In 1956, Katsina joined the Nigerian Army. As the military was still under colonial control, he trained at the Mons Officer Cadet School and the prestigious Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst. Following independence, Katsina rose through the ranks of the military. He was viewed as a prominent and senior Northern military officer, with links to the ruling class.
Further information: 1966 Nigerian coup d'état Katsina stepped into a new position that was in need of strong leadership to calm nerves as a result of the military coup and the death of prominent regional political leaders.
Administration
His government chose to carry on with the progress attained by Ahmadu Bello and brought aboard senior civil servants in the region who possessed administrative attributes that could continue with the progress. Key figures in his government included Ibrahim Dasuki; who later became Sultan of Sokoto, Ali Akilu; who later played a prominent role in the creation of states in Nigeria, and Sunday Awoniyi. His administration also saw the rise of the Kaduna Mafia, a new class of young Northern intellectuals, civil servants, and military officers. During his brief period of leadership, he led the Interim Common Services Agency, an agency which undertook the task of sharing the collective resources of the region in a new decentralized political and economic system of governance. Katsina, also revitalized political linkage with the emirates as a support base for his new administration; and was close to re-introducing the old Native Administrative structures of the colonial system, where emirs played a major role.
Further information: Anti-Igbo sentiment and 1966 anti-Igbo pogrom Katsina's government saw anti-Igbo sentiment intensify, resulting in the 1966 anti-Igbo pogrom, during which several cities were engulfed in a series of violent killings in reaction to the coup which resulted in the death of Ahmadu Bello and the introduction of the unitarysystem of government. Many Northerners feared these developments were part of a conspiracy to create an Igbo-dominated nation state.
Further information: Nigerian Civil War In 1968, General Katsina was appointed Chief of Army Staff. In this position, he led the war effort by doubling the size of troops, blockade of supplies to Biafra, and utilised air support from the United Arab Republic. In 1970, he witnessed the unconditional surrender of Biafra to Nigeria.
Following the 1975 Nigerian coup d'état, General Katsina was retired from the military as the most senior experienced military officer at the time. After his retirement, he rejected several government appointments. General Katsina was respected within the military class as he led the promotion of several young officers who later led the Nigerian military juntas of 1966–79 and 1983–98. He was later involved in the formation of political organisations such as the National Party of Nigeria and the Committee of Concerned Citizens. He was also the president of the Nigerian Polo Association, of which his father Emir Usman Nagago was life president; and pioneer of polo in Nigeria. General Katsina died on 24 July 1995 in Kaduna.
