‘I am a suffering Nigerian’ – Buhari speaks on his role in 1966 coup

President Muhammadu Buhari has said his career in the military was hellish, especially experiences he had living through the 1966 coup, 1967 counter-coup, and later a civil war.

The President spoke during a pre-recorded interview aired by the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) last night.

Responding to a question: ‘Who is Buhari?’ from the show anchor, the president said: “I think I went through hell throughout my career in the military. I was a lieutenant in Lagos during the first coup, January 15, 1966.

“If you bother about Nigerian history, you read about coup and counter coup, civil war, coup, counter coup. I was all in it, including in detention for three and a quarter years.

“So, I am fully qualified, you know, [to be called] as a suffering Nigerian.”

Buhari in his assessment of institutions of government rated the National Assembly and the Police low in performance.

However, the President said he expected a higher level of efficiency from military service chiefs, but refrained from blaming them for the escalating insecurity situation in the country.

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