Zamani Lekwot
Encyclopedia
Major General Zamani Lekwot (born 1944) was the Military Governor of Rivers State
, Nigeria
from July 1975 until July 1978 during the military administrations of Generals Murtala Muhammed and Olusegun Obasanjo.
Lekwot is a Kataf, born in Kaduna State
in 1944.
and the Indian Military Academy
, gaining his commission on 14 July 1966.
He was a company commander in the 6th Battalion when it took part in the battle that caused the fall of Bonny
on 26/27 July 1967 during the Nigerian Civil War
.
He was the Commander, 33 Infantry Brigade, Maiduguri in 1975 before he assumed the Military Governorship of Rivers State.
During his military career, Lekwot also served as Commandant of the Nigeria Defence Academy, General Officer Commanding 82 Composite Division, Nigerian Army and Ambassador/High Commissioner to the Republics of Senegal
, Mauritania
, Cape Verde
and The Gambia
.
The 2 Brigade Nigerian Army Barracks in Port Harcourt, Rivers State
was named the Zamani Lekwot cantonment in his honor. In August 2003 it was renamed the Port Harcourt Barracks.
Lekwot fell out with General Ibrahim Babangida
, and was forced to retire in 1985 after Banbangida became Chief of Staff following the military coup of 31 December 1984 that brought General Muhammadu Buhari
to power.
and mainly Christian Kataf communities of the Zangon-Kataf Local Government Area in Kaduna State
, with many deaths.
A tribunal set up by the Babangida government sentenced Lekwot and 16 others to death for alleged complicity in the killings, sentences eventually reduced to a short gaol sentence.
It was said that his sentence was due to his feud with Babangida.
He was assisted in his prolonged battle to avoid execution by Yohanna Madaki
.
By December 1995, Lekwot had received a state pardon.
In June 2003 he was Chairman of Giza Ventures Nigeria and a Director of Prudent bank.
Rivers State
Rivers State is one of the 36 states of Nigeria. Its capital is Port Harcourt. It is bounded on the South by the Atlantic Ocean, to the North by Imo, Abia and Anambra States, to the East by Akwa Ibom State and to the West by Bayelsa and Delta states...
, Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
from July 1975 until July 1978 during the military administrations of Generals Murtala Muhammed and Olusegun Obasanjo.
Lekwot is a Kataf, born in Kaduna State
Kaduna State
-History:The state is the successor to the old Northern Region of Nigeria, which had its capital at Kaduna. In 1967 this was split up into six states, one of which was the North-Central State, whose name was changed to Kaduna State in 1976. This was further divided in 1987, losing the area now part...
in 1944.
Military career
Lekwot entered the army on July 11, 1962, and attended the Nigerian Military Training College, KadunaKaduna
Kaduna is the state capital of Kaduna State in north-central Nigeria. The city, located on the Kaduna River, is a trade center and a major transportation hub for the surrounding agricultural areas with its rail and road junction. The population of Kaduna is at 760,084 as of the 2006 Nigerian census...
and the Indian Military Academy
Indian Military Academy
The Indian Military Academy, Dehradun is the officer training school of the Indian Army. IMA was established in 1932.-Demands for an Indian military training academy:...
, gaining his commission on 14 July 1966.
He was a company commander in the 6th Battalion when it took part in the battle that caused the fall of Bonny
Bonny
Bonny is a town and a Local Government Area in Rivers State in southeast Nigeria, on the Bight of Biafra. It was also the capital of the Kingdom of Bonny. Traditionally it was a major trading post of the eastern delta....
on 26/27 July 1967 during the Nigerian Civil War
Nigerian Civil War
The Nigerian Civil War, also known as the Nigerian-Biafran War, 6 July 1967–15 January 1970, was a political conflict caused by the attempted secession of the southeastern provinces of Nigeria as the self-proclaimed Republic of Biafra...
.
He was the Commander, 33 Infantry Brigade, Maiduguri in 1975 before he assumed the Military Governorship of Rivers State.
During his military career, Lekwot also served as Commandant of the Nigeria Defence Academy, General Officer Commanding 82 Composite Division, Nigerian Army and Ambassador/High Commissioner to the Republics of Senegal
Senegal
Senegal , officially the Republic of Senegal , is a country in western Africa. It owes its name to the Sénégal River that borders it to the east and north...
, Mauritania
Mauritania
Mauritania is a country in the Maghreb and West Africa. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean in the west, by Western Sahara in the north, by Algeria in the northeast, by Mali in the east and southeast, and by Senegal in the southwest...
, Cape Verde
Cape Verde
The Republic of Cape Verde is an island country, spanning an archipelago of 10 islands located in the central Atlantic Ocean, 570 kilometres off the coast of Western Africa...
and The Gambia
The Gambia
The Republic of The Gambia, commonly referred to as The Gambia, or Gambia , is a country in West Africa. Gambia is the smallest country on mainland Africa, surrounded by Senegal except for a short coastline on the Atlantic Ocean in the west....
.
The 2 Brigade Nigerian Army Barracks in Port Harcourt, Rivers State
Rivers State
Rivers State is one of the 36 states of Nigeria. Its capital is Port Harcourt. It is bounded on the South by the Atlantic Ocean, to the North by Imo, Abia and Anambra States, to the East by Akwa Ibom State and to the West by Bayelsa and Delta states...
was named the Zamani Lekwot cantonment in his honor. In August 2003 it was renamed the Port Harcourt Barracks.
Lekwot fell out with General Ibrahim Babangida
Ibrahim Babangida
General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida CFR DSS mni , popularly known as IBB, was a Nigerian Army officer and military ruler of Nigeria...
, and was forced to retire in 1985 after Banbangida became Chief of Staff following the military coup of 31 December 1984 that brought General Muhammadu Buhari
Muhammadu Buhari
Muhammadu Buhari was a military ruler of Nigeria and an unsuccessful candidate for president in the 2003, 2007 and 2011 presidential elections...
to power.
Later career
On 15 May 1992 violence erupted between the mainly Moslem HausaHausa people
The Hausa are one of the largest ethnic groups in West Africa. They are a Sahelian people chiefly located in northern Nigeria and southeastern Niger, but having significant numbers living in regions of Cameroon, Ghana, Cote d'Ivoire, Chad and Sudan...
and mainly Christian Kataf communities of the Zangon-Kataf Local Government Area in Kaduna State
Kaduna State
-History:The state is the successor to the old Northern Region of Nigeria, which had its capital at Kaduna. In 1967 this was split up into six states, one of which was the North-Central State, whose name was changed to Kaduna State in 1976. This was further divided in 1987, losing the area now part...
, with many deaths.
A tribunal set up by the Babangida government sentenced Lekwot and 16 others to death for alleged complicity in the killings, sentences eventually reduced to a short gaol sentence.
It was said that his sentence was due to his feud with Babangida.
He was assisted in his prolonged battle to avoid execution by Yohanna Madaki
Yohanna Madaki
Colonel Yohanna Ateyan Madaki was Governor of Gongola State and then of Benue State, Nigeria during the military regime of General Ibrahim Babangida.-Background:...
.
By December 1995, Lekwot had received a state pardon.
In June 2003 he was Chairman of Giza Ventures Nigeria and a Director of Prudent bank.