kinisoo?:

HEARD HE WANTED TO MURDER GOWON AND OJUKWU, THEN BECOMING HEAD OF STATE HIMSELF!!!

I have no need to distort facts. You are right as my database came up with two Iluyomades in the army. I guess the one that fought in Ore was Captain Iluyomade with 4th Brigade of 2nd Division under Murtala Muhammed. Yet, he was a memeber of military police unit.

Again, there was no “Yoruba Army” that fought in Ore as to warrant the crap said about Afonja in respect to Ore saga. The 2nd Division of Nigeria was mostly populated by the Yoruba peeps that had also vehemently deduced they were in awkward position to muster a fight against the northern soldiers in Yoruba land.

Yet both 3MCDO and 2nd Division of Nigerian army were filled to the unit's strenght by Yoruba and southern Nigerian minority ethnic groups. You can not simply eat your cake and have it.

Midas02:

- Dede1


What utter nonsense??
There were indeed two Iluyomades in the army and they were brothers! The victory achieved in Ore battle was spear-headed and valiantly fought by (the then) captain R.O Iluyomade of the newly deployed 2nd Division of the Nigerian Army. The other Iluyomade (the elder) was a military police officer who was posted to Ibadan and was not in the war front.

Uchek:

Why are you guys splitting hairs. All this is irrelevant. Time and history has given an incontestable verdict on who was on the side of equity and justice and inequity and injustice during the Biafran War

Gowon ( a northern minority) led a Hausa-Fulani dominated Nigerian army and northerners to massacre mostly Ibos from East and finished it up in a brutal civil war. Today his tribe and his people are experiencing the same massacre and pogroms in the hands of the same Hausa-Fulani just as the Ibos. And the beauty of the wheel of justice is that no one will be punished just as non of the perpetrators of the pogrom was punished.

Awo (and the Yorubas) the most intelligent and well-informed  Yoruba who knew that, Nigeria was a "mere geographical expression" and the war was between the Biafrans and the Hausa-Fulani to nib in the bud Hausa-Fulani Fledgling domination of Nigeria, joined the Hausas against the Ibos and reaped momentary economic and political rewards, but died a disillutioned man and conspired his tribe to slavery and misgovernance.

Saro-wiwa [/b]who saw the Hausa during the war as their liberator from Ibo domination was killed by Abacha-his civil war buddy - not an igbo man. His tribe today are not only suffering from mismanagement of Nigeria, their homeland have been permanently destroyed by oil pollution.

[b]Enahoro - the spokesman of Gowon during the war who declared that Biafran surrender was non-negotiable condition for the end of the war died an unhappy and sorrowful man. Ojukwu advocated for only 4 regions. Enahoro said NO. But during his last years alive, he advocated for Nigeria to be divided into 6 regions- 40 years after Ojukwu position.

Name them: All the folks that were against Ojukwu are all disillusioned, regretting or died frustrated with the Nigeria whom they fought for on behalf of the Hausa-fulani

The Middle-belt who fought the war for the Hausa-Fulani have been systematically wiped out in the military by the same Hausa-Fulani.

How about the Southern Minorities? Their oil blessings have become a curse.

And finally, the country unpatriotic Ojukwu sought to "destroy" is a fool at 51.

Uchek:

Why are you guys splitting hairs. All this is irrelevant. Time and history has given an incontestable verdict on who was on the side of equity and justice and inequity and injustice during the Biafran War

Gowon ( a northern minority) led a Hausa-Fulani dominated Nigerian army and northerners to massacre mostly Ibos from East and finished it up in a brutal civil war. Today his tribe and his people are experiencing the same massacre and pogroms in the hands of the same Hausa-Fulani just as the Ibos. And the beauty of the wheel of justice is that no one will be punished just as non of the perpetrators of the pogrom was punished.

Awo (and the Yorubas) the most intelligent and well-informed  Yoruba who knew that, Nigeria was a "mere geographical expression" and the war was between the Biafrans and the Hausa-Fulani to nib in the bud Hausa-Fulani Fledgling domination of Nigeria, joined the Hausas against the Ibos and reaped momentary economic and political rewards, but died a disillutioned man and conspired his tribe to slavery and misgovernance.

