Michael Otuwe, a retired Master Warrant Officer who served as Muhammed’s orderly, has broken his silence with a deeply personal recollection of the February 13, 1976 attack that cut short the leadership of one of Nigeria’s most celebrated military rulers.
In an interview originally conducted with Daily Trust a decade ago and now revisited to mark the 50th anniversary, Otuwe provided chilling details of the morning when gunmen disguised in flowing agbada robes opened fire on their vehicle near Alagbon Junction in Ikoyi, Lagos.
The attack killed General Muhammed, his aide-de-camp, and their driver. Otuwe, struck by bullets in his arm and hip, was left for dead and transported to a mortuary. He miraculously regained consciousness when the cold air from an air conditioner revived him, leading to his emergency transfer for medical care.
