Major Donatus Okafor, the officer commanding the Federal Guards was tasked with the assassination of Maimalari. It was important that Maimalari was cold dead if their revolution was to succeed.
When Okafor realised Maimalari had fled the house, he became very annoyed. He ordered his men to search the compound and shoot the Brigadier on sight; he was not to be given any opportunity to capitulate.
Without Maimalari dead, they were doomed.
The Brigadier who had been hiding and running was trying to make his way to the Federal Guards barracks in his pyjamas when he heard and saw the light of an oncoming vehicle.
He ducked into the shrubs again thinking it was Okafor and his men. Instead, he undoubtedly recognised the red Mercedes Benz which belonged to his Chief-of-Staff and Brigade Major (BM), Major Emmanuel Arinze Ifeajuna, who was transporting the Finance Minister and the Prime Minister to the Mess.
It was not immediately clear to Maimalari that Ifeajuna was part of the mutineers. Instead, he saw Ifeajuna as his hope and dashed for him. Ifeajuna ordered his driver to stop and he got out of the car with Ezedigbo, both of them armed.
“Emma, thank God,” the Brigadier said with relief, “some of the boys have gone crazy. They just attacked me in my home. Do you know who they might be and which unit?” He said with a taint of confidence he just found at the sight of his Brigade Major.
“No sir,” Ifeajuna replied with disdain.
“Never mind, just get me to the barracks. I’m going to find those bastards and finish them in the morning,” Maimalari said as he started to walk towards the car.
Suddenly, he stopped short and saw the Prime Minister, seated in a draped fashion in the car, whose white clothing had made him conspicuous to the Brigadier.
Maimalari looked at Ifeajuna in shock. His throat dried up. He couldn’t find the right words. He knew he had walked into a trap. He had escaped Okafor and his men but found himself willingly in the tiger’s den.
“Say your last prayers, sir,” Ifeajuna broke the silence and cocked his gun. Maimalari just stared hard.
Without warning, the Major fired three shots at the Brigadier. His heartbeat stopped and he fell. This did not deter Ifeajuna. He fired five more shots to affirm the Brigadier’s death. Once confirmed dead, his body was loaded into the 3-Ton truck with the tied Okotie-Eboh.
Ifeajuna, who still had the Prime Minister in his car, proceeded to the Mess with Ezedigbo still bleeding without remedy. #HistoryVille
Source: Page 59-61, A Carnage Before Dawn, Based on Nigeria’s First Coup D’état.
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