Saro-wiwa [/b]who saw the Hausa during the war as their liberator from Ibo domination was killed by Abacha-his civil war buddy - not an igbo man. His tribe today are not only suffering from mismanagement of Nigeria, their homeland have been permanently destroyed by oil pollution.

[b]Enahoro - the spokesman of Gowon during the war who declared that Biafran surrender was non-negotiable condition for the end of the war died an unhappy and sorrowful man. Ojukwu advocated for only 4 regions. Enahoro said NO. But during his last years alive, he advocated for Nigeria to be divided into 6 regions- 40 years after Ojukwu position.

Name them: All the folks that were against Ojukwu are all disillusioned, regretting or died frustrated with the Nigeria whom they fought for on behalf of the Hausa-fulani

The Middle-belt who fought the war for the Hausa-Fulani have been systematically wiped out in the military by the same Hausa-Fulani.

How about the Southern Minorities? Their oil blessings have become a curse.

And finally, the country unpatriotic Ojukwu sought to "destroy" is a fool at 51.

Dede1:

I did not want to honor your post with a reply but decided to clear the air. In my previous post, indication was made about two Iluyomade in Nigerian army at the moment. If there is any ethnic bias intended, I think you are the suspect.

I post my contributions without tilt. There had been two schools of thought about Yoruba and Nigeria/Biafra war both erected by propagandists of Yoruba extraction. In one instance, there was not enough Yoruba in uniform capable of telling Gowon and soldiers from northern region to leave western region in 1966. In another instance, there were many Yoruba peeps of all conquerors and leaders of men in battle. You can not eat your cake and have it.

I have told it to any Igbo person that Yoruba is number enemy of Ndigbo and Biafra as long as Nigeria/Biafra civil is concerned. By your own words, Lt Raphael Iluyoumade who was mere company commander spearheaded the battle at Ore in 1967. I wonder where such goofy stratum will place the likes of Akinriande, Taiwo, Alabi-Isama and Aisida who were brigade commanders under 2nd Division led by Murtula Mohammed with the debacle at Ore.

Where shall I start to debunk the lies and propaganda coming from western region of Nigeria about the crisis that led to Nigeria/Biafra civil war? There were such conjectures such as Fajuiyi wanted to die with Ironsi, the Igbo provocation such as “Ewu na Ebe akwa”, [b]there was not enough Yoruba in uniform to tell Gowon to relocate to Kaduna if he, Gowon, insisted in declaring war against Biafra and Ojukwu started the wa[/b]r.

Katsumoto:

I don't get the point you are trying to make. Whether there were or weren't enough Yoruba soldiers, Lagos was still a part of Nigeria and Gowon as Head of State was entitled to be located anywhere he chose within the walls of Nigeria. The decision to secede by Biafra had no bearing whatsoever, on what happened elsewhere in Nigeria.

It is clear to me that you suffer from what psychologists call the 'Stockholm Syndrome' where a kidnappee fails to find fault in the actions of the kidnapper. Why are you so obsessed with Yoruba? Why is it that you remember the names of Yoruba officers who served in that war and in what sectors they served in? Why do you never mention the names of the Northern officers who participated in that war? The war started has a straight fight between North and East while the West and mid-west were bystanders. But of course, only a fool would expect them to remain on the sidelines after their territories were invaded by Biafrans.

Katsumoto:

Some of you folks are just plain dishonest and myopic. Do the Biafrans have a different fate to that of other Nigerians? Are there no problems in the East? What condition is Ojukwu in? Is he running around playing football like a teenager? No, he has grown frail and older like everyone else. What 4 regions did Ojukwu advocate for? The same Ojukwu that said the Igbo would export civil servants to other parts of Nigeria, in a manner similar to colonisation after Ifeajuna and Nzeogwu had killed leaders from other regions and Ironsi, another Igbo man, profited from the political logjam After that plan failed and was rejected by others, Ojukwu would then declare secession.

