Tuhia he haere tonu mo tenei whitianga - I whanau mai i Kano, i roto i te whanau whakapono o te akomanga rangatira, i mahi a Murtala ki te Ope Taua o Nigeria hei kaiako i te Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst. I muri mai ka mahi ia ki Congo
I te mutunga ka eke ki te taumata hei rangatira rangatira i te tau 1971, i te 33 o ona tau, ka noho ko ia tetahi o nga rangatira taitamariki i Nigeria. E toru tau i muri mai ka riro a Murtala hei Komihana Federal mo nga Whakawhitiwhiti korero i Lagos. Hei kaitiaki me te federalist, i pouri a Murtala i te whakakorenga o te Republic Tuatahi me te whakaputanga o te ture whakakotahitanga a Aguiyi Ironsi o te tau 1966. I whakangaromia ia e te kohurutanga o Sir Ahmadu Bello, a, mo tetahi wa i whakaarohia e ia te wehenga o te Raki o Nigeria. Ko tana mahi i piki ake i muri o Chukwuma Kaduna Nzeogwu me nga taiohi taiohi i whakahaere i te mahi hoia tuatahi i Nigeria o te tau 1966 i whakawhiwhia ai ia ki te arahi i te tutu o te po o te 29 o Hurae 1966 i Abeokuta. I whakaarohia a Murtala hei Kaiwhakahaere Matua i mua i te whakatuunga o Yakubu Gowon. I whakahaeretia hoki e ia te raupatu i te Hurae 1966, i kitea ai, i whakaoho i te Pakanga o Nigeria.