Gideon Orkar

Major Gideon Gwaza Orkar (October 4, 1952 – July 27, 1990) was a Nigerian military officer who staged an attempted violent coup against the government of General Ibrahim Babangida on April 22, 1990. Orkar and his conspirators seized the FRCN radio station, various military posts around Lagos and the Dodan Barracks, Lagos, the military headquarters and presidential Villa. Babangida was present when the barracks were attacked but managed to escape by a back route.^[1]

In his coup address, Orkar called for the excision of five northern states.^[2] However, the coup was crushed by the Babangida regime and Orkar including 41 other coconspirators were tried, convicted of treason and were executed.