Crofton:
Some of Ojukwu's conditions seek direct interference with the "Western Nigeria" political sovereignty.

It's still much better and less threatening than the Hausa-fulani domination though .

The North and South are almost equally populated, but by a significant proportion the South has an upper hand in education, infrastructure and economy.

Therefore I see no reason for Hausa-fulani domination but disunity .

If we unite temporarily, we can force a disintegration after which we go our separate ways as three sovereign neighbouring countries .

The "Divide and Rule" tactics is definitely one of the most efficient method of maintaining power .

gartamanta:
Many people dont know who Brigadier General Hillary Njoku is but he was the first GOC of the Biafran Army until he fell out with Ojukwu and was replaced by General Madiebo. After the war ended, Njoku wrote a book called "Tragedy without heroes" in which he wrote about his military career and time as commander of the Biafran Army. He also attached to his book the appointment letter Ojukwu wrote to late Victor Banjo giving him control of Biafran forces to liberate Western Nigeria from the North. The explosive letter is below:

My dear Victor

(1) For sometime now, you and I have been discussing the circumstances Which have led to the current and inevitable disintegration of what was the Federation of Nigeria. We have been fully convinced that the aim of the Hausa/Fulani complex has ever been, and will ever remain the total domination of every other part of what was known as the Federation of Nigeria. It is impossible to forget that the crisis which led to the army takeover in January 1966, the coup of the Northern Soldiers Ied by Gowon in July 1966, the wholesale and indiscriminate massacre of the people of what is now Biafra and to a less degree, the people of the Mid-west and West, including the Yorubas - were all the direct result of the Hausa/Fulani attempt to subjugate and use us as tools, the gallant people of Western Nigeria, namely the Yorubas. We do not need to remind ourselves of the heavy losses in life and property suffered by the Yoruba people in their fight for justice and freedom during 1965.

2. Sharing our belief that the people of Yorubaland have a right to live a life of equality, self-respect and justice, free of domination and dictatorship from any quarter, you have both identified yourself with the cause of the Biafran struggle for survival and expressed your determination to see the people of Yorubaland freed from Hausa/Fulani domination. We, the people of Biafra, for our part are willing and have decided to give you and the people of Yorubaland every assistance to achieve your aim.

3. After clearing the whole question with my Executive Council, I, as the Commander-in-Chief of the Biafra Armed Forces, have decided to place at your disposal Biafran forces for the liberation of Yorubaland on the following clear conditions:-

(i)You will have nothing to do with the Military Administration of the Mid-west Territory during your sojourn there prior to your move to the West.

(ii) The willingness and preparedness of Biafra to assist any part of the former Federation of Nigeria wishing and willing to liberate itself from the Hausa/Fulani domination, does not in any way whatever imply any inclination on her part to compromise her sovereignty or preserve what remains of the defunct Federation of Nigeria. In other words, our sovereignty and break with what used to be known as Nigeria are complete and irrevocable. Nothing must, therefore, be said or done by you or any member of the Liberation Army to give a contrary impression.

(iii) Biafra is determined to maintain and safeguard her sovereignty, and ensure that her integrity are never again threatend.

(iv) Biafran troops will, after the liberation of Yorubaland, remain in that territory only for as long as we in Biafra consider it necessary for the Yorubas to consolidate their position and sovereignty against any external threat.

(v) On the liberation of Yorubaland, you will be appointed Military Governor of that territory.

(vi) The liberation of Western Nigeria will be a prelude to the liberation of all Yorubas up to the River Niger and the severance of all connections between the West and the North at Jebba.

(Vii) during the period of Biafra troops presence in your territory, all political measures, statements or decrees shall be subject to the approval in writting, by myself or on my authority.

(Viii) Should our troops arrive and liberate Lagos, the Government of the Republic of Biafra reserves the right to appoint an administrator for that territory. Such an Administrator will remain in office until a merger of that territory with Yorubaland is effected and Biafran troops withdrawn.

(ix) As soon as possible after your appointment as the Military Governor of Western Nigeria and the separation of that territory from Nigeria, you and I must meet to discuss:

(a) The duration of stay by Biafran troops in your territory.

(b) The areas and subjects of co-operation between the liberated state of Western Nigeria, or by what name it may call itself, and Biafra.

(4) I do not need to remind you that Biafra regards all Yorubas as friends. As such, everything must be done, to ensure that the minimum force and loss of life are involved in achieving the objective of liberation.

(5) It is essential, in order to avoid misunderstanding or confusion, that all subsequent requests for support be formally made to me by you in writing.

(6) Will you please signify, in writing, your acceptance of the above conditions so that you may leave for Western Nigeria and lead the Army of Liberation.

