Guess who stood behind Sir Ahmadu Bello, the Sardauna of Sokoto, serving as his aide-de-camp (ADC)? It was Brigadier Thomas Aguiyi-Ironsi, then the Military Attaché at Nigeria’s High Commission in London. This photograph captures the moment on Tuesday, July 17, 1962, when Sardauna inspected a Guard of Honour formed by Nigerian cadets at the Mons Officer Cadet School.
Tragically, three and a half years later, in the early hours of January 15, 1966, Sardauna was assassinated by Major Chukwuma Nzeogwu. The following day, Major General Aguiyi-Ironsi assumed the role of Military Head of State after the Prime Minister and Sardauna’s protégé, Tafawa Balewa, was killed by Major Emmanuel Ifeajuna.
Almost precisely three years after the date of this photo, Major General Aguiyi-Ironsi met his demise in Ibadan on July 29, 1966.
May this image serve as a reminder to those advocating for coups, secession, and war that history is not a self-repeating entity. It is not history that repeats itself, but rather individuals who, in their actions, echo historical patterns.
Credit for this photo goes to Getty Images.
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