The final Biafran collapse began on December 24, 1969, when federal troops launched a significant offensive. If he had slowed down and allowed some people who were with him to advise him properly, we would have come out better than we did.". The ex-general died on Friday. On March 15, 1968, senior Biafran officers gathered under a tree at Afor Igwe market ,Ogidi. If any meeting lasted more than two hours, he wouldn't be party to it.". They undertook this dangerous task without carrying weapons. Soon the Biafran first Battalion of 58 Brigade was astride Uyo road and the second Battalion had swept through Ibibio Estate College into Ikot Ekpene town. "That is what makes me sad. She lost three children in the war. Police and Army units from Kaduna had to be brought in to restore order. Thereafter he was posted to Congo from February 1961 to August 1961 and was Commander of Nigerian Army Signal from 1964 to 1966. This he did from January 1957 to December 1958 when he was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the Nigerian Army. Because of this, the Biafrans manufactured many of their weapons locally. In Nigeria and its surrounding region, long-standing regional stressesethnic competitiveness, educational inequality, and economic imbalance being the most prominentagain came to the fore in a controversial census during 196263. Opinion: Why young Africans need to know their history. The commander of the army,General Aguiyi Ironsiseized power to maintain order. By way of background information, let me add that Government College, Umuahia by 1966 had produced thirteen mid-level and Senior Officers in the Nigerian Armed Forces. [50]MASSOB accuses Nigeria of marginalising Biafran people. Ojukwu who was a Lieutenant Colonel in the Nigerian Army then became the General of the Biafran army. One united Nigeria is better.. [60][61]On 23December 2015, Kanu was detained and charged with charges that amounting to treason against the Nigerian state. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. Muslim officers named a General from a small ethnic group (the Angas) in central Nigeria, GeneralYakubu Jack Gowon, as the head of the Federal Military Government (FMG). Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo, became head of the government. So, the propaganda of sabotage was sustained against Eze and others in order not to demoralize the civilian populace. It is probably for this reason that the war is barely mentioned. Man under fire after sharing photo of his kitchen on Twitter, people react. The bomb fell on my older brothers house, Okororie said of the missile that missed its target, an adjacent military encampment. 2023 BBC. This led to months of massacres against the Igbo living in the north. In July 1966 northern officers staged a countercoup, Aguiyi-Ironsi was assassinated, and Lieut. May Ezes soul rest in peace. The two columns were led by Colonel Shuwa and mostly northern officers. Nigeria reabsorbed Biafra at the end of the war, in a no victor, no vanquished, policy, which some Igbos believe has led to near-collective amnesia of the civil war in the country. [64], According to the South-East Based Coalition of Human Rights Organizations, security forces under the directive of the federal government have killed 80members of the Indigenous People of Biafra and their supporters between 30August 2015 and 9February 2016 in arenewed clampdownon the campaign. During Nigeria's civil war, he was a young officer in the Biafran army. "I had to carry the rice while starving myself, carrying it across rivers and forests until I found them," he said. He plotted the successful offensive to clear Ikot Ekpene of Nigerian Forces. The government has nothing to gain by reminding Nigerians that secession happened before and can be attempted again. Lambert Ihenacho, is known as a brilliant and resourceful officer in the Nigerian Army. [6], The Biafrans set up a small, yet effective air force. Read about our approach to external linking. Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu died in the United Kingdom, according to Nigeria's president. The Nigerian Civil War, also known as the Biafran War, July 6, 1967 - January 13, . Increasing cries of marginalisation have led in recent years to the emergence of Igbo groups agitating once again for secession, particularly the Indigenous People of Biafra (Ipob), formed by UK-based British-Nigerian Nnamdi Kanu. The Biafran Navy was made up of captured craft, converted tugs, and armored civilian vessels armed with machine guns, or captured 6-pounder guns. Finally, members of Biafran National Guard, (BNG), were mostly comprised of United States Citizens, prior military Veterans, who had once sworn to protect and defend the United States of