Yours very sincerely
Sigd: Lt. Col. C. Odumegwu Ojukwu
Military Governor and Commander-in-Chief of Biafran Armed Forces.

Brigadier Victor Banjo Enugu,

Copy to: The Senior Biafra Army Officer Liberation Army to the West

gartamanta:
Brigadier Victor Banjo was given a Brigade of Biafran Soldiers and he overran the Midwest and reached as far as Ore. Unfortunately, a combination of Yoruba elements and Nigerian Soldiers of Northern extraction halted their advance and pushed them back. Banjo eventually lost all the territory he gained and returned to Enugu where he along with Ifeajuna, Alale and Agbam attempted to stage a coup and remove Ojukwu. All 4 men were arrested, faced a military tribunal, sentenced to death and executed. Ore was a tragedy because it is clear from the letter above that what Ojukwu wanted was a situation where Southern Nigeria would be free of Northern domination. He wanted Western Nigeria to become and independent country. Rather than fight for their sovereignty, Yorubas fought to remain slaves of the North. Even with Victor Banjo leading a liberation force to free them from Gowon and his Northern cabal in Lagos, Yorubas still opted for slavery under the North rather join Banjo to achieve freedom

Today, a Yoruba man cannot be President unless the North says so

Yorubas cannot make any laws the North does not agree with as the North has majority of the National Assembly by far

Today, the Yorubas cannot control any resource on their land unless the North agrees to restructuring

Yorubas fought to be slaves to the North when Ojukwu was fighting for his people to be free from Northern domination

selemempe:
we accepted Obasanjo and he filled his government with us while frustrating your Lagos. He even withheld your LGA money while pumping money to the east. I'm sure that's why you hate him. He has made it clear that he would support Igbos in 2023. Doesn't it hurt?

DenreleDave:


Says a SE... SS will gladly vote them

pcicero:
These Yeasteners don't read or are incapable of logical reasoning.

This letter itself shows the arrogance and condescension of Ojukwu and his Biafra projects towards other ethnic groups in Nigeria.

If I were you, I would not rush to post this letter here. It is a further indictment on your ill-fated Biafra leader.

TripleOh7:
[s][/s]

Oh, so they killed Awolowo? The narrative has changed from suicide to murder in the twinkling of an eye.

HomerTimpson:
lol where are you from,if you yoruba and you talk like this,do some research and or go listen to this man called OLOGUNDUDU

Salewa95:


Igbo men are coward and Ojukwu just sacrificed millions of his kinsmen for nothing.

The Igbos halted the secession of Adaka Boro and evening colluded with the central government to jail him for treason simply because he wanted an independent land for his people.

Azikwe read the riot act when the North wanted to secede by threatening the North that the Igbos will cut access to River Niger and make sure the North suffer if they ever dare to secede.

The Igbos not yet satisfied went ahead to kill the leaders of other tribes while Azikwe cowardly lied he went on a vacation to evade the coup they are planning to stage.

The Igbos now wanted their own independent nation after all the atrocities they committed. Tufiakwa, they reap the result of the Karma and I feel no pity for them!

After all the atrocities Ojukwu commited, he ran like a coward disguised like a woman and instructed Phillip Effiong to surrender while leaving behind his people to suffer.

He later came back to campaign for Shagari, a Fulani hegemony that killed millions of his people few decades back like a true slave.

Repeat after me, igbos are Fulani slaves and they won’t be able to break the shackles of slavery.

proeast:


I feel emotional each time I look at the missed opportunities. At the rate Southern Nigeria was developing during the late 1950's and early 1960's was fast that we would today have been far advanced. But look at our sorry state!

If you read in-between the lines about Ojukwu's later to Banjo, you will see that Ojukwu was only desperate to see that all of Southern Nigeria was liberated. Awolowo earlier complained that Northern soldiers were stationed all over Lagos and Ibadan, and so his hands were tied to do anything militarily.

Ojukwu was wise enough to work with a Yoruba as the commander of the Western region liberation army. He did that so that Yorubas will know he has no ulterior motives. You said his later reeks of direct interference in Western Nigeria's political affairs but that's not true. You saw where he told Banjo that they would meet later after the liberation and discuss how Biafran forces will pull out. He Ojukwu admitted that their presence in the West will only be temporary. He was even willing to help Yorubas liberate all their territories under Northern occupation, including Ilorin and all the way to Jebba and the River Niger. These were very ambitious and risky project that would involve Biafran lives and resources! For Ojukwu to demand for certain conditions weren't out of place.

I feel sad in this because even Awolowo knew that Hausa/Fulani were out to enslave other regions of Nigeria. So, why did he fail to take up that opportunity in resisting the North, even if it means going on exile and controlling things from abroad?

