[34]There was no official support for the Biafran Army by any other nation throughout the war, although arms were clandestinely acquired. From 1960 to 1961 he was at the Royal Signals Training School Catterick Camp, Yorkshire, United Kingdom. In July 1966 northern officers staged a countercoup, Aguiyi-Ironsi was assassinated, and Lieut. Within weeks the conflict had escalated into a full-scale civil war. [7] It was commanded by Brigadier Hillary Njoku[8] and later Major General Alexander Madiebo.[9]. See Madiebo page 195. Weapons and equipment used by Army and militias. Eze was recalled to field operations when the situation in the war front was becoming hopeless and propaganda alone could not win the war. [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. After he was officially pardoned by the Nigerian government, he returned in 1982, with multitudes pouring onto the streets of his home state of Anambra to welcome him. No. Beatles singer John Lennon returned his MBE in a protest over Britains foreign policy, which included Biafra and the Vietnam war. "The war was an incredible period," said 82-year-old Mrs Nwanunobi. 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. Okororie said she sold food and other household items during the war in exchange for Nigerian pounds, which she then used to buy cigarettes, potash, salt, and marijuana since Biafran currency was not recognized beyond its borders. Her most memorable assignment occurred after the Biafran military captured six Italian oil workers employed by the Nigerian government. 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. Main article:Nigerian Civil War, In 1960,Nigeriabecame independent of theUnited Kingdom. "He had this incredible sense of humour. Three of those who were involved in the secessionist campaign have been sharing their memories. Early inventory included fourWorld War IIAmerican bombers: twoB-25 Mitchells, twoB-26 Invaders(Douglas A-26) (one piloted by Zumbach),[37]a converted DouglasDC-3[38]and one Britishde Havilland Dove. The Nigerians who were pursuing us were trained soldiers We were drafted into the war, given two days' training. 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. It mainly operated in the Niger Delta and along the Niger River.[14]. Emeritus Lecturer in the Modern History of Africa, University of Oxford; Emeritus Fellow of St. Antony's College, Oxford. But survivors like Adizua are cautious about the possibility of another war. The countrys northeast bordered theBenue Hillsand mountains that lead to Cameroon. These events sparked the decision to secede, spearheaded by Ojukwu, who was then the military governor of the Eastern Region. Lambert Ihenacho, is known as a brilliant and resourceful officer in the Nigerian Army. [8] Federal projects in Biafra were also greatly reduced compared to other parts of Nigeria. They only had knives and cutlasses. Biafran conflict: A grandmother's perspective on the war. . In September 1966,approximately 30,000 Igbo were killed in the north, and some Northerners were killed in backlashes in eastern cities. On 15 January 1970, the conflict officially ended. This number grew as the war progressed, ultimately reaching 30,000. During an enemy counter attack at Umuabayi, our troops destroyed a Saladine and an Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC). He has since been released and has been rearrested and released more than five times. ", Emeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, pictured here in June 1968, was a charismatic figure, Nigerian troops seen in one of Biafra's main cities, Port Harcourt, in 1968 after fierce fighting, Hunger caused the deaths of many people during the conflict, When the war started, there was not a single weapon anywhere throughout Biafra. A last-ditch effort to save the country was made in January 1967, when the Eastern delegation, led by Lieut. Okororie says she wished she had died, too. [36], The international humanitarian organisationMdecins Sans Frontiresoriginated in response to the suffering in Biafra. 