The 1975-purge by General Murtala Muhammed's Government

The 1975-purge by General Murtala Muhammed's Government happened in 1975 and it’s many effect:

It aimed to remove corruption, inefficiency, and indiscipline in the civil service. Around 10,000 civil servants were sacked abruptly to clean up the system and restore discipline.

General Murtala Muhammed’s purge hit the civil service hard, many lost jobs suddenly with no backup. Those who stayed became extra careful: saving money, starting side hustles, and building networks to avoid future shocks.

That insecurity pushed some to corruption as they sought alternative income to survive the uncertainty.

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More info: The major civil servants hit by General Murtala Muhammed’s 1975 purge included top permanent secretaries like Allison Ayida, Philip Asiodu, Ime Ebong, Ibrahim Damcida, and Ahmed Joda, among others.

Over 10,000 civil servants, including judicial officers, diplomats, police, and public corporations’ officials, were dismissed abruptly for reasons like corruption, incompetence, or malpractice. Even Chief Justice Taslim Elias was sacked but later compensated.

More information from: daily trust newspaper;

Other key bureaucrats retired included Alhaji Sule Katagum (Chairman of the then Federal Public Service Commission), Alhaji Abubakar Tatari Alli, Mr F.M.C. Obi, Chief J.A. Adeyeye, and many more.

The case of Sir Samuel Layinka

Ayodeji Manuwa—surgeon extraordinaire, Inspector General of Medical Services, and former Chief Medical Director to the Federal Government of Nigeria—was too tragic to be narrated here. The short side of the story is that on September 27, 1975, he was unceremoniously booted from office and given only two weeks to make his way out of his Ikoyi Government apartment. He died six months later.

Judges were not left out of the severe purge: Dr Taslim Olawale Elias (Chief Justice of the Federation), Justice Adewale Thompson, Justice Ebenezer Ayoola, Justice O. Odumosu, Justice F.A. Abina, and others. Other civil and public servants included: Alhaji Adamu Atta (Secretary to NEPA), Dr Clement Isong (Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria), etc.

In academia, Professor Horatio Oritsejolomi Thomas, Nigeria’s first indigenous professor of surgery, was unceremoniously booted from office as the Vice Chancellor of the University of Ibadan. His dismissal came over national radio while he was hosting the luncheon for guests including some global figures who had attended the convocation ceremony at UI