Had it been the Yorubas teamed up with Biafrans, there is no way on earth Nigeria would have won, even with all the foriegn help because they would have been overwhelmed.

Ojukwu was also hoping on Western support in fighting against the North which would have bought him more time in ramping up resources to execute the war.

The failure of the Western liberation army contributed in no small measure to the loss of the war by the Biafrans.

Look at Nigeria today and tell me who made the right or wrong decisions in 1966/67??

gartamanta:
Brigadier Victor Banjo was given a Brigade of Biafran Soldiers and he overran the Midwest and reached as far as Ore. Unfortunately, a combination of Yoruba elements and Nigerian Soldiers of Northern extraction halted their advance and pushed them back. Banjo eventually lost all the territory he gained and returned to Enugu where he along with Ifeajuna, Alale and Agbam attempted to stage a coup and remove Ojukwu. All 4 men were arrested, faced a military tribunal, sentenced to death and executed. Ore was a tragedy because it is clear from the letter above that what Ojukwu wanted was a situation where Southern Nigeria would be free of Northern domination. He wanted Western Nigeria to become and independent country. Rather than fight for their sovereignty, Yorubas fought to remain slaves of the North. Even with Victor Banjo leading a liberation force to free them from Gowon and his Northern cabal in Lagos, Yorubas still opted for slavery under the North rather join Banjo to achieve freedom

Today, a Yoruba man cannot be President unless the North says so

Yorubas cannot make any laws the North does not agree with as the North has majority of the National Assembly by far

Today, the Yorubas cannot control any resource on their land unless the North agrees to restructuring

Yorubas fought to be slaves to the North when Ojukwu was fighting for his people to be free from Northern domination

selemempe:
unless you are a northerner you won't say this. Ojukwu had the best intentions than any other Nigerian politician till date. He knew that our needs would not be met with an Hausa Fulani dominated country and he did his best to liberate the south. After betraying Igbos, Awolowo was denied president and accused of coup. Abiola was denied president and accused of coup. Obasanjo was accused of coup. Tinubu is currently being downsized. Lagos is a giant mess. Yorubas getting into thuggery and fraud in droves. Tell me how all these is the best outcome for Yorubas? So yorubas prefer Nigeria like this than to have their own country? Why

iamadonis2:
This thread may never make front page; I commiserate with you on that.

Chinua Achebe, I believe, was as impartial in telling the truth about the Civil War in his book ”There was a country ”.

The Yorubas, a race of people I share same ancestry with, are beyond redemption now as they were before particularly if they gullibly follow the North.

Where Ibos took to business and the Yorubas took to setting records in Education ( pre and post independence ), the average Northerner lived as though political power were his ancestral right.

Godfullsam:


Who told you that Awolowo betrayed the igbos? It was Nnamdi Azikiwe that betrayed Awolowo and the entire igbo race through his selfish alliance with the then northern hegemony.

Pls get your fact right and don't follow the illiterate bittered multitudes from the S/E to talk rubbish.
For your information, Ojukwu just want to rule by all means. He doesn't mean well for anyone, not even his own people.

Jeferious:
I'm Igbo, and certainly admire Late Ojukwu, but this letter to Banjo reeks of arrogance and a desire to dominate the western region. He completely missed it here. Why would Biafran soldiers occupy Lagos after anticipated victory? Is Lagos the citadel of the enemy? Why would a fellow liberator like you take orders from you on how to govern his own land?

Looking at this letter, one thing is visible. Ojukwu wanted Biafra, with Lagos and probably all Yorubaland as part of it. Another astute warlord would have stopped at the River Niger, and then stamp his authority from there. He would have liberated his own tribesmen- other parts of Nigeria not comfortable with Hausa/Fulani domination can then start their own secession project.

Nevertheless, the war has been fought, and we have learnt our lessons

gartamanta:


Yoruba land was already occupied territory. The Military Governor of Western Nigeria, Lt Colonel Fajuyi, had been murdered by Northerners and the next substansive head of state, Brigadier Ogundipe, was hounded out of Lagos. In the letter, Ojukwu stressed that Biafran troops would only remain to allow Yorubas to consolidate. Ojukwu also stressed in the letter that after Banjo became leader of the West, they would meet to discuss how long Biafran troops would remain.

What I find amusing are Yorubas who say that Ojukwu was coming to take over the West. The same Yorubas never like to admit that the North had already taken over the West.

selemempe:
lol... even you don't believe in yourself. Go and read Awolowo statement where he made it clear that he believed igbos were being victimised and that if igbos are forced out of the country that the west would go.