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. "I think we would have done better if we had handled it with a little bit more intelligence," said Mr Ago. [9]In 1953 a similar riot occurred inKanolater. "Everybody was forced to go home so you were forced to fraternise with your people more than any time before. During the war, the Biafran government reported that Nigeria was using hunger as a weapon to win, and sought aid from the outside world. Mr Ago left the army and went in search of his family, whom he had not heard from in more than two years. Refugees flee the fighting in July 1968. Westerners especially resented the political domination of the Northern Peoples Congress, many of whose candidates ran unopposed in the election. He was then posted to Signal Corps of the Nigerian Army. Colonel Chris Ugokwe commanded the Biafran 52 Brigade which was stationed in the Owerri sector. As a Biafran soldier, he commanded the Biafran 63 Brigade in the Owerri sector. (Recall that it was in a similar operation that Major Chukwuma Kaduna Nzeogwu died in controversial circumstances). Violence spread throughout the country and some began to flee the North and West, some toDahomey. [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". Col. Aniebo was also one of the Biafran soldiers in 1967. It was Eze that received Madiebo from Kaduna at the Ikeja Airport, Lagos at 1500 hours on the 19th of June, 1966 and drove him in his private car to see the Head of State, Major General J.T.U. Not everything captured could be brought across the river but that which was brought back included 100,000 rounds of ammunition, 50 bicycles, 3 battery charging machines, 4 wireless sets, 2 typewriters, 300 rounds of 105mm shells, 2 anti-aircraft guns and ammunition, a few weapons and fairly large quantities of food and clothing. The few trained officers had to . However, their brilliant performance helped the Biafran army in the war that lasted till 1970. MEDICAL CONSULTANTS REVEALED HOW MEN CAN NATURALLY AND PERMANENTLY CURE QUICK ERECTION, SMALL MANHOOD, AND INFERTILITY ISSUES WITHOUT SIDE EFFECTS CLICK HERE. "I had to carry the rice while starving myself, carrying it across rivers and forests until I found them," he said. [56]On 16June 2012, a Supreme Council of Elders of the Indigenous People of Biafra, another pro-Biafra organization was formed, the body is made up of some prominent persons in the Biafra region, they sued the Federal Republic of Nigeria for the right to self-determination, Debe Odumegwu Ojukwu, the eldest son of ex-President / General Ojukwu and a Lagos state-based lawyer was the lead counsel that championed the case. Nigerias new head of state, Brig. The first operation under a gallant Biafran Officer, Nweke, had troops crossing into Umuabayi from Akwete. We who are about to die, salute you. "Without us, the war would have lasted only about 30 hours," said the 85-year-old. [7] 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),[8] a converted DC-3 and one Dove. 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. This exceptionally good Biafran Battalion was under the command of Major Archibong, one of the bravest officers I ever met. By far, Eze would be remembered in history for his heroic war efforts in Biafra. Commissioned officer ranks [ edit ] The rank insignia of commissioned officers . Ojukwu who was a Lieutenant Colonel in the Nigerian Army then became the General of the Biafran army. Nnamdi Azikiwe, the President, of Igbo extraction, and the favored Western Region politicianObafemi Awolowowere not killed. His uncle, who was too old to flee town, was murdered, he says. Mrs Nwanunobi spent much of the 1970s in Canada before returning to Nigeria in 1977, where she resumed work as a secondary school teacher. CNN Sans & 2016 Cable News Network. During Nigeria's civil war, he was a young officer in the Biafran army. . The separatist group has led multiple protests across eastern parts of the country calling for a separate homeland for Biafrans. 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. While the Igbo people of the current Nigerian state ofDeltawere not included in Biafra as per Ojukwus decree founding Biafra, Igbos in Delta (Anioma) did fight on the Biafran side. Police and Army units from Kaduna had to be brought in to restore order. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). It was during one of Okorories trips to the market that her brothers house was bombed. The Nigerian government declared war and after 30 months of fighting, Biafra surrendered. 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. [65]A report byAmnesty Internationalbetween August2015 and August2016, at least 150 pro-Biafran activists overall were killed by Nigerian security forces, with 60 people shot in a period of two days in connection with events marking Biafran Remembrance Day. I told them I wont work in Lagos, so they posted me to Oji River [in Enugu].. And they were glad that he had turned up with food. [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. We were not. Fighting broke out in early July. [5], At the peak of Biafran military power, the Biafran Army was made of 5 divisions; numbered 11th, 12th, 13th (later renumbered 15th), 14th and 101st. