Category: History
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Ebitu Okoh Ukiwe; Nigeria’s first chief of general staff. Ukiwe was military governor of Niger State, 1977-78, military administrator of Lagos State, 1978-79 and chief of general staff, 1985-86. A war generalissimo, Ukiwe pitched tent with the Biafran side during the 30-month-old Nigerian civil war, proving his mantle on the battlefield. However, after the war.…
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Plane Crash; Over a thousand lives has been lost to plane crashes in Nigeria since the first recorded incidence which occurred on November 20, 1969 when a government-owned DC-10 aircraft on a flight from London crash-landed in Lagos. It killed all 87 passengers and crew on board. Several causes have been adduced to aviation accidents,…
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Ernest Shonekan; Industrialist who headed Interim National Government of Federal Republic of Nigeria, from August to November, 1993. Shonekan was a Chairman/Managing Director, UAC of Nigeria Limited, 1980-93. He led the Vision 2010 committee under the regime of General Sani Abacha, Nigeria’s military ruler[i]. Born May 9, 1936 in Lagos but an Indigene of Abeokuta[ii],…
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Adepoju Akomolafe; Nigerian politician of the pre-independence era under the Action Group. As an active party member, Adepoju rose up to become first chairman of Ido-osi council area in 1955 and Federal Minister of Establishment. He was also an elected member of the first parliament[i]. Born to the family of Daniel Ashaolu and Dorcas Ajayi…
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Muhammadu Buhari; Head of State and Commander-in-Chief of Nigeria Armed Forces from December 31, 1983, to August 26,1985, before he was overthrown by Ibrahim Babangida. Buhari was also chairman, Petroleum Trust Fund, PTF. After futile effort at attaining presidency under the flagships of the All Nigerian People’s Party, ANPP, in the 2003 and 2007 and…
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Eweka; Second Oba of Benin kingdom in present day Nigeria who reigned for 35 years. At his demise, his two children ruled in succession. They were Oba: Uwa-khuanhen c. 1235AD-1243AD and Oba Ehenmihen c. 1243AD-1255AD. Eweka I was the son of Oromiyan who became the was the first oba to rule the kingdom with the…
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Mobolaji Bank-Anthony; Industrialist and philanthropist. Bank-Anthony played an active role in the industrial development that swept over Nigeria from 1950s to the 1980s. He was a pace-setter in the joint partnership trend between entrepreneurs and with the various governments. He also spearheaded a good number of government joint ventures at multiple levels. He died May…
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Odogbolu; Town formed in c.1850 by an Ijebu clan made up of eight homesteads, the founders of which historians say were possibly members of the original retinue of Obanta, the founding hero of the Ijebu kingdom. Odogbolu was formed from these homesteads, some of which existed hundreds of years before events following the dissolution of…