America, (meaning that we prior Military Veterans, and professional retired law enforcement officers had already volunteered to fight for any cause involving . Military of the former Nigerian secessionist state, Weapons and equipment used by Army and militias, "The Last Adventurer" by Steiner, Rolf (Boston:, Little, Brown 1978), "We are taking over Biafran territories starting from Anambra on May 30 BNG claims", "The Douglas A/B-26 Invader - Biafran Invaders", "All-Time Aircraft Used Listing | Biafran Air Force", Ships of the Royal Navy: The Complete Record of all Fighting Ships of the Royal Navy, "The military rifle cartridges of Nigeria", Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB), https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Biafran_Armed_Forces&oldid=1140260283, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles with unsourced statements from May 2020, Articles with unsourced statements from May 2019, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 19 February 2023, at 07:08. The apparent domination of the political system by the North, and the chaos breaking out across the country, motivated elements within the military to consider decisive action. Its inhabitants were mostlyIgbo, who led the independence movement due to economic, ethnic, cultural and religious tensions among the various peoples of Nigeria. Senate President: Why my vote is for Orji Kalu. 2023 Cable News Network. [9], Biafra had a small improvised navy, but it never gained the success of the air force. "The war was an incredible period," said 82-year-old Mrs Nwanunobi. After being given formal military training in both Ghana and the United Kingdom, Kalu was short service commissioned a Second Lieutenant in November 1959. 19-06-2014 Interview. The southern population is predominantlyChristian, being primarily made up of territory of the indigenousYorubaand Biafra kingdoms in the West and East respectively. The next day, two federal army officers were publicly executed for killing four Igbo civilians in Benin. Abubakar Tafawa Balewa was its first federal prime ministerhe had held that position since 1957and Nnamdi Azikiwe became its president of the Senate, which was a largely ceremonial role. Okororie recalls that she and her seven children had taken refuge in Oguta, a lakeside town near a local airport, which served as Biafras major supply line for arms and relief materials from international charities. [4] Mdecins Sans Frontires also originated in response to the suffering. He died in November 2011 and was given a full military burial in a ceremony attended by then Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan, some other African leaders and members of the diplomatic corps. Biafra over the years has represented the nationalist aspirations of the Igbo people whose leadership felt they could no longer co-exist with the Northern-dominated federal government. The scientist's wartime accomplishments had caught the attention of the Nigerian authorities and he was invited by the government to pioneer a special science and technology programme for the country. He was detained by Ojukwu until the end of the war following the fall of Uyo in 1968. Though he was much older than me, as a fellow Old Boy of Government College Umuahia, I knew him fairly well and interacted very closely with him in 2007 when he was to be honoured by the Lagos Branch of the Association at its Annual Dinner of which I was the chairman of the Dinner Committee under the presidency of C.N.C. End of the Nigerian civil war with Biafra. [42]During the crisis,Frenchmedical volunteers, in addition to Biafran health workers and hospitals, were subjected to attacks by the Nigerian army and witnessed civilians being murdered and starved by the blockading forces. Nwawo is the most senior officer in the entire people's army of Biafra, , he is also one of the most distinguished and highly decorated military officers in the country who died at 92 years of age. Nnamdi Azikiwe, the President, of Igbo extraction, and the favored Western Region politicianObafemi Awolowowere not killed. In early 1968 the Biafran army captured the city of Owerri at the Capture of Owerri. Now in her 80s, Okororie is one of the millions of civilians who lived in what was then Biafra a secessionist state carved out from Nigerias southeast in 1967. Biafran conflict: A grandmother's perspective on the war. The . He collected his portion from an allocation of raw rice to his unit, then set off towards the village of a relative, where he suspected his parents and siblings would be holed up. Here are list of Nigerian soldiers that pulled out to support Ojukwu's breakaway. Biafras declaration of independence from Nigeria resulted in a civil war between Biafra and Nigeria. It mainly operated in the Niger Delta and along the Niger River.