Coupist

Our first stage was Cheragas; and, after passing the Trappist establishment at Staouëli, where the French fought their first battle, and Sidi-Ferruch, where they landed, we again changed horses at Douaouda. Here we deposited our fellow-coupist.

Besides preparing plans of attack, the coupist officers took measures to meet the problem of anti-coupism in their services.

Either by design or default, Lieutenant Colonel Odumegwu-Ojukwu held on to 5 Infantry Battalion and refused to cooperate with the coupists, particularly in their bid to obtain money from Kano Central Bank under the pretext of settling troops salaries by intercepting the aircraft sent to Kano by [Chukwuma Kaduna] Nzeogwu for that purpose on Monday 17 January 1966.