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.

Random Facts About Nigeria II

• Historically, Lagos Island was where the majority of the slave trade returnees from Brazil settled.
• Niger State is the largest state in Nigeria. It has an area of 76,363 square kilometers and was created on 3 February 1976. The second largest is Borno with an area of 70,898 square kilometers.
• The appellation of Yobe State is no longer “The Young Shall Grow”; it is now “The Pride OfThe Sahel.”
• River Niger is the third longest river in Africa. It has a length of about 4,180km and its source is in southeastern Guinea.
• University of Ibadan was founded in 1948 as a college of the University of London and became autonomous in 1962. 
• Nigeria was suspended from the Commonwealth from 1995 to 1999 to protest human rights abuses and the slow rate of democratization by the Abacha government.
• One of Nigeria’s oldest archaeological sites (if not the oldest) is at Iwo Eleru near Akure in southwestern Nigeria. Stone tools and human remains at the site date from 9000 BC.
• British Cameroons was a British Mandate territory in West Africa and the territory was administered as two areas, Northern Cameroons and Southern Cameroons. Following a plebiscite on 11 February 1961, Northern Cameroons became a region of Nigeria on 31 May 1961, while Southern Cameroons became part of the Republic of Cameroon later on 1 October of the same year.
• A recent Supreme Court judgment ceded 76 oil wells to Akwa Ibom State, effectively removing Cross River State from the list of oil producing states.
• Nollywood actress Omotola Jalade-ekeinde hails from Ondo State.
• Maryam Babangida (now late) had a Hausa mother from Niger State and an Igbo father from Asaba, Delta State.
• The cattle market in Potiskum, Yobe State is one of the largest in West Africa. It was attacked by gunmen some months ago.
• Ovonramwen was the last king of the Benin Kingdom. After the British military operation against Benin in 1897 which led to the looting of the city and death of many inhabitants, Ovonramwen was exiled to Calabar with his two wives, and died there in 1914.