Operation Wetie
Operation Wet ẹ (English: wet him/her)[1] was a violent protest that took place in Western Nigeria between violent political factions, the Hausa-Fulani natives and some members of the Nigerian National Democratic Party during the First Republic. Although it began in 1962, it essentially set in motion a chain of events that eventually led to the first military coup in Nigeria on 15 January 1966.[2]
The term "Operation Wet ẹ" was coined from the setting ablaze of politicians and their properties with petrol, with many victims of the political violence killed by "necklacing." During the early 1960s, violence was on a rapid rise in the political system of Nigeria which led to the introduction of Operation Wetie whereby political gangs were used to disrupt elections.[3]
Operation Wet ẹ was significantly used in 1962 when Chief Ladoke Akintola and Chief Obafemi Awolowo were embroiled in a protracted battle for supremacy, thus leading to a high rate of violence and acts of lawlessness - with lawmakers engaging themselves in vicious physical combat in the Western regional parliament.[1]
Further reading
- Akanmu G., Adebayo (31 August 2012). Managing Conflicts in Africa's Democratic Transitions. p. 76. ISBN 9780739172643. Retrieved 2 August 2015.
References
- ^ a b Viviane, Saleh-Hanna (2008). Colonial Systems of Control: Criminal Justice in Nigeria. University of Otowa Press. p. 94. ISBN 9780776606668. Retrieved 2 August 2015.
- ^ Jide Ojo (17 April 2013). "The Metamorphosis of Ibadan". The Punch. Retrieved 2 August 2015.
- ^ Lawrence Chinedu Nwobu (17 August 2013). "Remi Fani-Kayode, Akintola, Awo, The Western Region And The Crisis That Truncated The First Republic". Nigeria Villagesquare. Retrieved 2 August 2015.