Nigeria, Jan. 19 -- "Anybody who headed a military regime subverted the wishes of the people. We all subverted the wishes of the people." - General Ibrahim Babangida (Tell Magazine, 7/12/98)

Forty-three years ago, on the 15th of January 1966 to be precise, a certain Major Chukwuma Nzeagwu addressed Nigerians through Radio Kaduna announcing martial law and the takeover of power by the Supreme Council of the Revolution. Their aim, he said, was to "establish a strong, united and prosperous nation free of corruption and internal strife. Our method of achieving this is purely military". By the end of the day, a significant part of the political class in the North and the West had been wiped out and the military had taken over the political sy...