Between 1975 and 1990, Nigeria was rocked by coup after coup: some successful, some crushed in blood, all of them reshaping the nation’s political destiny. Behind each one was a web of ambition, betrayal, ideology, and grievance that official history has never fully untangled. Until now. 

Military Coups and the Federation of Nigeria: 1975–1990 is the definitive insider account of Nigeria’s most turbulent era of military rule. Dr. Nowamagbe Omoigui covers the Murtala Muhammed coup of 1975, the failed Dimka counter-coup of 1976 that ended in Murtala’s assassination, the palace coup that brought Babangida to power in 1985, the mysterious Vatsa conspiracy, and the dramatic Orkar coup attempt of 1990 in which rebel officers announced the excision of five northern states from Nigeria live on national radio. 

What separates this book from others is the depth of access. Dr. Omoigui spent decades building relationships with the men at the centre of these events, gathering firsthand accounts, speeches, and reflections that no official record preserves. He names the conspirators, traces their recruiters, follows the money, and maps the consequences for careers, institutions, and for Nigeria itself. 

The book closes with a searching policy chapter asking the question that haunts every page: how do you stop coups from happening at all? 

Compelling, rigorous, and essential, this is the volume that connects the chaos of 1966 to the Nigeria of today. 

For readers of Nigerian history, African politics, and military affairs.  

Published by DAGOMO Foundation Nigeria Ltd/GTE | ISBN: 978-978-770-356-4