He was the officer who read the speech announcing the 1985 coup on radio that ousted Major General Muhammadu Buhari and brought President Ibraahim Badamasi Babangida to power on August 27, 1985. Then (Brigadier General) Joshua Nimyel Dogonyaro, he invariably shot himself to prominence on account of it and several other factors. Sadly, he went the way of all mortals on Thursday, May 13, 2021 at the University of Jos Teaching Hospital.

His place in the historical development of the nation is however not lost on us. At the point the coup was staged, there were a number of issues that remained largely unresolved owing to the contradictions inherent in the arrangement of governance at that point. Nigerians may have had a glimpse of what those in the then Supreme Military Council felt before the regime was sent packing.

Perhaps the reason given in the text read that August 27, 1985 morning will suffice for the coup planners to want to break from the contradictions: “The concept of collective leadership has been substituted by stubborn and ill-advised unilateral actions, thereby destroying the principles upon which the government came to power. Any effort made to advise the leadership, met with stubborn resistance and was viewed as a challenge to authority or disloyalty.

“Thus, the scene was being set for systematic elimination of what, was termed oppositions. All the energies of the rulership were directed at this imaginary opposition rather than to effective leadership.

“The result of this misdirected effort is now very evident in the country as a whole. The government has started to drift. The economy does not seem to be getting any better as we witness daily increased inflation.

“The nation’s meager resources are once again being wasted on unproductive ventures. Government has distanced itself from the people and the yearnings and aspirations of the people as constantly reflected in the media have been ignored.

“This is because a few people have arrogated to themselves the right to make the decisions for the larger part of the ruling body. All these events have shown that the present composition of our country’s leadership cannot, therefore, justify its continued occupation of that position.

“Furthermore, the initial objectives and programmes of action which were meant to have been implemented since the ascension to power of the Buhari Administration in January 1984 have been betrayed and discarded. The present state of uncertainty and stagnation cannot be permitted to degenerate into suppression and retrogression.

“We feel duty bound to use the resources and means at our disposal to restore hope in the minds of Nigerians and renew aspirations for a better future. We are no prophets of doom for our beloved country, Nigeria. We, therefore, count on everyone’s cooperation and assistance.

But history is often not made of thoughts which occur as product of hindsight. The forces of history-social, political, economic and personal are too interwoven and dialectically meshed to permit one way of coming to grips with events. Invariably, the truth that we get today is filtered by available facts and through the values and illustrations of historians, biographers and indeed journalists.

Thirty six years down the line, even with a distinguished career in the military, many are quick to refer to him as the man who told the world what happened as his ‘colleagues in arms’ decided that ‘almost two years later, it has become clear that the fulfillment of expectations is not forthcoming’.

There were many reasons for the change of government. It was common knowledge that at the time the coup took place Nigerians were at a cross road choosing between a military dictatorship and democracy and or be allowed to continue on the brink that the leadership had brought the nation to. The choice was to bring to an end the regime “because this generation of Nigerians and indeed future generations have no other country but Nigeria, we could not stay passive and watch a small group of individuals misuse power to the detriment of our national aspirations and interest’.

He has been involved in many things without forgetting the patriotic pedigree in the service of his fatherland. For good measure, he was a former Field Commander of the Economic Community of West African States Monitoring Group (ECOMOG) in a role sacrificed men, resources and materials to save distressed West African states that were embroiled in different fierce conflicts. That singular role in Liberia remains a reference point to the gallantry of the Nigerian Armed Forces. Those conflicts claimed thousands of the lives of the people of those countries as well as our officers and men who laid their lives.

It is difficult to remember General Joshua Dogonyaro without reference to the Langtang Mafia, which was ‘a rumoured clique of military men from Langtang, in Plateau State who hold or have held positions in the Nigerian government. The term is often used in reference to the 1985-1993 Babangida junta. They are purported to have included Lt Gen Joshua Nimyel Dogonyaro, Lt Gen Jeremiah Useini, Gen Domkat Bali and Brig-Gen John Nanzip Shagaya’.

Whether they constituted a ‘mafia’ or not, what came out and rightly so from that group are men who God raised at that material time to help their people and appropriated power to their advantage. Who wouldn’t, if he found himself in that kind of arrangement? Many Nigerians would if given the opportunity; after all, we have always had the ‘Kaduna Mafia’ held Nigeria to its jugular in governance and other areas of human endeavour.

They may have succeeded in helping their people and many others various ways to achieve a goal or two while they held sway and even perhaps out of government. The Taroh are a united people, always assisting themselves to achieve success as much as they can. If given the opportunity, they are known; it is on record for certain individuals in public offices who have sacrificed resources and materials to enthrone their own. I should think that must have been the spirit behind the alleged ‘establishment’ of such a group. The question I have asked when such a discussion is brought for discussion is: Did they not help people and other causes? If they did, then their intrusion into those causes is not selfish. They had a right and still do to defend causes, for which they believe and had faith in.

“Daddy has been sick for some time until yesterday when he had a stroke and we rushed him to the Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH) for medical attention. His death comes as a rude shock to many who have looked up to. Truly as the family has said, he was “a General who was so faithful and loyal to the nation, Nigeria. He was a General who had no bias mind as a detribalized Nigerian. He served this nation faithfully and identified with all Nigerians and Africa as a continent.


In a country where patriotism is lacking in many, General Dogonyaro was reputed to if anything but patriotic and indeed a loyal Nigerian who served wherever he was with courage, dignity and selflessness. For any military man, holding command position was a cause to look towards; he gave a good measure of the kind of officer that he was; and he accomplished his assignments with tremendous success.


In the words of Governor Simon Bako Lalong: “Plateau State has lost an elder statesman whose outstanding achievements in his military career brought a lot of pride and honour for the state. The commitment of the deceased towards the defence of Nigeria’s territorial integrity and well as ensuring its peace and unity stood him out as a soldier of repute whose professionalism continues to inspire many younger ones".


That outstanding leadership in the course of Nigeria’s contributions to international peace keeping efforts, particularly when he served as ECOMOG Field Commander in Liberia remains a reference point to the gallantry of the Nigerian Armed Forces. Back home, he remained largely at the background and was reported not to have ‘hesitated to offer Plateau State and the nation his wealth of experience and knowledge particularly towards tackling security challenges of insurgency, banditry, kidnapping and other crimes.’

Born on September 12, 1940, the military tactician attended Boys’ Secondary School, Gindiri, Jos. He was reputed to be a renowned military tactician, since he retired in 1993; he dedicated his time to the service of God and community services. Those who know are quick to point out that as member of the body of Christ; he made it a point to serve in various church groups. At a point during his life time, he served his people as President, Ngwang Ishi Taroh, the umbrella association of his tribe. He was Barden Langtang, while earning other chieftaincy titles as Ochia Agha 1 of Anambra and Sardauna Gani as well as member, National Christian Elders Forum and CAN Elders Board of Trustees.

It is instructive to recall the words of Buhari on the man who was involved in overthrowing him: “The death of Dogonyaro comes as a great shock to me because as a soldier, I know what it means to lose such an officer and a gentleman who gave his best in the service of the country.

“As a thoroughbred soldier, who had professionally distinguished himself in the course of his military career, the President noted that “laying down one’s life for the country is one of the greatest sacrifices any citizen can make to his country. General Dogonyaro’s incalculable contributions will be remembered for years to come.”