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. I was bringing salt to Oguta, she recalled, and selling weed.. We intend to stay on and make the supreme sacrifice. [13] In his personal writings from his travels, a Rev. 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. But now I know that heroes fight like Biafrans. These aircraft flew missions until January 1970 manned by Portuguese ex-military pilots. The point of no return was reached in January 1966, when, after the collapse of order in the west following the fraudulent election of October 1965, a group of army officers attempted to overthrow the federal government, and Balewa and two of the regional premiers were murdered. They were coloured green, were able to carry six 68mm anti-armour rockets under each wing using simple sights. He was a physics lecturer at UNN when the civil war began. When the university was reopened a few months after the war ended, Mr Ago returned to UNN, eventually graduating with a degree in plant and soil science. Its inhabitants were mostlyIgbo, who led the independence movement due to economic, ethnic, cultural and religious tensions among the various peoples of Nigeria. The blockade against Biafra made essential commodities scarce, forcing women to make the treacherous two-day journey on foot to Afia Attack, a trading post behind enemy lines in Midwestern Nigeria. The southern population is predominantlyChristian, being primarily made up of territory of the indigenousYorubaand Biafra kingdoms in the West and East respectively. In February 1956, he joined the Officer Cadet Training at R.O.S.T.S., Teshie, Accra, Ghana till September 1956. "The Nigerians who were pursuing us were trained soldiers. Europeans served in the Biafran cause; German-bornRolf Steinerwas a lieutenant colonel assigned to the 4thCommando Brigade and WelshmanTaffy Williamsserved as a Major until the very end of the conflict. He was one of the few Nigerian Military Officers of his time like Yakubu Gowon (who later became Head of State) and Alexander Madiebo (who later became the General Officer Commanding (G.O.C.) Initially, Eze was Commander of 52 Brigade of Biafran Army with its headquarters in Calabar and responsible for the defence of the 75 miles of coastline between Ikang on the Cameroun boarder. The predominant language of Biafra wasIgbo. This number grew as the war progressed, ultimately reaching 30,000. Ojukwu, the son of a wealthy businessman, studied history at Oxford University. 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. . Omissions? [36], The Biafrans managed to set up a small yet effective air force. Because of this, the Biafrans manufactured many of their weapons locally. 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. [57], MASSOB leader Chief Ralph Uwazuruike establishedRadio Biafrain theUnited Kingdomin 2009, withNnamdi Kanuas his radio director; later Kanu was said to have been dismissed from MASSOB because of accusations of supporting violence. "Biafra would have been a technological nation and would have been able to compete with anybody," he said, anger in his voice. [20][21][22], In July1966, northern officers and army units staged a counter-coup. [52], On 29 May 2000, the Lagos Guardian newspaper reported that the now ex-president Olusegun Obasanjo commuted to the retirement of the dismissal of all military persons, soldiers and officers, who fought for the breakaway Republic of Biafra during Nigerias 19671970 civil war. The surrender was facilitated by the Biafran Vice President and Chief of General Staff, Major General Philip Effiong, who assumed leadership of the Republic of Biafra after the original President, Colonel Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, fled to Ivory Coast. Wounded Biafran soldiers are transported across a river in June 1968. Video, The secret mine that hid the Nazis' stolen treasure, Explosion derails train in Russian border region, Banana artwork in Seoul museum eaten by visitor, Trump says 'great to be home' on visit to Scotland, NFL player's daughter, aged two, drowns in pool, JP Morgan snaps up troubled US bank First Republic, Father tells how gunman opened fire on Texas home, Indian 'killer' elephant relocated to tiger reserve. [33]A second decree, Decree No. Please help before it is too late. And he had the distinction of having held out against all odds for 15 months in the face of furious onslaughts by federal troops. [19]In January1966, the situation reached a breaking point. 