Rubuta ci gaba don wannan sakin layi - An haife shi a Kano, a cikin dangin addini mai mulki, Murtala ya yi aiki a rundunar sojojin Najeriya a matsayin ɗan takara a Kwalejin Soja ta Royal, Sandhurst. Daga baya ya yi aiki a Congo
; daga baya ya hau kan mukamai ya zama brigadier janar a 1971, yana da shekaru 33, ya zama ɗaya daga cikin ƙaramin janar a Najeriya. Shekaru uku bayan haka Murtala ya zama Kwamishinan Sadarwa na Tarayya a Legas. A matsayinsa na mai ra'ayin mazan jiya da na tarayya, Murtala ya yi nadama game da kifar da Jamhuriyar Farko da kuma fitar da dokar hadewar Aguiyi Ironsi ta 1966. Ya yi matukar damuwa da kisan Sir Ahmadu Bello, kuma na wani lokaci ya yi la'akari da rabuwa da Arewacin Najeriya. Aikinsa ya ninka bayan Chukwuma Kaduna Nzeogwu da matasa majors sun shirya juyin mulkin soja na farko a Najeriya na 1966 juyin mulkin da ya ba shi ikon jagorantar tawayen daren 29 ga Yuli 1966 a Abeokuta. An yi la'akari da Murtala a matsayin Babban Kwamandan kafin nadin Yakubu Gowon. Ya kuma shirya juyin mulki a watan Yulin 1966, wanda a bayyane yake, ya haifar da yakin basasar Najeriya.