He played a role in Nigeria's first military coup on 15 January 1966, helping Chukwuma Kaduna Nzeogwu in an attempt to overthrow the Northern Region government.
On the 14 January 1966, Soldiers of mostly Igbo extraction led by Major Chukwuma Kaduna Nzeogwu, an Igbo from Okpanam near Asaba, present day Delta state, eradicated the uppermost echelon of politicians from the Northern and Western provinces.This and other factors effectively led to the Fall of the Republican Government.
A coup was launched on 16 January 1966 by a group of disaffected young military officers led by Major Chukwuma Kaduna Nzeogwu.
Kaduna | Kaduna State | Chukwuma Kaduna Nzeogwu | Charles Chukwuma Soludo |
At the time of the January 66 coup led by Major Chukwuma Kaduna Nzeogwu, Dikko Yusufu was acting Inspector General since the I.G. Louis Edet was on leave at the time, and had to deal with the crisis when the Prime Minister Abubakar Tafawa Balewa and others were found murdered.