An haifi Murtala Muhammad ne a cikin garin Kano a ranar 8 ga watan Nuwanban shekara ta alif 1938 dake Arewacin Najeriya (a jihar Kano),yayi makarantar sane a makarantar da ake kira Royal Military Academy Sandhurst dake Kwalejin Barewa. Murtala Muhammad yana da yan uwa wanda ya hada da Balarabe Ramlat Yakubu, Murtala Muhammad ya kasan ce yana jin yaruka biyu zuwa uku wanda suka kunshi ko suka hada da Hausa,Turanci da kuma Yaren pidgins na Najeriya. Murtala Muhammad yana da Sana'a daya zuwa biyu Wanda ya hada da Soja ne kuma dan Siyasa ne a fannin Soja Murtala Muhammad ya kasan ce sojan kasa ne shi, Murtala Muhammad yakai mukamin Janar a cikin gidan sojan kasa. Addini, Murtala Muhammad ya kasan ce Bahaushe ne kuma Musulmi ne Murtala Muhammad ya kasan ce shugaba na kowa dake cikin kasar Najeriya wanda baya nuna bamban ci a tsakanin yare ko Addini ga duk mutanan kasar Najeriya hakan yasa ko Soja baya dashi me kula ko ace me take masa baya hakan yaba yan kudu dama suka hada Kai da Buka Suka Dinga binshi har masallaci bayan ya idar da sallah da kuma addu'o in sa yana fitowa ya halbe shi da bindiga a hanyar shi ta komawa gida.