Jan. 1966 coup
Nzeogwu’s mentor, Col Nwawo, spills the beans
By JOSFYN UBA
Monday, September 20, 2010



Lt-Col Conrad Nwawo (rtd), 78, was a mentor to the late Major Kaduna Nzeogwu, leader of Nigeria’s first military coup which occurred on January 15, 1966. The Nigerian civil war veteran also taught the young Nzeogwu at the military school. But for Nwawo’s intervention, who was then, Defence Attache at the Nigerian High Commission, London, UK, the 1966 coup would have degenerated into an immediate civil war. He, alone could stop the “unstoppable Nzeogwu.”

During the civil war, his name meant different things to different people, depending on which side of the divide you were. To some, it evoked bravery and courage, while for others, it signaled imminent danger. Recently, at his Onicha Olona, Aniocha North Local Government, Delta State, residence, the former warlord took Daily Sun down memory lane. He spoke on his relationship with Nzeogwu and the previous battles he fought before the Nigerian civil war. Excerpts:

When did you join the military?
I joined the Nigerian Army on December 1, 1950. It was then called the West African Frontier Force. I was commissioned on May 28, 1954, at Ettenhall, UK, as a second Lieutenant. I would later become number 10 in the Nigerian Army. During the crisis of 1966, in the four major regions, there was a shake-up in the Armed Forces.

Where were you during the first coup?
By January 1966, I was the military attaché and Defence aAviser in London. I had to fly back to Nigeria because of the situation then and I had to come from Lagos to Kaduna.

Why did it have to be you that were called back?
I had to be called back because I was a very senior military officer. I was a Lieutenant Colonel and I happened to be from the same region with Major Nzeogwu. Apart from that, I was also Nzeogwu’s teacher in Military School and we had a very good relationship. So, that relationship had to be tapped to get Nzeogwu convinced to follow me to Lagos. No other person could have taken Nzeogwu to Lagos except me because he regarded me so much. He was just like a son to me.

If Nzeogwu had no respect for any other person, he had very high regards for me and respected me so much. On that day in Kaduna, I addressed the officers and told them of my mission which was to go with Nzeogwu to Lagos. The address was cordial and the parade was good. He was more like my own son and so he had no problem as he too, briefly told the officers that he was going to Lagos.

Could you recall what happened between Kaduna and Lagos?
At the time of Ahmadu Bello’s encounter, during the shoot-out, so many things happened. Nzeogwu was injured. He had shrapnels on his hands and was taken to the Military Hospital, Kaduna. He was treated by one young lady, Miss Alice Mordi, who later became Mrs. Alice Onogwu. She is from around my place here. She hails from Ukala in Delta State. She is married to an Ogwashi Uku man.

What kind of person was Major Nzeogwu?
He was a patriot and a nationalist to the core. He wanted the best for Nigeria. He was so much like a son to me. We had a very close relationship

Before the Nigerian civil war, did you fight any other war?
Yes, I was in the Congo. It was in 1963 in the Congo, so Congo experience had come before the Nigeria civil war. Nigerian Army was then known as the Queens Own Regiment. When the queen came to Nigeria in 1956, it had to be changed to Queen’s Own Nigeria Regiment. Until Nigeria became a republic, it was still the Queens Own Nigeria Regiment.

From the Congo operations, the Queen of England gave us an award, the MC which means the Military Cross. The award was given to just the two of us. I and Adekunle Fajuyi were the only Nigerian military officers to be so honoured in the history of the Nigerian Army. We were the only two. It was a professional award given by the queen then. By the time I got the award, the Nigerian Army was still known as Queen’s Own Nigeria Regiment.

What was your relationship with the late Adekunle Fajuyi?
He was a junior officer to me. Adekunle Fajuyi was killed on the same day when they killed Major-General Johnson Thomas Aguyi-Ironsi.

Can you remember one striking experience in the Congo operations?
The Congo United Nations operations were brought about by the fact that they were not organized to do things so the Nigerian Army was left to do that. Other Commonwealth countries were there. And of course, we were very efficient. We knew our job. I was a Major. I was a Company Commander in the Congo. It was not as a result of a company action. It was a lot of individual action.

Could you recall your parents’ reaction when you were going to the military?
My father was not very happy at all. I remember that day. It was on a Saturday. I was ready to go to the NMTC, military school. I was very happy. I had come from Lagos, working my way through the military. It was not an easy matter at all. They had to get to the divisional officer in Benin City to find out about my parentage. That was in those days. I knew that was happening but I couldn’t care less because I knew that nothing would happen. They just wanted to know whether we were from a fighting stock. You know what it means, then.

How old were you when you joined the Army?
I was in my early 20s because I had finished secondary education and gone to the School of Agriculture, Moore plantation, Ibadan. I graduated in December 1946 and started working as a civil servant before I went to the Cameroon.

