Eziachi:

"Myself and The same UNICEF representatives went on to convey something of what lay behind this intransigence: "Among the large majority hailing from that tribe (Yorubas) who are most vocal in inciting the complete extermination of the Igbos, I often heard remarks that all Nigeria's ills will be cured once the Igbos has been extaminated from the human map , "
Dr Conor Cruise O'Bien (21 December, 1967, New York Review).

Wow! The power of archives; the power of documentary evidence; the power of truth!

Eziachi, thanks for posting this!

Despite all the millions of Igbos killed in that genocidal war, Igbos maintain a strong presence, not only in Nigeria but also at the world stage!

May the souls of our departed kins remain in the bosom of the Lord.

RichyBlacK:

Despite all the millions of Igbos killed in that genocidal war, Igbos maintain a strong presence, not only in Nigeria but also at the world stage!

May the souls of our departed kins remain in the bosom of the Lord.

That war was a Nigerian tragedy. May the souls of ALL nigerians lost in that war, be they Igbos, Hausas, Yorubas, Edos, Ogonis, or from any of the more than 250 different tribes in Nigeria, rest in peace.

My father told me he and all other top Mid-Western civil servants had to hide from both sides. In fact, he was saved from excecution by his driver at the time (maybe I for no dey here sef ).
It was much more on the Federal side though, he said FG troops would mow down any bush with bullets if they heard there was an Igbo man there. After one mass excecution, the commander got in a jeep and drove over the dead bodies and you could hear their skulls popping.

I want to see no Red Cross, no Caritas, no World Council of Churches, no Pope, no missionary and no UN delegation. I want to prevent even one Ibo from having even one piece to eat before their capitulation. We shoot at everything that moves and when our troops march into the centre of Ibo territory, we shoot at everything even at things that do not move,  "

( Benjamin Adekunle. Commander, 3rd Marine Commando Division, Nigerian Army to French radio reporter). ",

This is particularly chilling.

Eziachi:

Have you heard the saying that, there is no such thing as a free lunch. Education comes with a price, I am not here to supplement your Nigerian made educatin by answering your endless and sometimes meaningless questions not with a quest to learn especially when you think that I am insecure. Why not ask your father, he might tell you some. If he doesn't then let us know.

Hmm, earlier I wrote the following because I know how people like these behave

Afam:

While you await for the answers to your questions (many of them I find ridiculous anyway) I have just one for you.

Why are you using an Igbo username on this forum even when you are from the North if you are not ashamed of your tribe or your people?

@ the questions asked by this man,

I sincerely hope that people do not bother responding to him because there will be no end in sight as regards questions as this is the usual tactics of people that want to derail threads.

Beaf:

My father told me he and all other top Mid-Western civil servants had to hide from both sides. In fact, he was saved from excecution by his driver at the time (maybe I for no dey here sef ).
It was much more on the Federal side though, he said FG troops would mow down any bush with bullets if they heard there was an Igbo man there. After one mass excecution, the commander got in a jeep and drove over the dead bodies and you could hear their skulls popping.

This is particularly chilling.

This is why I can't understand why to this day our people persist in lionising any of these war criminal soldiers, even going as far as putting their images on naira notes. Heroes, for killing fellow Nigerians. Both sides should be tried for their war crimes.

Thank God it is not dummies like Afam that will have to decide for Biafra, otherwise many more millions of lives of Ndigbo would be lost.
People like Afam are nothing but a disgrace to the Biafran cause.

Here's a piece of information for those who still believe that  Ndigbos can break away from Nigeria. The Ndigbos cannot break away from Nigeria without the support of the Yorubas. You can take that to the bank. The elites and the enlightened Igbos know this.

The earlier you seccessionists  accept that fact and start making nice with the yorubas,  the "better" off you may be.  Additionally, the ndigbo leaders in Nigeria believe in one Nigeria.  

make una just pray say we no find oil for adamawa, kano, or sakwato anytime soon. because if dem find oil, and we allow una to secceed, na una go take una hands kill una selves finish. i hope una dey observe the politics of anambra as we speak. na my own assessment be dis. shikena. qed.

make una stop all dis direct and indirect war cries. war no good.  i go leave dis thread for una. make una wallow in self hate as una see fit.

