Former Nigerian Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon, has denied any foreknowledge of the 1966 counter-coup that ousted ex-Head of State, General Ironsi.

Gowon claimed that he learned of the mutiny only in the early hours through phone calls alerting him to developments in Abeokuta.

The ex-Head of State spoke in an interview with Arise News on Wednesday.

Gowon recounted the chaotic days that followed the July 1966 counter-coup, the assassination of General Aguiyi-Ironsi, and the chain of events that saw him unexpectedly assume the helm of a fractured nation.

“By the time I got the government house telephone, something had already happened. The instructions I left were that Gen. Aguiyi-Ironsi should be taken to a safe place until we were able the address the instrumentation that had already started, but he was unfortunately assassinated by then,” Gowon said.