What happened and how did you move from the Nigerian Army to Biafra Army?
The thing came and swept all of us. It was at the 4th Area Command in Benin City, then. Emeka Odimegwu-Ojukwu was very keen to have me in particular. It was a question of loyalty. One had to be careful about it. I was very loyal to the Nigerian Army. Whatever happened, I couldn’t care less. I was in the Nigerian Army until things started happening.

At that time, though, I had travelled out of the country and had not returned when things began to happen. When I returned, I came from London through Cameroon, Daula to Enugu. I travelled from London to Daula to Enugu.

At Umuahia, where you were said to have been caught off in ambush, although, you still pulled through, what gave you the courage to fight the way you did at that time?
The courage was because I was the Commander and a Commander is a courageous man anytime. I had a strike force at Umuahia and we were caught off. Then, we got there and bulldozed with my group across the federal forces. When we had succeeded in clearing them, and we were coming back across a river, I told my men that I would not step into the river or walk across it.

I told them to lift me over and above the river which they did, of course. The idea was that I wanted to see the picture of that particular portion so about 10 men had to carry me over the river. That was an incident that has remained memorable. It was an experience for about two days in the bush with the federal forces before we cleared them.

Was there any other striking experience?
As the Commander of the 4th Area Command, when we had taken off our defensive positions, which was why I was sent to Onitsha to take over the defensive there, along the River Niger. Having deployed all available men there, I observed that the troops had fought there but they were not quite organized and not very reliable too.

We had to push in some strength by visiting them, redeploying men. At that point, I was moved in there to hold them and to try and organize them because those we met were not so reliable.
Sometimes, when I went through the bridge now, and on the left, I remember things. When I saw the river, I remember Abagana and the incidents leading to it and all of that. I remember Achuzia and Madiebo when we deployed at Abagana.

I also remember one very striking incident at Itikwukpo junction when Achuzia had told all the other soldiers to go back to their places as he didn’t want the senior people to be behind him. Just as they were preparing to move after telling them, and in less than 10 minutes, they started bombing. One of the bombs fell just on where we were standing. Madiebo was wounded with some shrapnels. I also had a small one at the back. We were all rushed to Iyienu Hospital. So these are some of experiences that I try to recall.

Did you have a specific position in the Biafran High Command?
Of course, yes. I was the head of the strike command.

What is the name of the strike division that you had?
It was called the 11 Division. That was the command that moved from Onitsha. There was another one, the 13 Division. Then, there was the Commando Group which was the final one. We had people like Emeka Ananaba.

Can you remember any major decision you took that either helped or influenced Ojukwu during those hey days to accomplish what you people had aimed at?
I can’t remember now, I can’t remember. Unless, I have to go through my memoirs, I can’t remember now.

What was your relationship with Ojukwu?
Ojukwu had great respect for me throughout the Biafran war and I knew that. He showed me a great measure of respect. And he was always saying it that he had great hope in my capability. That was quite understandable. He knew that I was there with my whole being. And there was no question about that. He always said it

I don't see the beans anywhere. Where is it

So the election is brining out all these Nigerian civil war story? Or do we just like to type/post the same thing every year

I love reading about these stories.

Beans,Akara,rice,akamu. . . .all na the same shiot.so max expect us to believe this even when it's coming from a third party. obj knew Yaradua would not survive his sickness,yet,he forced him to be president.abeg,it's normal thing to paint your students white even when they are black.

Seems Nigeria's 50th independence anniversary is jogging people's memories,

The only beans I see being spilled is the fact that this old man just admitted that he was a traitor, who fought against his motherland and violated the constitution he swore to uphold as an officer of the Nigerian Army. Oh, more beans I see being spilled is the fact that a self-professed saboteur was not court-martialled and punished accordingly. Just imagine if the Ibos were the Victors (and he was Hausa or Yourba), would he be here boasting about being a "Strike Commando" in the rag-tag Army?

maxsiollun:

Jan. 1966 coup
Nzeogwu’s mentor, Col Nwawo, spills the beans
By JOSFYN UBA
Monday, September 20, 2010



What happened and how did you move from the Nigerian Army to Biafra Army?[/b]
The thing came and swept all of us. It was at the 4th Area Command in Benin City, then. Emeka Odimegwu-Ojukwu was very keen to have me in particular. It was a question of loyalty. One had to be careful about it. I was very loyal to the Nigerian Army. Whatever happened, I couldn’t care less. I was in the Nigerian Army until things started happening.

