- Over 30 soldiers including Major Gen. Illya Bisalla, Lt. Col. Dimka were executed over military rebellion
- Soldiers expressed worry over huge cache of arms and ammunition in Niger Delta militant, Ateke Tom possession
- US authorities deported 60 Nigerians accused of theft, credit card scams and drug-related offences
- A suicide bomber blew himself up outside St Finbar’s Catholic church in Jos, killing 7 attending mass
- Gunmen on motorcycles attacked Katsina village, killed over 100
According to Rudyard Kipling, if history were taught in the form of stories, it would never be forgotten.
History is no doubt a compilation of stories either ugly or good. It brings people closer to their past and refreshes their memories of events. We must consciously record events for educational purpose, providing better alternatives for assimilation and proper understanding of events.
In an effort to uphold the tenets of history and bring historical events to the doorsteps of our esteem readers, WITHIN NIGERIA has highlighted five significant events that occurred on March 11th in the history of this country, Nigeria.
Over 30 soldiers including Major Gen. Illya Bisalla, Lt. Col. Dimka were executed over military rebellion
On this date, March 11 in 1976, more than 30 Nigerian soldiers including Major-General Illya Bisalla and Lt. Colonel Dimka, were executed for their involvement in the military rebellion.
Colonel Dimka’s confessional comments were used to link General Bisalla to the failed coup on February 13, 1976, which was led by Dimka and ended with the killing of General Mohammed.
The Federal Military Government (FMG) claimed that Bisalla gave Dimka operational orders while Dimka claimed during questioning that another officer (Major Rabo) provided the operational orders. This is because Bisalla was controversially found guilty of conspiracy and concealing treason by the secret Special Military Tribunal.
Dimka was known to have given contradictory testimony, drank beer while being questioned, and his confessional was uncorroborated.
Together with General Bisalla, there are 31 other suspected co-conspirators, some of whom are unquestionably guilty (such Colonel Dimka and Lt. William Seri) and others whose guilt is still under investigation such as Joseph Gomwalk were executed by firing squad on March 11, 1976.
Soldiers expressed worry over huge cache of arms and ammunition in Niger Delta militant, Ateke Tom possession
On this date, March 11 in 2008, Nigerian soldiers hunting Niger Delta gang leader, Ateke Tom claimed that they had found a huge cache of arms and ammunition, along with an illegal pipeline used to tap stolen oil, in a raid on one of his bases.
Senate spokesman Ayogu Eze said: “We were very shocked with the quantum of weapons we saw at Ateke’s house. These militants are well armed. They are huge enough to raise an army.
“The next thing the militants would aspire to have would be private refineries where they will suck our collective resources for private use.”
US authorities deported 60 Nigerians accused of theft, credit card scams and drug-related offences
On this date, March 11 in 2009, US authorities deported 60 Nigerians accused of theft, credit card scams and drug-related offences.
An extract from the US authorities publication:
In the largest of the criminal enterprise indictments, it is alleged that Wole “Shola” Ogunwen was the leader of the Shola Enterprise and supplied the various accounts to his cell leaders – Ayanwale Ganiyu, Anthony O. Johnson, Kola Falidaya Molake, Adebayo A. Animashaun and Charles Femi Adoyele and his manager Jones Omoyemi Osinowo – who managed the local cells and managed the compromising of the supplied accounts.
The accounts were allegedly prepared for usage by the defendants Idaya Molake, Hassan O. Anibaba, Abiodun A. Shotonwa, Anthony O. Johnson, Abimbola Lana and Samuel A. Adeoba. Steven Trevor Jackson was alleged to have been the forged document manufacturer who provided the “Shola” Enterprise with the forged identification and credit cards. John Doe (a.k.a. Abe), Ike Nwabuoke and Abidemi Olajide allegedly were the foot soldiers who went to the banks to make the withdrawals or to stores to make purchases with the compromised accounts.
According to the charges, when purchases were made with these accounts, the items, usually expensive electronics, would then allegedly be fenced to Ronan Hassoun, who operates Five Brothers Audio and Video Electronics at 43 Graham Avenue in Brooklyn.
Finally, it is alleged that any funds obtained from the compromised accounts would then be paid up to Wole Ogunwen. District Attorney Brown said that the twenty-six defendants charged in the Shola Enterprise Corruption indictment are also variously charged – along with ten others – in a second 309-count identity theft indictment.
In addition, three of the purported cell leaders named in the Shola indictments – Charles Femi Adoyele, Ayanwale Ganiyu and Abdul Razack Yusuf – are charged in separate indictments with operating two smaller identity theft and forged credit card operation – the Femi Criminal Enterprise and the Ganiyu/Razack Criminal Enterprise.
A suicide bomber blew himself up outside St Finbar’s Catholic church in Jos, killing 7 attending mass
On this date, 11th of March in 2012, a suicide bomber reportedly blew himself up outside St Finbar’s Catholic church in Jos, killing 7 attending mass.
According to reports, four suicide bombers including two that drove the car and two on a motorcycle that escorted the car, were also reported killed.
Soldiers opened fire to disperse a crowd of onlookers killing at least 3 more people. Gunmen later in the day shot dead three Christians in Jos.
Gunmen on motorcycles attacked Katsina village, killed over 100
On this date, 11th of March in 2014, gunmen on motorbikes attacked Marabar Kindo village in Katsina state.
According to reports, Fulani herders were blamed for the attacks on Hausa farmers that left over 100 dead.