[10]. Being from the eastern part of the country, Adizua says the soldiers on the Nigerian side questioned his flatmates, suspicious he was providing information to Biafran soldiers in the east. In the latter stages, a Southern FMG offensive managed to break through the fierce resistance.[23]. [33]A second decree, Decree No. The RAP's most notable product was the "ogbunigwe", a weapons launcher of remarkable and devastating effect which influenced the outcome of many battles in Biafra's favour, according to historical reports. Four days later, Ojukwu unilaterally declared the independence of the Republic of Biafra, citing the Easterners killed in the post-coup violence as reasons for the declaration of independence. [41], Biafra also had a small improvised navy, but it never gained the success that their air force did. A newspaper article describes the event: At Jos in 1945, a sudden and savage attack by Northerners took the Easterners completely by surprise, and before the situation could be brought under control, the bodies of Eastern women, men, and children littered the streets and their property worth thousands of pounds reduced to shambles[17], Three hundred Igbo people died in the Jos riot. In 1974 Gowon postponed until 1976 the target date for a return to civilian rule, but he was overthrown in July 1975 and fled to Great Britain. The four most senior officers of Northern origin were also killed. Biafran Air Force commanders were Chude Sokey and later Godwin Ezeilo,[10] who had trained with the Royal Canadian Air Force. appreciated. The Republic of Biafra had come to an end. By early 1969, Biafra had assembled five MFI-9Bs in Gabon, calling them "Biafra Babies". This resulted in a group of Igbo junior army officers, led by Major Chukwuma Kaduna Nzeogwu and Major Emmanuel Ifeajuna, attempt a coup d'tat on January 15, 1966. . Photo by Chika Oduah. Prior to being a Biafran Army in May, 1967, Achuzie had been a soldier in the Nigerian Army. [68][69][70]Many reports has it that BNYL is linked to the Southern Cameroons separatists, although the group confirms this, it denies involvements in violent activities in the region. The Capture of Owerri gave the Biafrans hope for their cause. Check your inbox to be the first to know the hottest news. These events sparked the decision to secede, spearheaded by Ojukwu, who was then the military governor of the Eastern Region. After returning to Nigeria, the federal government reneged on the agreement and unilaterally declared the creation of several new states including some that gerrymandered the Igbos in Biafra. Along other commands held, Kalu was made commander of the Biafran 14th division with a strict orders in a letter written to him by Odumegwu Ojukwu. Dr. Toyin Falola is an African historian and the Jacob and Frances Sanger Mossiker Chair Professor in the Humanities and a Distinguished Teaching Professor at the University of Texas at Austin. The findings are in line with the developmental origin of health and disease hypothesis suggesting that malnutrition in early life is a predisposing factor for cardiovascular diseases and diabetes later in life. Author of. After running into unexpected resistance and facing many casualties, the right Nigerian column advanced to Nsukka, which was captured on the 14th of July. Charles W. Thomas defined the locations of islands in the Bight of Biafra as between the parallels of longitude 5 and 9 East and latitude 4 North and 2 South. The countrys northeast bordered theBenue Hillsand mountains that lead to Cameroon. [a] Biafra received aid from non-state actors, including Joint Church Aid, Holy Ghost Fathers of Ireland,[2] and under their direction Caritas International,[3] and U.S. Catholic Relief Services. For most Nigerians, the war over the breakaway state of Biafra is generally regarded as an unfortunate episode best forgotten, but for the Igbo people who fought for secession, it remains a life-defining event. Powered & Managed by Portia Web Solution. The Biafran Navy was made up of captured craft, converted tugs, and armored civilian vessels armed with machine guns, or captured 6-pounder guns. After his release in 1967, he was asked to go into battle on the side of the Biafrans where he was promoted to the rank of a Biafran Lt.colonel but he got killed in an ambush. His death was confirmed by his. My mother died with three of my children, two boys, and a girl, she told CNN. Leader of Biafra breakaway state dies Now in her 80s, Okororie is one of the millions of civilians who lived in what was then Biafra - a secessionist state carved out from Nigeria's southeast in. [27] Biafra was ill-equipped for war, with