October in History

In the spirit of our Independence Anniversary, I decided to compile this list. It highlights some important days in the month of October in the history of Nigeria. Enjoy!

October 1, 1960: Nigeria gained independence from Britain.

October 1, 1961: Southern Cameroon ceases to be a part of Nigeria and became a part of Cameroun, following the UN-organised plebiscite of Febuary 11, 1961. 

October 1, 1963: Nigeria became a republic. This republic (the first) was brought to an abrupt end by the coup of January 16, 1966 (also the first coup).

October 1, 1979: Alhaji Shehu Shagari was sworn in as president. Thus, the Second Republic began on this day, eventually meeting its demise on December 31, 1983 through a military coup. Shehu Shagari was just beginning his second term when the coup plotters struck.

October 19, 1986: Dele Giwa, editor and founder of Newswatch magazine was assassinated by a parcel bomb allegedly sent by the government of the day. The parcel exploded, inflicting severe injuries on Giwa and temporarily deafening Kayode Soyinka the London Bureau Chief of Newswatch. Giwa was rushed to the hospital where he eventually died from his wounds.

October 25, 1993: 4 youths of the Movement for the Advancement of Democracy (MAD) hijacked a Nigerian Airways airbus A310 that was heading to Abuja from Lagos and diverted it to Niamey. The quartet demand prosecution of corrupt officials and the enthronement of democracy. Visit here for more on this interesting/tragic episode.

  

October 10 2002: The International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled against Nigeria in favour of Cameroon over the disputed oil-rich Bakassi peninsula.

 

October 29, 2006: Aviation Development Company Airlines (ADC) Flight 53 crashed in a corn field shortly after takeoff from Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja. Of the 104 person reported to have boarded the plane, only 9 persons survived the crash. Muhammadu Maccido, the Sultan of Sokoto and spiritual head of Nigeria's Muslims; the sultan's son, Senator Badamasi Maccido; Abdulrahman Shehu Shagari, son of former president Shehu Shagari; and Dr Nnennia Mgbor, reportedly the first ever female West African ENT (ear, nose, throat) Surgeon, all lost their lives along with many others.

Click here for more interesting facts.