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. Mr Ago looked forward to these visits, and joined the crowd who gathered at the university's Freedom Square. After being given formal military training in both Ghana and the United Kingdom, Kalu was short service commissioned a Second Lieutenant in November 1959. There were other new entrants in Biafra like Lieutenant Achike Udenwa (who later became governor of Imo state). In 1968, Swedish pilot Carl Gustaf von Rosen suggested the MiniCOIN project to General Ojukwu. "When the war started, there was not a single weapon either in a store or anywhere throughout Biafra. Jubilant Biafran soldiers celebrate on top of a destroyed Nigerian army armored personnel carrier. 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 commander of the army,General Aguiyi Ironsiseized power to maintain order. Professor Okere is a member of the . [62][63]Self-determination is not a crime in Nigerian law. The next day, two federal army officers were publicly executed for killing four Igbo civilians in Benin. [1], At the beginning of the Nigerian Civil War, Biafra had 3,000 soldiers. Manage all your favorite fandoms in one place! It was headquartered in Kidney Island,Port Harcourt, and commanded by Winifred Anuku. Check your inbox to be the first to know the hottest news. The Biafran War began in July 1966, and ended in 1970 after more than a million people had been killed, mostly from starvation. While the UK backed Nigeria, France was the most prominent supporter of Biafra. Those killed included Ahmadu Bello, a revered leader in the north. Situation in this sector is definitely out of hand if not hopeless. The Military ranks of Biafra were the military insignia used by the Biafran Armed Forces between 1967 and 1970, when Biafra was defeated in the Nigerian Civil War. May Ezes soul rest in peace. Prior to Kalu's celebrated career as an officer in the Biafran Army, he had been serving in the Nigerian Army since 1958. Colonel Odumegwu Ojukwu Inspecting Newly Recruited Officers Into The Biafran Army The Nigerian civil war otherwise known as the Biafra war in 1967, broke out as a result of the decision of the Igbos to break out of Nigeria. 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. Initially, Eze was Commander of 52 Brigade of Biafran Army with its headquarters in Calabar and responsible for the defence of the 75 miles of coastline between Ikang on the Cameroun boarder and Opobo on the Imo river basin. People search the rubble following a bombing raid in Owerri in 1969. As a Biafran Army is was a Major and he commanded Biafran 11th division,11 battalion and Biafran S division respectively. Biafran soldiers advance towards a Nigerian army position in June 1968. Colonel Chukwuemeka Ojukwu, the military governor of Eastern Nigeria during the Ironsi regime, became the Head of State of the Republic of Biafra and began establishing the infrastructure of a sovereign nation, including the minting of currency and establishing diplomatic relations with other nations. [13], Biafra had a small improvised navy, but it never gained the success of the air force. A Warner Bros. [2] Following independence, Nigeria was demarcated primarily along ethnic lines:HausaandFulanimajority in the north,Yorubamajority in the West, andIgbomajority in the East.[16]. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Nigerian-civil-war. He did not run for the presidency in 1979, and Nigeria shifted to civilian rule, thus closing the era of military control during and around the Nigerian Civil War. People from Biafra gather during a worldwide demonstration organised by the Indigenous People of Biafra in 2014, federal governments policy of giving 20 pounds. Two Fouga Magister and several Gloster Meteor were bought but never arrived to Biafra, being abandoned on foreign African airbases. Gen. Yakubu Gowon, right, welcomes UN Secretary-General U Thant, left, as he arrives in Lagos to hold talks about the refugee crisis in the aftermath of the Biafran conflict on January 19, 1970. In the aftermath of the war, the Nigerian government did not want to impose any form of collective punishment. Nigerians in the capital city of Lagos cheer the surrender of the Biafran forces on January 12, 1970. 2. Ogbugo Kalu. These aircraft flew missions until January 1970 manned by Portuguese ex-military pilots. Evelyn Okororie was a trader in Port Harcourt, southeast Nigeria before the civil war broke out. After Nigeria announced its currency would no longer be legal tender (to make way for a new currency), this effort increased. At the beginning of the Nigerian Civil War, Biafra had 3,000 soldiers. . He retired as a Lt Col in the Nigerian Army around 1985 and later became chairman of the National Population Commission, Abuja. Ogbugo Kalu, who died in February, 2004 was a former army officer who served in both the Nigerian Army and Biafran Army. Ojukwu himself remained in exile for 13 years. Nigerians in Lagos react to news of the Biafrian surrender following the announcement of a ceasefire on January 12, 1970. The currency of Biafra had been the Nigerian pound until the Bank of Biafra started printing out its own notes, the Biafran pound. 