fewer army personnel and less equipment than the Nigerian military, but had advantages over the Nigerian state as they were fighting in their homeland and had the support of most Biafrans. Discovery Company. And he had the distinction of having held out against all odds for 15 months in the face of furious onslaughts by federal troops. I wont subscribe to war today, because I saw war, he said. By far, Eze would be remembered in history for his heroic war efforts in Biafra. Eze was recalled to field operations when the situation in the war front was becoming hopeless and propaganda alone could not win the war. Ojukwu says in the letter: "Your role in the . "Without us, the war would have lasted only about 30 hours," said the 85-year-old. Her worry lifted when she learned that her boss had escaped in his private jet, and was granted asylum by Ivory Coast, a francophone country. I told them I wont work in Lagos, so they posted me to Oji River [in Enugu].. [2] No official support for the Biafran Army came from any other nation, although arms were clandestinely acquired. NEPA gave me back my job, said Adizua, adding that the national electricity company also paid his full salary for the years he was away. [58][59]The Nigerian Government, through its broadcasting regulators, the Broadcasting Organisation of Nigerian and Nigerian Communications Commission, has sought to clamp down on Radio Biafra with limited success. Ojukwu fled to Cte dIvoire on January 11, 1970, and a Biafran deputation formally surrendered in Lagos four days later. On 26 May the Eastern Region voted to secede from Nigeria. Major-General Hassan Umaru, a Nigerian Army officer, said that the army "would like to send an unequivocal warning to all those threatening and agitating for the dismemberment of the country . Nigerians in Lagos react to news of the Biafrian surrender following the announcement of a ceasefire on January 12, 1970. 0 likes, 0 comments - GOGAN TV (@gogantv) on Instagram: "The Indigenous People of Biafra has denied the claims by the Nigerian military that they invaded ." Needless to say that never happened. Situation in this sector is definitely out of hand if not hopeless. "He had this incredible sense of humour. [11] Its early inventory included two B-25 Mitchells, two B-26 Invaders, (one piloted by Polish World War II ace Jan Zumbach, known also as John Brown),[12] a converted DC-3 and one Dove. The rank insignia of commissioned officers. Though peaceful, the protesters have been routinely attacked by the Nigerian police and army, with large numbers of people reportedly killed. People search the rubble following a bombing raid in Owerri in 1969. A soldier in the ruins of the Onitsha market after it was gutted during fighting in the city on July 16, 1968. He was then posted to Signal Corps of the Nigerian Army. 2, Coscharis Street, Kirikiri industrial Layout, Apapa, Lagos. "Biafra would have been a technological nation and would have been able to compete with anybody," he said, anger in his voice. Former Nigerian Army Officer and Chief of Staff of the defunct Biafran Army, Alexander Madiebo, is dead. I looked for death but I couldnt find it.. [4], In course of the insurgency in Southeastern Nigeria of 2021, a separatist group known as "Biafran National Guard" (BNG) organized the "Biafran Supreme Military Council of Administration". [54][55], The Nigerian federal government accuses MASSOB of violence; MASSOBs leader, Ralph Uwazuruike, was arrested in 2005 and was detained on treason charges. However,Englishwas used as theofficial language. Estimates of the number of people who died during the Nigerian Civil War vary significantly, from 500,000 to 3,000,000. Now 50 years since the end of the war, some are still clamoring for the return of the republic. Colonel Chris Ugokwe commanded the Biafran 52 Brigade which was stationed in the Owerri sector. Did you encounter any technical issues? It was carried out by the 61 Brigade under Major Okeke. [13], Biafra had a small improvised navy, but it never gained the success of the air force. While the UK backed Nigeria, France was the most prominent supporter of Biafra. She says they walked all day and survived only on achara, a vegetable similar to a leek, until they got to their destination. Despite his breakaway action, Ojukwu was accorded the highest military accolade and a funeral parade in Abuja. Biafra was formally recognised by Gabon, Haiti, Ivory Coast, Tanzania, and Zambia. He attended Government College Umuahia from 1949 to 1955 and was in Nile and Simpson houses respectively. "I was worried that he would come to harm," she said softly. