John Mark Inienger was a Nigeria

Nigeria

Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...

n soldier who served as Governor of Bendel State between 1985 and 1987, during the military administration of General Ibrahim Babangida

Ibrahim Babangida

General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida CFR DSS mni , popularly known as IBB, was a Nigerian Army officer and military ruler of Nigeria...

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Background

John Mark Inienger was born on 16 April 1945 at Mbaduku, Vandeikya

Vandeikya

Vandeikya is a local government area in Nigeria.Vandeikya Local Government Council is located between latitude 7°5' and 7°15' north of the Equator and Longitude 9° and 9°6' east of Greenwich...

 local government area of Benue State

Benue State

Benue is a state in the Middle-Belt region of Nigeria with a population of about 2.8 million in 1991. Tiv, Idoma, and Igede are spoken predominantly. There are other ethnic groups as well. These include Etulo and Abakwa...

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His father was Tiv

Tiv

Tiv are an ethno-linguistic group or ethnic nation in West Africa. They constitute approximately 2.5% of Nigeria's total population, and number over 5.6 million individuals throughout Nigeria and Cameroon. The Tiv are the 4th largest ethnic group in Nigeria. Tiv language is spoken by about 6...

 from Mbaduku, and his mother was from Bebuabung in the Cross River State

Cross River State

Cross River State is a coastal state in southeastern Nigeria, bordering Cameroon to the east. Its capital is at Calabar, and it is named for the Cross River , which passes through the state...

 town of Obudu

Obudu

Obudu is a Local Government Area in Cross River State, Nigeria, a hotspot in Nigeria's tourism.The area features a tourist resort, the Obudu Cattle Ranch, which also hosts an annual race in the hilly surroundings – the Obudu Ranch International Mountain Race.The town of Obudu is downstream from the...

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He was educated at the Mkar Primary School, Nigerian Military School

Nigerian Military School

The history of the Nigerian Military School Zaria dates back to 1954 when the Boys-Company of Nigeria was established under the auspices of Nigerian Regiment Training centre of the Royal West African Frontier Force . The school was established along with three others in the British Colonial West...

, Zaria

Zaria

Zaria may refer to:*Zaria, a city in Kaduna State, Nigeria*Zaria , or Zoria, the Slavic goddess of beauty*Countess Zaria of Orange-Nassau, Jonkvrouwe van Amsberg, a member of the Dutch royal family...

; Nigerian Army School of Electrical and Mechanical Engineering, Lagos

Lagos

Lagos is a port and the most populous conurbation in Nigeria. With a population of 7,937,932, it is currently the third most populous city in Africa after Cairo and Kinshasa, and currently estimated to be the second fastest growing city in Africa...

; Nigerian Defence Academy

Nigerian Defence Academy

The Nigerian Defence Academy at Kaduna is the only Military University in Nigeria.The NDA was established in January 1964 as a reformation of the British run Royal Military Forces Training College , which had been renamed the Nigerian Military Training College on independence...

, Kaduna

Kaduna

Kaduna is the state capital of Kaduna State in north-central Nigeria. The city, located on the Kaduna River, is a trade center and a major transportation hub for the surrounding agricultural areas with its rail and road junction. The population of Kaduna is at 760,084 as of the 2006 Nigerian census...

 and the Canadian Land Force Command and Staff College

Canadian Land Force Command and Staff College

The Canadian Army Command and Staff College , formerly the Canadian Land Force Command and Staff College, is a school for officers of the Canadian Forces, specializing in staff and army operations courses...

, Kingston, Ontario

Kingston, Ontario

Kingston, Ontario is a Canadian city located in Eastern Ontario where the St. Lawrence River flows out of Lake Ontario. Originally a First Nations settlement called "Katarowki," , growing European exploration in the 17th Century made it an important trading post...

, Canada

Canada

Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

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Military career

John Mark Inienger was in charge of the 29 Infantry Battalion (1968–1969), Battalion Commander of the 82 Infantry Battalion (1970–1973), Instructor at the Nigerian Army School of Infantry (1975–1976) and Battalion Commander of the 31 Infantry (1976–1977).
He was Battalion Commander of the Nigerian Battalion to Lebanon (1980–1981) and Commander of the 4 Mechanised Brigade (1984–1985).

In August 1985 General Ibrahim Babangida became the military ruler of Nigeria after a coup against Muhammadu Buhari

Muhammadu Buhari

Muhammadu Buhari was a military ruler of Nigeria and an unsuccessful candidate for president in the 2003, 2007 and 2011 presidential elections...

. Lt, Colonel John Inienger was instrumental in the coup, and was rewarded by being appointed Military Governor of Bendel State, a position he held until December 1987.

Later posts were Commander of the Brigade of Guards at Nigerian Army Headquarters, Lagos (1988–1989) and ECOMOG Field Commander in Liberia

Liberia

Liberia , officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Sierra Leone on the west, Guinea on the north and Côte d'Ivoire on the east. Liberia's coastline is composed of mostly mangrove forests while the more sparsely populated inland consists of forests that open...

 (1993–1996).
During his period as ECOMOG commander during the First Liberian Civil War, conditions were chaotic as warlords sought to capture sufficient territory to be rewarded after the eventual peace. Inienger was quoted as saying "There was an orchestrated campaign of calumny against ECOMOG to discredit it, its neutrality, and impartiality... ECOMOG was being described as an army of occupation".
By April 1996 his troops were hard pressed to maintain control in the capital, Monrovia

Monrovia

Monrovia is the capital city of the West African nation of Liberia. Located on the Atlantic Coast at Cape Mesurado, it lies geographically within Montserrado County, but is administered separately...

, against militiamen engaged in looting.
Major-General John Mark Inienger returned from Liberia in 1996 and was appointed Commandant, Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Jaji

Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Jaji

The Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Jaji is a training facility for the Nigerian Armed Forces, including the army, air force and navy. It is near the village of Jaji, Nigeria, about 35 km northeast of Kaduna in the Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State, Nigeria.-History:The Army...

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Retirement

In May 1999, the military handed over to the civilian government headed by Olusegun Obasanjo. Within a month, the new government ordered that all officers who had served in the military government for more than six months must retire.
John Mark Inienger was among 100 officers affected by this decision.
He died on 8 February 2002 while travelling by car from Jos

Jos

Jos is a city in the Middle Belt of Nigeria.The city has a population of about 1.5 million residents. Popularly called "J-town" or "Jesus Our Saviour" by the residents, it is the administrative capital of Plateau State....

 to Makurdi

Makurdi

Makurdi is the capital of Benue State in Nigeria. The city is located in central Nigeria along the Benue river bank and was the base for the Nigerian Air Force's MiG 21 and SEPECAT Jaguar aircraft squadrons...

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