I am just curious who actually instigated the civil war: - agreed it was after the northern massacres of igbo. yoruba people did not do you anything, you guys did it to yourself, now complaining about crap. Dey sleep and complain- dont spend time trying to improve your plight, be dwelling on old tales.

SEFAGO:

I am just curious who actually instigated the civil war: - agreed it was after the northern massacres of igbo. yoruba people did not do you anything, you guys did it to yourself, now complaining about crap. Dey sleep and complain- dont spend time trying to improve your plight, be dwelling on old tales.

@SEFAGO,

You're a complete and utter fool for making such a foolish and insensitive comment!

no, i am not- you are the fool fror encouraging someone who picked selective quotes to endorse his silly agenda. He put up those quotes for a reason and you know it. Stop pleading great compassion while being a party to tribalistic intents.

I want to see no Red Cross, no Caritas, no World Council of Churches, no Pope, no missionary and no UN delegation. I want to prevent even one Ibo from having even one piece to eat before their capitulation. We shoot at everything that moves and when our troops march into the centre of Ibo territory, we shoot at everything even at things that do not move, "

( Benjamin Adekunle. Commander, 3rd Marine Commando Division, Nigerian Army to French radio reporter)

take this for example- this makes sense in the context of a war- when you fight a war please understand the consequences. It is quite simple. The biafra is not the first civil war, and will not be the last either.

However, the OP took it out of context specifically to display his tribalism. Everyone was culpable for the biafran war, the OP fails to mention that

And everything includes women and children abi?^^^

SEFAGO:

take this for example- this makes sense in the context of a war- when you fight a war please understand the consequences. It is quite simple. The biafra is not the first civil war, and will not be the last either.

However, the OP took it out of context specifically to display his tribalism. Everyone was culpable for the biafran war, the OP fails to mention that

Affirming your status as an über fool!

Nothing you'll say will change that fact!

asha 80:

And everything includes women and children abi?^^^

That is the logic of fools! Let the fool keep ranting like what? A fool!

That war was a Nigerian tragedy. May the souls of ALL nigerians lost in that war, be they Igbos, Hausas, Yorubas, Edos, Ogonis, or from any of the more than 250 different tribes in Nigeria, rest in peace.

Thank you- as if every yoruba person was thinking about how to kill igbo people.

And everything includes women and children abi?^^^

sadly in war yes. There are some evil people that would harm children and women- you should know that before you go into war. Are you guys naive children??

By the way, I strongly believe that the igbos have been marginalized in nigeria, but that is the fault of both other tribes and the political elite which consist of igbos and yorubas and hausas

Affirming your status as an über fool!

Nothing you'll say will change that fact!

as if i care about your minute brain+opinions

RichyBlacK:

@SEFAGO,

You're a complete and utter fool for making such a foolish and insensitive comment!

That is exactly why I do not engage teenagers and teeny boppers in serious meaningful discourse online. They are usually imbeciles who are oblivious of their buffoonery, especially when they have no rational and experienced adult to explicate the need to understand life's grey areas. They throw up their disconcerting infantile drivel with so much certainty and authority. Fortunately, most of them grow up and are able to look back and shudder.

SEFAGO:

take this for example- this makes sense in the context of a war- when you fight a war please understand the consequences. It is quite simple.

Then just take it that we are still at war . . . . . And thats why the cesspit called Nigeria would never know peace till it disintegrates into its different components.

At least some of you fools are now feeling the effects of the suicidal mistake made by your inept and lily-wily levered leaders.

grafikdon:

That is exactly why I do not engage teenagers and teeny boppers in serious meaningful discourse online. They are usually imbeciles who are oblivious of their buffoonery, especially when they have no rational and experienced adult to explicate the need to understand life's grey areas. They throw up their disconcerting infantile drivel with so much certainty and authority. Fortunately, most of them grow up and are able to look back and shudder.

Thanks!

Unfortunately, that teeny-bopped fool has no chance of growing up.

That is exactly why I do not engage teenagers and teeny boppers in serious meaningful discourse online. They are usually imbeciles who are oblivious of their buffoonery, especially when they have no rational and experienced adult to explicate the need to understand life's grey areas. They throw up their disconcerting infantile drivel with so much certainty and authority. