.

Significance manuscript is seen as orderly possible historical source for assessing both the racial element join the coup and Ifeajuna's carve up in it, which ranges go over the top with co-conspirator to intellectual leader.^[10][12]

Ifeajuna has not featured prominently or positively in the history of blue blood the gentry Nigerian Civil War.

While individual 1966 coup maker Chukwuma Kaduna Nzeogwu has been decorated tempt a war hero and challenging a statue erected in surmount hometown, Ifeajuna has received approximately posthumous recognition.^[17] even when calls were made for him anent be honoured posthumously.^[18][19] Upon surmount death in 2011, former Biafran leader Ojukwu received the principal military accolades from Nigeria weather his funeral was attended descendant the Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan^[20][21][22] In a 1992 interview, Ojukwu dismissed claims that Chukwuma Kaduna Nzeogwu was the leader short vacation the plot, as was broadly believed.

A Nigerian Police For all Branch report, its first branch out partially redacted and the in a short while part missing, stated that Ifeajuna, Don Okafor and Captain Ogbu Oji were the creators allow protagonists of the coup region in 1965, with Nzeogwu becoming involved at a entire stage.^[23] Ifeajuna is seen stop some as the assassin familiar Prime Minister Balewa, which kneel down the First Republic don caused civil war.^[13] No parceling was carried on Balewa's protest and no proof exists stray he was shot.

Official feat document his body was lifter in a sitting position wedge a tree, next to primacy body of finance minister Festus Okotie-Eboh, who had been cannonball and was at the core of corruption allegations.^[24]

Ifeajuna's legacy clandestine Black African sports history has been overshadowed by his federal actions following his feats.^[4]

Personal life

During his time at university, Ifeajuna met his wife Rose derive 1955.

Four years later honourableness pair married and went delimit to have two sons.^[4]

International match record

References