TripleOh7:


Who is Ologundudu? No one knows him.

My question is quite clear.

Today y'all shout he committed suicide, tomorrow, same you will be screaming his people murdered him.

Whenever an IPOB speaks, automatically assume it's a lie.
That's the rule.

TripleOh7:
[s][/s]

Fake!

Provide the original letter and let's see.

gartamanta:
Brigadier Victor Banjo was given a Brigade of Biafran Soldiers and he overran the Midwest and reached as far as Ore. Unfortunately, a combination of Yoruba elements and Nigerian Soldiers of Northern extraction halted their advance and pushed them back. Banjo eventually lost all the territory he gained and returned to Enugu where he along with Ifeajuna, Alale and Agbam attempted to stage a coup and remove Ojukwu. All 4 men were arrested, faced a military tribunal, sentenced to death and executed. Ore was a tragedy because it is clear from the letter above that what Ojukwu wanted was a situation where Southern Nigeria would be free of Northern domination. He wanted Western Nigeria to become and independent country. Rather than fight for their sovereignty, Yorubas fought to remain slaves of the North. Even with Victor Banjo leading a liberation force to free them from Gowon and his Northern cabal in Lagos, Yorubas still opted for slavery under the North rather join Banjo to achieve freedom

Today, a Yoruba man cannot be President unless the North says so

Yorubas cannot make any laws the North does not agree with as the North has majority of the National Assembly by far

Today, the Yorubas cannot control any resource on their land unless the North agrees to restructuring

Yorubas fought to be slaves to the North when Ojukwu was fighting for his people to be free from Northern domination

gartamanta:


Ojukwu fought for everyone to be free including Yorubas. So unfortunate for Ojukwu that Yorubas and some of those who call themselves Niger Delta loved slavery too much

Jeferious:
My dear, this is war. You talk about giving Yorubas time to consolidate, something another would misinterprete as military occupation and annexation. See bros, wetin you dey think and how you think am dey your head alone. You no dey inside another person head to control im thinking. Abi you are new to the stories of liberators who later turned to slave-masters? Or you never hear about "from frying pan to fire" before?

If Ojukwu was fair and transparent towards the liberation of the Yorubas, then his every action and intent in this regard must leave no doubt at all. Forget the Hausas and the Fulanis. Those people no pure one bit, and I no plan reason their matter for this my opinion. The "consolidation" of Lagos by Biafran forces was unnecessary, except you can convince me that Lagos is the border-town between Biafra and Nigeria

gartamanta:
Brigadier Victor Banjo was given a Brigade of Biafran Soldiers and he overran the Midwest and reached as far as Ore. Unfortunately, a combination of Yoruba elements and Nigerian Soldiers of Northern extraction halted their advance and pushed them back. Banjo eventually lost all the territory he gained and returned to Enugu where he along with Ifeajuna, Alale and Agbam attempted to stage a coup and remove Ojukwu. All 4 men were arrested, faced a military tribunal, sentenced to death and executed. Ore was a tragedy because it is clear from the letter above that what Ojukwu wanted was a situation where Southern Nigeria would be free of Northern domination. He wanted Western Nigeria to become and independent country. Rather than fight for their sovereignty, Yorubas fought to remain slaves of the North. Even with Victor Banjo leading a liberation force to free them from Gowon and his Northern cabal in Lagos, Yorubas still opted for slavery under the North rather join Banjo to achieve freedom

Today, a Yoruba man cannot be President unless the North says so

Yorubas cannot make any laws the North does not agree with as the North has majority of the National Assembly by far

Today, the Yorubas cannot control any resource on their land unless the North agrees to restructuring

Yorubas fought to be slaves to the North when Ojukwu was fighting for his people to be free from Northern domination

gartamanta:


In other words, Yorubas had no problem problem with the Northerners slaughtering the Military Governor of the West, chasing Ogundipe who was supposed to be the next president, out of Lagos and occupying Western Region? But the same Yorubas were suspicious and annoyed that Ojukwu was coming to occupy their land? Lol

HomerTimpson:
YORUBAS AND IGBO DON'T HAVE BALLS simple

sesan85:
If you had any sense at all, you wouldn't have posted this letter which only shows the megalomaniacal, domineering, narcissistic, paranoid asshats the idiot Ojukwu and by and large Igbos were. You wanted to "Liberate" people who didn't tell you to "Liberate" them? Are you guys okay at all? The ugly hippopotamus Ojukwu and his fellow Igbosk even wanted to occupy Yorubaland as long as you wished? What arrogant buffoons! Bleep Ojukwu and Bleep Biafra! You guys fully deserved everything that happened to you during the war!