Rambai muchinyora ndima iyi - Murtala akaberekerwa muKano, mumhuri yechitendero chevatongi, akashanda muuto reNigeria semudzidzi wechikoro kuRoyal Military Academy, Sandhurst. Akazoshumira muCongo; pakupedzisira akakwira kusvika pakuva brigadier general muna 1971, aine makore 33, achiva mumwe wevakuru vechidiki muNigeria. Makore matatu gare gare Murtala akava Federal Commissioner for Communications muLagos. Somunhu anochengetedza uye federalist, Murtala akazvidemba kukundwa kweRepublic Republic uye kugamuchirwa kweAguiyi Ironsi's unification decree ya1966. Akaparadzwa nokupondwa kwaSir Ahmadu Bello, uye kwenguva yakati akanyatsofunga nezvekubuda kweNorth Nigeria. Basa rake rakapetwa kaviri mushure mekunge Chukwuma Kaduna Nzeogwu nevakuru vechidiki vakaronga coup yekutanga yemauto muNigeria muna 1966 coup
kumupa simba rokutungamirira kupandukira usiku hwaJuly 29, 1966 muAbeokuta. Murtala akambofungidzirwa kwenguva pfupi seMukuru Mukuru pamberi pekugadzwa kwaYakubu Gowon. Akanga ariwo murongi wechiito chokupandukira muna July 1966, icho sezviri pachena, chakaparira Hondo yevagari vomuNigeria.