The July 1966 counter-coup in Nigeria, also known as the "July Rematch," was a military uprising led by Lt. Colonel Murtala Muhammed and northern officers. Starting as a mutiny on July 28, it was a reaction to the January 1966 coup, resulting in the assassination of General Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi and Lt. Colonel Adekunle Fajuyi in Ibadan. Lt. Colonel Yakubu Gowon emerged as Head of State, marking a shift in power amid ethnic tensions.