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). The Nigerian Civil War (1967- 1970), was an ethnic and political conflict caused by the attempted secession of the South-eastern provinces of Nigeria as the self-proclaimed republic of Biafra. Impacts vary with the age of exposure. Nigeria's main reason for going to war was to counter the secession of the Eastern Region (Biafra) from the Republic of Nigeria. As we ponder the suggestion to set up "regional armies", there are lessons from that campaign that need emphasis if we are to learn from history and avoid repeating its mistakes. [48]MASSOB says it is a peaceful group and advertises a 25stage plan to achieve its goal peacefully. As a Biafran soldier, he commanded the Biafran 63 Brigade in the Owerri sector. A few days later, she left the country for the Biafran office in Paris. He promised to consider the matter, and the Italians were subsequently released. Lt Col. Ojukwu inspects Biafran troops on June 11, 1968. It mainly operated in theNiger River deltaand along theNiger River. In 1967, following two coups and turmoil which led to about a million Igbos returning to the south-east of Nigeria, the Republic of Biafra seceded with 33-year-old military officer Emeka Odumegwu. Okororie says she abandoned her clothing business in Port-Harcourt city, where she resided before the start of the war and fled with her seven children to Oguta as Nigerian soldiers advanced on the city in the Biafran territory. Ogbugo Kalu. . In January 1966, some senior Nigerian army officers, mostly of the Igbo ethnic group, assassinated key politicians during a coup in the West African state. The government's policy of "no victor, no vanquished" may have led to a lack of official reflection, but many Nigerians of Igbo origin grew up on stories from people who lived through the war. The federal government, dominated by Northern Nigeria, allowed the crisis to unfold with the intention of declaring a state of emergency and placing the Western Region under martial law. [23], In January1967, the military leaders Gowon,Chukwuemeka Ojukwuand senior police officials of each region met inAburi, Ghana and agreed on a less centralized union of regions. Okororie wasnt affected by the monetary policy as she had taken out all her money from the bank at the start of the war and, thus, had Nigerian pounds to convert to the new Nigerian currency, the naira. At the beginning of the Nigerian Civil War, Biafra had 3,000 soldiers. Oguta town served as Biafra's major supply line for arms and relief material during the war. He is a J.E. [32]The bank was administered by a governor and four directors; the first governor, who signed on bank notes, wasSylvester Ugoh. . Nigerians in the capital city of Lagos cheer the surrender of the Biafran forces on January 12, 1970. In 1945 an ethnic riot[17]flared up inJosin which Hausa-Fulani people targeted Igbo people and left many dead and wounded. These were people who were doing all sorts of things and the war forced them out of their positions.". Be the first to get hottest news from our Editor-in-Chief, Check your email and confirm your subscription. The civil war in Oguta and other areas in Biafra was life-changing. A young officer orders an attack during the Biafra conflict in Nigeria in 1969. He commanded the Biafran 58 Brigade at Uyo. The shortage of experienced officers was a major problem for the Biafran Army, made worse by a climate of paranoia and suspicion within as Ojukwu believed that other former Federal officers were plotting against him. But fearing for his safety, he decided not to return to his former location. In August 1967 Biafran troops crossed the Niger, seized Benin City, and were well on their way to Lagos before they were checked at Ore, a small town in Western state (now Ondo state). The Nigerian Civil War, also known as the Biafran War or the Nigerian-Biafran War, broke out between the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the secessionist state of Biafra from July 6 1967 to January 15 1970. In July 1966 northern officers and army units staged a coup. They were coloured green, were able to carry six 68mm anti-armour rockets under each wing using simple sights. Westerners especially resented the political domination of the Northern Peoples Congress, many of whose candidates ran unopposed in the election. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. A last-ditch effort to save the country was made in January 1967, when the Eastern delegation, led by Lieut. Nigerian troops enter Port Harcourt after taking it from Biafrian forces in 1968. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. "The war gave the opportunity to reject the colonial design.". Its primary responsibility was to provide technological support to the Biafran army, which was poorly equipped. "Even the Vatican sent representatives.".