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. She sold her items to both residents and Biafran soldiers. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. [32]The bank was administered by a governor and four directors; the first governor, who signed on bank notes, wasSylvester Ugoh. Causes included battlefield deaths, ethnic cleansing, and starvation. Man under fire after sharing photo of his kitchen on Twitter, people react. [60][61]On 23December 2015, Kanu was detained and charged with charges that amounting to treason against the Nigerian state. Learn how and when to remove this template message, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Military_ranks_of_Biafra&oldid=1141070577, Articles lacking sources from February 2021, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 23 February 2023, at 05:38. Prince Obuka) and Ebuta Ogar Takon respectively, the Organisation also have a Chief of Staff who is a native of the Bakassi Peninsula, BNYL have also recorded a security clamp down in Bakassi Peninsula when soldiers of Operations Delta Safe apprehended Princewill in Ikang-Cameroon border area on 9November 2016 during an attempt to mobilise a protest in support of Kanus release, he was again rearrested by Nigeria Police Force in the same area on 16January 2018 along with 20 of their supporters. He joined the Biafran army and was assigned to the signal unit, whose responsibilities included "active intelligence and eavesdropping on the Nigerian military". The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. In conclusion, it is people like Eze that provided the sterling leadership for Biafran troops to perform extra-ordinary human feats that made the French Deputy, Ambassador Raymond Offroy to declare on a visit to Biafra, Before I came to Biafra, I was told that Biafrans fought like heroes. Nigerian Civil War, also called Nigerian-Biafran War, war between Nigeria 's federal government and the secessionist state Biafra that lasted from 1967 to 1970. 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 . Nigeria gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1960. These include but are not limited to Madiebo, Eze and Captain August Okpe, the only one of them in the Biafran Airforce (BAF) who in 2010 published a major book on the air-war between Nigeria and Biafra titled, Biafra: The Last Flight. This was because troops of 62 Brigade who were to clear the right half of the town, were yet to arrive. They undertook this dangerous task without carrying weapons. From: 56 Brigade. 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. After the war, bank accounts owned by Biafrans were seized and a Nigerian panel resolved to give every Igbo person with an account only 20 pounds. A military administration was set up under Maj. Gen. Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi, but his plan to abolish the regions and impose a unitary government met with anti-Igbo riots in the north. Three major rivers flow from Biafra into the Gulf of Guinea: theImo River, theCross Riverand theNiger River.[30]. A young officer orders an attack during the Biafra conflict in Nigeria in 1969. The secret mine that hid the Nazis' stolen treasure. In the months preceding the war, Ojukwu often visited UNN, the only university in south-eastern Nigeria at the time, to meet with students and prepare them for secession. January 1966 - Nigerian government overthrown in what was seen as an "Igbo coup" led by junior army officers, January 1966 - Lt Col Odumegwu-Ojukwu appointed military governor of Eastern Region, July 1966 - Second coup masterminded by Murtala Muhammed, Lt Col Yakubu Gowon becomes head of state, June to October 1966 - Riots in northern Nigeria targeted at Igbos, killing many and forcing up to a million to return to south-eastern Nigeria, May 1967 - Ojukwu declares independence of the Republic of Biafra, October 1967 - Biafran capital Enugu falls, May 1968 - Nigeria captures oil-rich Port Harcourt, April 1969 - Umuahia, new Biafran capital falls to Nigerian forces. Most of the coup plotters were Igbo. Col. (later Gen.) Odumegwu Ojukwu, agreed to meet the others on neutral ground at Aburi, Ghana. A decade later in 1964 and during the Western political crisis[18]divided the Western Region asLadoke Akintolaclashed withObafemi Awolowo.

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