Murtala Muhammed shunned power privileges, daughter recalls

Aisha Muhammed, daughter of Nigeria’s former Head of State, General Murtala Ramat Muhammed, has said her father’s commitment to a simple, disciplined lifestyle ultimately made him an easy target for assassins.

Speaking on ARISE News’ Morning Show on Monday, the Chief Executive Officer of the Murtala Muhammed Foundation reflected on the late military leader’s approach to governance as Nigeria marked 50 years since his assassination.

According to her, General Muhammed was a leader who consistently matched words with action, particularly on accountability, responsibility and the fight against corruption, which he viewed as a “cankerworm” capable of destroying society.

She noted that her father did not merely condemn corruption rhetorically but lived by strict personal standards, rejecting the privileges and excesses that often came with power.

“He led with clarity and believed deeply in accountability and responsibility,” she said, adding that his lifestyle was a reflection of his convictions rather than political symbolism.

Aisha Muhammed explained that the late Head of State deliberately shunned long motorcades, sirens and heavy security details, preferring to move freely among ordinary Nigerians — a choice she said exposed him to danger.

On the day of his assassination, she recalled, General Muhammed was travelling in normal traffic without elaborate protection.

“He didn’t go around with motorcades, sirens or a lot of security. That was who he was,” she said. “But that also made him vulnerable. He was in traffic like everyone else, stopped by traffic wardens like other road users, and that was when the coup plotters struck.”

General Muhammed assumed power in July 1975 after a bloodless coup that ousted General Yakubu Gowon. He was assassinated on February 13, 1976, during a failed coup attempt, just six months into his leadership.

Despite a brief 200-day tenure, his administration left a lasting imprint through sweeping reforms, including the dismissal of thousands of public officials over corruption allegations, the creation of seven new states and the initiation of a transition programme to civilian rule.

His government also set in motion the process that eventually led to the relocation of Nigeria’s capital from Lagos to Abuja.