50 Years After : Bullet-riddled Mercedes Limo In Which Murtala Muhammed Was Assassinated

Today, Friday 13th February marked 50 years since General Murtala Mohammed was fatally shot in his Mercedes-Benz 230.6 (W114) limousine during a failed coup d’ètat attempt led by Bukar Suka Dimka.

During his brief seven months stint as Nigerian Head of State, the 36 year old General hardly traveled in a heavily guarded convoy, a loop hole that will later lead to his successful elimination by Dimka-led coupist.

“He was a very good man… That was why he was shuttling from Ikoyi without pilot cars, motorbike outriders, armed military and security bodyguards among others. He only rode in the official Mercedes Benz car with two flags the national flag on the left and the armed forces flag on the right,” the late General’s orderly, Master Warrant Officer Michael Otuwe (rtd), said in an interview with Daily Trusts.

Murtala’s black unarmored Mercedes-Benz 230.6 (W114) limousine was reportedly ambushed by the coupist while en route to his office at Dodan Barracks, Lagos on 13 February 1976.

As noted by his Wiki handle, “the only visible sign of protection was a pistol carried by his orderly, making his assassination an easy task.”

The bullet-riddled car in which Murtala was fatally shot in is currently displayed at the National Museum, Lagos where it attracts over 2000 tourists monthly.

According to reports, the well-maintained 4-door Mercedes-Benz limousine has over 20 bullet holes, some of which can be seen in these photos captured by a tourist.

Murtala’s assassination obviously led to a total rethink that all presidential state cars must be bulletproof. His immediate predecessor, Olusegun Obasanjo, upto the present president, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, now use armored official vehicles.

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