Nigerian Leaders since Independence: General Olusegun Obasanjo (1976-1979)

Oluṣẹgun Mathew Okikiọla Arẹmu Ọbasanjọ from Abeokuta in Ogun State, South-West Nigeria was born on 5th March 1937 and served as Head of State between 13 February 1976 to 1 October 1979. He became Head of State after General Murtala Mohammed whom he served as Chief of Staff was assassinated in an aborted coup.

Career
General Obasanjo enlisted in the Nigerian Army in 1958. He served at 1 Area Command in Kaduna. Promoted to Chief Army Engineer, he was made commander of 2 Area Command from July 1967, which was re-designated 2 Division Rear, and then the Ibadan Garrison Organisation. During the Nigerian Civil War, he commanded the Army's 3 Marine Commando Division that captured Owerri, effectively bringing an end to the civil war.



Although Brig. Ọbasanjọ did not participate in the Military Coup of 29 July 1975, led by Mutala Mohammed, he supported it and was named Murtala's deputy in the new government. He was appointed Chief of Staff of Supreme Headquarters. On 13 February 1976, coup plotters, led by Army Col. Dimka, marked him, Murtala and other senior military personnel for assassination. Murtala was killed during the attempted coup, but Obasanjo escaped death. The low profile security policy adopted by Murtala had allowed the plotters easy access to their targets. The coup was foiled because the plotters missed Obasanjo and General Theophilus Danjuma, Chief of Army Staff and de facto number three man in the country.

Obasanjo and Danjuma established a chain of command and re-established security in Lagos, thereby regaining control. Obasanjo was appointed as head of state by the Supreme Military Council. Keeping the chain of command established by Murtala, Obasanjo pledged to continue the programme for the restoration of civilian government in 1979 and to carry forward the reform programme to improve the quality of public service.

General Obasanjo’s regime was accused of being responsible for political repression. In one particular instance, the compound of Nigerian musician and political activist Fela Kuti was raided and burned to the ground after a member of his commune was involved in an altercation with military personnel. Fela and his family were beaten and raped and his mother, political activist Funmilayo Ransome Kuti, was killed by being thrown from a window. Her coffin was carried to Obasanjo's barracks as a protest against political repression

Transition to democracy
Obasanjo served until 1 October 1979, when he handed power to Ahaji Shehu Shagari, a democratically elected civilian President – hence becoming the first Military Head of State to transfer power peacefully to a civilian regime in Nigeria.

Compiled with generous information from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olusegun_Obasanjo