At that time, though, I had travelled out of the country and had not returned when things began to happen. When I returned, I came from London through Cameroon, Daula to Enugu. I travelled from London to Daula to Enugu.
[b]

This guy is either evading heavily or is senile. I think he knows what he did though but doesn't want to admit it because he knows it was spineless. This guy basically betrayed the trust of the simple minded and weak Ejoor and Gowon and made fools of them. Which is no big deal, but the only reason the Midwest even WAS neutral and not reinforced  by Northern and Middle Belt troops was the faith that Ejoor placed in his mostly Igbo officers (like Nwawo) and many of the Igbo soldiers and his overtures to convince Gowon of the region's ability to maintain its neutrality. Otherwise the Midwest invasion, with its resulting temporary alienation of the Igbos from the non-Igbos, and the animosity that those Igbos had to bear would never have happened. But basically, he was only even ABLE to switch sides because the weak and miscalculating Ejoor trusted him and others and Gowon respected Ejoor's decision to control his region (against the advise of some military hawks, who would have used it as a base to corner Biafra).

maxsiollun:

Seems Nigeria's 50th independence anniversary is jogging people's memories,

And that is what makes the genuineness of their motives questionable.why is everybody coming out many years later to re-write history as if they have been payed to make such spurious claims.Where were they all these while ?

bk.babe97y:

The only beans I see being spilled is the fact that this old man just admitted that he was a traitor, who fought against his motherland and violated the constitution he swore to uphold an officer of the Nigerian Army. Oh, more beans I see being spilled is the fact that a self-professed saboteur was not court-martialled and punished accordingly. Just imagine if the Ibos were the Victors (and he was Hausa or Yourba), would he be here boasting about being a "Strike Commando" in the rag-tag Army?

Did you notice how he cleverly evaded the question about when he switched from a Nigerian soldier to a Biafran!!

"Things started happening" he said. Like what?

Aigbofa:


Did you notice how he cleverly evaded the question about when he switched from a Nigerian soldier to a Biafran!!

"Things started happening" he said. Like what?

he has to go read his "memoirs" to remember. funny enough, he remembers intricate details about the ambushes he escaped.

Aigbofa:


Did you notice how he cleverly evaded the question about when he switched from a Nigerian soldier to a Biafran!!

"Things started happening" he said. Like what?

I guess that was when the war was gathering momentum. . .funny enough that would have amounted to high treason which is punishable by death.betrayal

What is wrong in An Igbo joining forces with his kins to fight against their enemies?.
@the three tribalist posting crap here. You will never attain Nwawo's age with all this your bigotry.

Andre Uweh:

What is wrong in An Igbo joining forces with his kins to fight against their enemies?.
@the three tribalist posting crap here. You will never attain Nwawo's age with all this your bigotry.

I do not really pray to live long to be worthless. . .all i do pray is to make an impact even if i'm to live for a day.so you can take back your curses.

~Bluetooth:

I do not really pray to live long to be worthless. . .all i do pray is to make an impact even if i'm to live for a day.so you can take back your curses.

Then, let the tribalists live the man alone.

Andre Uweh:

Then, let the tribalists live the man alone.

I just hate it when a man can't be bold enough for many years until a time when the country decides to celebrate her 50 years anniversary,then suddenly,we started hearing fake information every now and then about things that happened back then and properly recorded.

maxsiollun:

Seems Nigeria's 50th independence anniversary is jogging people's memories,

Max also expressed the same opinion cuz lies can't change history.

Please do not get Max involved in this instance because he is not a tribalist. The tribalists here know themselves.

I'm not dragging him into anything,i only intimate you of his view or is max a god that i can't make reference to ?

~Bluetooth:

I'm not dragging him into anything,i only intimate you of his view or is max a god that i can't make reference to ?

Anyway, Nwawo is an Igboma and fought in defence of his kins. He does not regret it. So you guys should let him be. Almost all the Igbo in Delta fought on Biafran side e.g Okwechime, Achuzia, Anuku etc.

Andre Uweh:

Anyway, Nwawo is an Igboma and fought in defence of his kins. He does not regret it. So you guys should let him be. Almost all the Igbo in Delta fought on Biafran side e.g Okwechime, Achuzia, Anuku etc.

good for them to have chosen biafra against nigeria,it only shows further complicity in the whole biafra conspiracy.they should let biafra history die,that's all.

~Bluetooth:

good for them to have chosen biafra against nigeria,it only shows further complicity in the whole biafra conspiracy.they should let biafra history die,that's all.

We should let "Biafra" history die but let the "annulment" history live abi?

chyz:

We should let "Biafra" history die but let the "annulment" history live abi?

Two different missions entirely.biafra was a suicide mission while june 12 was about democracy.war is one thing i dread so much.

~Bluetooth:

Two different missions entirely.biafra was a suicide mission while june 12 was about democracy.war is one thing i dread so much.

