Naijatrue National Hero of the week - General Yakubu "Jack" Dan-Yumma Gowon

The national heroes of Nigeria are well known for their significant contribution in their relative field. Their hard work along with their able leadership skills found way into millions of Nigerian hearts. Some of the popular national heroes of Nigeria have also achieved great heights of success in the international arena.
For this week, our heroes of the past is General Yakubu "Jack" Dan-Yumma Gowon

Born in October 19, 1934, Yakubu belonged to the Ngas tribe from Lur, a small hamlet, situated in Kanke Local Government Area of Plateau State of the country. His early days were spent in Zaria, a prominent city of Nigeria since his parents were involved in various missionary works in that city. Yakubu also had his earlier education there and later graduated from the University of Warwick in U.K. In 1954, he joined the Nigerian army and subsequently graduated to the post of Second Lieutenant on October 19th in 1955. During the political and military instability of the country, General Yakubu played a great role which is undeniable. He was the Head of the Federal Military Government of Nigeria, August 1st 1966 to July 29th 1975. His role as the foreign minister of Nigeria from 1966 to 1967 has been widely appreciated from all quarters of Nigerian society. On July 25th 1975, when he was attending an O.A.U summit meeting in Kampala, a group of military officers led by Brigadier Murtala Mohammed attempted a military coup and he was forced to live in exile in U.K. Yakubu later returned to his own country at the insistence of President Shehu Shagari.