By Chris Vincent
Today, March 11,2026, is the fiftieth anniversary of the execution of former Defence Minister Major General I.D.Bisalla for treason.He and his co-travellers were convicted for their roles and active participation in the abortive coup of February 13,1976 in which the then Head of State General Murtala Muhammed was assassinated.Three men were infamous for murdering the head of state.
Lt William Seril, who without blinking shot his Commander-in-Chief .Major I B Rabo who at close range emptied a loaded magazine into the head of state’s official car and Lt Col Bukar Sukar Musa Dimka who not only supervised the cold blooded murder of the head of state, his ADC Lt Akinsehinwa and driver Sgt Adamu Michika,but raced to the nearby Nigeria Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) studios ,into the waiting hands of his co-conspirator and brother to Mrs Victoria Gowon Mr Abdulkarim Zakari,to make his infamous “We Are Together ” speech.Only Staff Sgt Michael Otuwe,orderly to the C-in-C survived the he ferocious attack on the head of state’s official car.
Major General Bisalla was fingered by Dimka as the national guardian of the coup. The bloody coup was foiled principally by the then Chief of Army Staff Lt General Theophilus Yakubu Danjuma who rallied loyal troops including then Brig Alani Akirinade,Col Ike Nwachukwu, Col Domkat Bali and Col Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida; who had the onerous task of dislodging Dimka and his cohorts from the NBC studios. Thereafter,a military board of enquiry was set- up and the tribunal was headed by Major General Emmanuel Abisoye. Bisalla and thirty-one others faced the firing squad, having been found guilty of treason and conspiracy.Those who starred in the then infamous “Bar Beach Show” on March 11,1976,were
* Major – General I.D. Bisalla
* WO2 Monday Monchong
* Staff Sgt. Richard Dungdang
* Sgt. Sale pankshin
* Lt.-Col. A.R. Aliyu
* Capt. M. Parvwang
* Capt. J. F. Idi
* Capt. S. Wakian
* Lt. Muhammed
* Lt. E. L. K. Shelleng
* Lt. -Col. Ayuba Tense
* Col. A. D. S. Wya
* Lt. -Col. T. K. Adamu
* Lt. -Col. A. B. Umoru
* Capt. A. A. Aliyu
* Capt. Augustin Dawurang
* Lt. William Seril
* Major I. B. Rabo
* Major K. K. Gagara
* Capt. M. R. Gotipb
* Major C. D. Dabang
* Mr. Abdulkarim Zakari of the NBC
* Lt. Peter Cigari
* Major Ola Ogunmekan
* Lt. O. Zagmi
* Lt. S. Wayah
* Sgt. Amadu Rege
* Sgt. Bala Javan
* WO2 Sambo Pankshin
* WO2 Emmanuel Dakup Seri
* Major J. W. Kasai
* Major M. M. Mushellia
* Owing to logistical challenge, some of the luckless men were spared the added odium that was the “Bar Beach Show” and were dispatched to their early graves, away from the taunts of a charged crowd baying for blood at the firing range of Kirikiri prison.
* Capt. Peter Temlong was found guilty and sentenced to life imprisonment while Capt Dauda Usman and Sgt Clement Yildar were declared wanted but were never found nor captured.
* Another set of plotters, including the public face of the foiled coup Lt Col Bukar Sukar Musa Dimka, Col Isa Bukar and former governor of the defunct Benue Plateau State Compol Joseph Goomwalk were executed about two months after.
* That was the first time in Nigeria’s history that alleged coup plotters were tried,convicted, and executed. *
