Smiling Faces and Handshakes: How Nkrumah’s close allies bid him goodbye while plotting his ousting

The 1966 coup that ousted Ghana's first president, Kwame Nkrumah, was a shocking betrayal.

In his book Dark Days in Ghana, Nkrumah recounted how close associates, seen off at the airport before his Vietnam trip, secretly plotted his downfall.

The coup, led by Colonel Kotoka and Major Afrifa, involved fabricated stories of Russian soldiers and secret tunnels.

Misled troops believed Nkrumah deserted with £8 million.

Brutal actions included the killing of Major-General Barwah and other key figures. The coup, marked by cowardice and bloodshed, drastically changed Ghana's political landscape.