When you attempt to tell the story about Nigeria, don't start from where the Igbo became victims; make sure to start from the very beginning when every region had a chance to become independent but Zik chose Nigeria when he had the deciding vote. Also include that the same Zik voted against a secession clause being inserted into the Constitutioneven when he was warned by Awo. Don't forget to also tell the story about how young Igbo officers proceeded to murder political and military leaders from other regions in a move that even a daft 7 year old would interpret as ethnic and barbaric Nigeria is not in a mess because the Igbos lost the civil war, Nigeria is in a mess because it was built on shaky foundations. If blame is to be apportioned, the Igbo would get a lion share. You continue to assume that others are fools.

Did a certain Biafran officer (who shall remain nameless for now) not utter these words to St. Jorre

“If you gave us the choice of 1000 rifles or milk for 50,000 starving children, we’d take the guns.”

This victim mentality is getting tiring.

Dede1:

You are one of the propagandists alluded in my previous post bent on distorting facts to achieve biased personal ends. Every Yoruba apologist has dubiously informed undiscerning crowd that Ojukwu started Nigeria/Biafra war, a statement logically or politically far from truth. In another instance, Yoruba writers have confidently written that western region of Nigeria was under military occupation, a statement that induces hearty laughter. In addition, they went further to summarize such nonsensical conjecture with inimical utterances such Yoruba do not have enough men in uniform capable of telling Gowon to vacate Lagos.

Talking about “Stockholm Syndrome”, anybody who remotely claimed Gowon had every pedigree to sit still in any part of Nigeria, though except eastern region, to prosecute war of attrition on eastern region of Nigeria or Biafra and at the same instance claimed that certain regions of Nigeria were bystanders or neutral or sitting on the fence needs a day with a behavioral psychologist. It is a considerable low grade of lunacy for anybody to insinuate such scenario. If the western and mid-western region were goofy bystanders, what the hell were their representatives doing in Aburi, Ghana or did they not attend as representatives on Nigerian side?   

In the absence of legitimate C-in-C in 1966, nitwits who were governors of northern, western and mid-western region collectively crowned a relatively junior officer as a commander in chief against the widely acceptable doctrines of military parlance due to a failed coup while Ojukwu insisted on strict observance of military parlance which calls for seniority and discipline.

My obsession with Yoruba is very personal. 

Dede1:


This is a typical tale by the moonlight meant to caress personal ego. Throughout the constitutional conferences which served as precursors to granting independent status or sovereignty to Nigeria, there was no region that boycotted the conferences to agitate independence for the region.   

Uchek:

To Kusamatu: You did not answer my posers? Again history has rendered verdict on Biafran war. Every posting here stands beneath the verdict of history. You call me dishonest and myopic. I may be 'cause human beings have bias and blind spots. But history does not.

Share your perspective as much as you can especially if you believe you know too much about history but your account cannot override Nigeria history and outcome of today's Nigeria.

You did not address my questions? When questions are asked in discourse, you need to first answer it before.

My question again: What is the fate of Gowons, Awos, Enahoros, Yorubas, Middle-belters, Yorubas, Southern Minorities and Nigeria? The ibos already knew their fate if they lose or win the war?

I believe you are a Yoruba man. I am ibo but schooled and lived in Yoruba all my life. My best friends are Yourba and l speak Yoruba better than Ibo. I admire Awo so much cause he was a thinker and an economic wizard. I benefited from his economic wizardry as a pupil in Lagos. O how l wished Awolowo ruled Nigeria or an Oduduwa Republic! I would have preferred to live in an economically developed Oduduwa Republic as an alien than as a citizen in the present day embarrassment called Nigeria

If Adekunle (Black-scorpion) could say that his biggest regret is fighting against Biafra, who are you or any of the Monday-morning quarterbacks?

DEEHASAL:

He explained the pains of witnessing the gang-violation of his eldest sister by Biafran troops

Uchek:

I am quite sure if Awo were alive today he would have regretted joining Gowon against the Ibos. He would have asked the Ibos to forgive him. That's why l admire Awo.

As for Obasanjo, you can claim him as a personal hero for putting the Biafran people in their place and also making your tribe - Yorubas - a second class citizens to the Hausa=Fulani. But l am quite sure majority of Yorubas won't.