Yakubu Gowon
| Yakubu Gowon | |
|---|---|
| 3rd Head of State of Nigeria | |
|
In office 1 August 1966 – 29 July 1975 |
|
| Vice President | J.E.A Wey as Chief of Staff, Supreme Headquarters |
| Preceded by | Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi |
| Succeeded by | Murtala Mohammed |
| Chief of Army Staff | |
|
In office January 1966 – July 1966 |
|
| Preceded by | Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi |
| Succeeded by | Joseph Akahan |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
19 October 1934 Kanke, Plateau State, Nigeria |
| Spouse(s) | Victoria Gowon |
| Alma mater |
Royal Military Academy Sandhurst University of Warwick |
| Religion | Christian |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |
 Nigeria
|
| Service/branch |
 Nigerian Army
|
| Years of service | 1954–1975 |
| Rank | General |
General Yakubu "Jack" Dan-Yumma Gowon (born 19 October 1934) is the former head of state (Head of the Federal Military Government) of Nigeria from 1966 to 1975. He took power after one military coup d'état and was overthrown in another. During his rule, the Nigerian government successfully prevented Biafran secession during the 1967–70 Nigerian Civil War.
Gowon is an Ngas (Angas) from Lur, a small village in the present Kanke Local Government Area of Plateau State. His parents, Nde Yohanna and Matwok Kurnyang, left for Wusasa, Zaria as Church Missionary Society (CMS) missionaries in the early days of Gowon's life. His father took pride in the fact that he married the same day as the future Queen Mother Elizabeth married the future King George VI. Gowon was the fifth of eleven children. He grew up in Zaria and had his early life and education there. At school Gowon proved to be a very good athlete: he was the school football goalkeeper, pole vaulter, and long distance runner. He broke the school mile record in his first year. He was also the boxing captain.
Yakubu Gowon joined the Nigerian army in 1954, receiving a commission as a second lieutenant on 19 October 1955, his 21st birthday.
He also attended both the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, UK (1955–56), Staff College, Camberley, UK (1962) as well as the Joint Staff College, Latimer, 1965. He saw action in the Congo (Zaire) as part of the United Nations Peacekeeping Force, both in 1960–61 and in 1963. He advanced to battalion commander rank by 1966, at which time he was still a lieutenant colonel.
...
Wikipedia