![]() New gate of Murtala Square under construction on August 2021 | |
Former name(s) | Kaduna Race Course |
---|---|
Namesake | Murtala Ramat Muhammed |
Maintained by | Kaduna State |
Location | Kaduna, Kaduna State, Nigeria |
North | Race Course Road |
East | Race Course Road |
South | Muhammadu Buhari Way (Waff Road) |
West | Independence Way |
Construction | |
Completion | c. 1950 |
Murtala Muhammed Square is a public square in the City of Kaduna, Kaduna State, Nigeria formerly known as the Kaduna Race Course. Its renamed in honour of the then military Head of State Murtala Ramat Muhammed. [1] [2]
It include several recreational and sporting facilities which people from around the metropolis go to do physical fitness activities, such as gymnasiums, indoor sport hall, football fields, hockey pitch, etc.
The Square is also the venue of the Kaduna Polo Club ground, Kaduna State Ministry of Youth, Sport and Culture, Umaru Musa Yaradua Indoor Sport Hall among others.
International, national and local celebrations have been taken place in the Square since it inception, annual and occasional celebrations like Kaduna Grand Durbar, Kaduna Centenary Celebrations, Nigeria's Independence Day, May Day, Inauguration Ceremony of Governors, Army Day, Human Rights Day etc. [3]
Murtala Ramat Muhammed was a Nigerian general who led the 1966 Nigerian counter-coup in overthrowing the Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi military regime and featured prominently during the Nigerian Civil War and thereafter ruled over Nigeria from 29 July 1975 until his assassination on 13 February 1976. This period in Nigerian history, from the Northern counter-coup victory to Murtala's death, is commonly associated with the institutionalization of the military in politics.
Kaduna is the capital city of Kaduna State, and the former political capital of Northern Nigeria. It is located in north-western Nigeria, on the Kaduna River. It is a trade centre and a major transportation hub as the gateway to northern states of Nigeria, with its rail and important road network.
Aero Contractors Company of Nigeria Limited, known as Aero Contractors or simply Aero, is a state-controlled Nigerian airline company based at Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Ikeja, Lagos State, Nigeria. Furthermore, it operates helicopter services and fixed wing domestic and international scheduled passenger services, air charter and third party aircraft operations, largely in support of Nigeria's extensive oil and gas industry.
Kaduna State is a state in the northwest geopolitical zone of Nigeria. The state capital is its namesake, the city of Kaduna which happened to be the 8th largest city in the country as at 2006. Created in 1967 as North-Central State, which also encompassed the modern Katsina State, Kaduna State achieved its current borders in 1987. The fourth largest and third most populous state in the country, Kaduna State is nicknamed the Centre of Learning, owing to the presence of numerous educational institutions of importance within the state such as Ahmadu Bello University.
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Lieutenant Akintunde Akinsehinwa was the aide-de-camp to Murtala Ramat Muhammed, the military ruler of Nigeria from 1975 to 1976. He was killed alongside his boss during the february 1976 coup.
Barewa College is a college in Zaria, Kaduna State, northern Nigeria. Founded in 1921 by British Governor General Hugh Clifford, it was originally known as Katsina College. It switched its name to Kaduna College in 1938 and to Government College, Zaria in 1949 before settling on Barewa College. It is one of the largest boarding schools in Northern Nigeria and was the most-celebrated post-primary schools there up to the early 1960s. The school is known for the large number of elites from the region who attended and counts among its alumni include Tafawa Balewa who was Prime Minister of Nigeria from 1960 to 1966, four heads of state of Nigeria.
The 1966 Nigerian counter-coup, or the so-called "July Rematch", was the second of many military coups in Nigeria. It was masterminded by Lt. Colonel Murtala Muhammed and many northern military officers. The coup began as a mutiny at roughly midnight on 28 July 1966 and was a reaction to the killings of Northern politicians and Officers by some soldiers on 15 January 1966. The July mutiny/counter coup resulted in the murder of Nigeria's first military Head of State General Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi and Lt Colonel Adekunle Fajuyi in Ibadan by disgruntled northern non-commissioned officers (NCOs). Upon the termination of Ironsi's government, Lt. Colonel Yakubu Gowon was appointed Head of State by the July 1966 coup conspirators.
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Kaduna North, often referred to as the pioneer local government, is a Local Government Area in Kaduna State, Nigeria. It is the capital of Kaduna State and its headquarters are in the town of Doka. Postal code:800282,800283,80212. It has an area of 70.2 km2.
Ibrahim Taiwo was a Military Governor of Kwara State from July 1975 to February 1976 during the military regime of General Murtala Mohammed. He assisted in establishment of the University of Ilorin, which was founded by decree August, 1975.
Zamani Lekwot in Jankasa, is a retired Nigerian Army major general who served as the military governor of Rivers State, Nigeria from July 1975 to July 1978 during the military administration of Generals Murtala Muhammed and Olusegun Obasanjo. Lekwot is an Atyap, born in Kaduna State in 1944.
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Muktar Muhammed was the military governor of Kaduna State, Nigeria from July 1978 to October 1979 during the military regime of General Olusegun Obasanjo. Wing commander Muktar Muhammed played an active role in the coup that brought General Murtala Mohammed to power, and was appointed to the new Supreme Military Council on 30 July 1975. He was appointed governor of Kaduna State in 1977, in which position he was promoted to Group Captain. He retired from the Service of the Nigerian Air Force at the rank of Air Vice Marshal (AVM).
Azman Air Services Limited is a Nigerian based domestic airline company. Established in 2010 by businessman Abdulmunaf Yunusa Sarina, the airline operates scheduled domestic passenger services with its main base in Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano.
Kaduna International Polo Club is one of the oldest polo club in Nigeria. It is located in Kaduna state at the Murtala Ramat Mohammed Square.
Aisha Ahmad Suleiman born is a Northern Nigerian female polo player, photographer, and entrepreneur. She is from Kogi state. She was born and brought up in Kaduna state, Nigeria. Aisha is one of the very few black female polo players in the world and the only female polo player from the Northern Nigeria at the moment. She plays for the Kaduna Polo Club.
The 2019 Kaduna State gubernatorial election occurred on March 9, 2019. APC candidate Nasir Ahmad el-Rufai defeated main opposition party PDP's candidate, Isah Ashiru, to emerge winner of the contest. APC was said to have won 14 LGAs, PDP nine.
HafsatuAjoke Muhammed is a Nigerian conservationist and the fourth First Lady of Nigeria. She is the widow of Murtala Ramat Muhammed who was Nigerian Head of State from 29 July 1975 to 13 February 1976.