The "suicide" mission is left for the Igbos to worry about. It's not hurting your people because obviously we are the ones who committed "suicide" so if anything us speaking about should be hurting us.So dont worry about it,let us continue to hurt ourselves. .But we must tell our story. Biafra was not about war but secession.Secession as nothing to do with war;however, war was brought to them. We the north was seceding on the call i believe of Danjuma, Ojukwu said if they want to go, then go. They did not because of a promise given to them by Britain and the US.

As far as June 12 goes. It was not about democracy, it was about power, money, and influence. Abiola had ties to the military, which he was the funded 2 coups, he was also involved in the back-drop of Liberia with president Doe.He was a businessman that did a lot of evil things and towards the end it was revealed that he was a tribalist. Long story short he was One Of Them i.e. the Elites, not a regular citizen as most NLers.

Maybe you can explain to me why Biafra wasnt about democracy and June 12 was?

chyz:

The "suicide" mission is left for the Igbos to worry about. It's not hurting your people because obviously we are the ones who committed "suicide" so if anything us speaking about should be hurting us.So dont worry about it,let us continue to hurt ourselves. .But we must tell our story. Biafra was not about war but secession.Secession as nothing to do with war;however, war was brought to them. We the north was seceding on the call i believe of Danjuma, Ojukwu said if they want to go, then go. They did not because of a promise given to them by Britain and the US.

As far as June 12 goes. It was not about democracy, it was about power, money, and influence. Abiola had ties to the military, which he was the funded 2 coups, he was also involved in the back-drop of Liberia with president Doe.He was a businessman that did a lot of evil things and towards the end it was revealed that he was a tribalist. Long story short he was One Of Them i.e. the Elites, not a regular citizen as most NLers.

Maybe you can explain to me why Biafra wasnt about democracy and June 12 was?

Have you ever seen a peaceful secession before ? If no, then,the agents of secession should have known that such crusade would definitely result to war which it actually did.

~Bluetooth:

Have you ever seen a peaceful secession before ? If no, then,the agents of secession should have known that such crusade would definitely result to war which it actually did.

If Im not mistaking thers been a couple. So i guess then i t is ok to let the aggressor oppress you. Remember awolowo said "If the East is allowed to secede then the West will secede too". Obviously he knew that nigeria was a chaotic place otherwise we would have said, let the igbos go We the rest of nigeria, which includes the West, North, and some of the midwest, will stay together and enjoy our happy nation.But it didnt happen. Northern troops occupied Yorubaland, awolowo said that they should leave his land but they refused. The whole oduduwa republic started waaaaaayyyy before the OPC. Yorubas wanted their own state just like the Northerners wanted at one time, along with the Igbos. So you cannot be mad at the Biafrans for wanting secession because your people along with others wanted it too.

@ Bluetooth,

You wonder why the Biafra issue will not die out Perharps the conditions prevalent in the 60s which led to the war has still not been addressed because people like you want to completely erase it and move on right?

shotster50:

@ Bluetooth,

You wonder why the Biafra issue will not die out Perharps the conditions prevalent in the 60s which led to the war has still not been addressed because people like you want to completely erase it and move on right?

Maybe you Ibos should apologize for breaking the mold! If ur blood thirsty tribesmen did not start killing every non-Ibo on Jan'15, 1966. there would have been no reason for the Hausas to seek Ibo heads as war trophy; Nigeria would not have been this terrible had ur greedy kinsmen kept their thieving/trigger happy fingers to themselves!

chyz:


As far as June 12 goes. It was not about democracy, it was about power, money, and influence. Abiola had ties to the military, which he was the funded 2 coups, he was also involved in the back-drop of Liberia with president Doe.He was a businessman that did a lot of evil things and towards the end it was revealed that he was a tribalist. Long story short he was One Of Them i.e. the Elites, not a regular citizen as most NLers.

The day you Ibos decide to face the truth instead of feeling the Yourbas are ur mortal enemies thats the day yall salvation will come.

The day, u speak the truth, instead of twisting it just cause a Yoruba is the main character, will be the day yall will see the light.

Until then, be satisfied being 3rd class citizens in ur own country. Mixed priorities. Psycho aszz niggaz!

bk.babe97y:

The day you Ibos decide to face the truth instead of feeling the Yourbas are your mortal enemies thats the day yall salvation will come.

The day, u speak the truth, instead of twisting it just cause a Yoruba is the main character, will be the day yall will see the light.

Until then, be satisfied being 3rd class citizens in your own country. Mixed priorities. Psycho aszz niggaz!

Get my cock off your mind.its for you moms.

chyz:

Get my cock off your mind.its for you moms.

Ah. . . . . the usual Ibo rhetoric "Once he cant get his way with lies, he turns vile"! It was expected (ur vulgarity); only u did it a little later than usual! lol.

bk.babe97y:

Ah. . . . . the usual Ibo rhetoric "Once he cant get his way with lies, he turns vile"! It was expected (your vulgarity); only u did it a little later than usual! lol.

Peace out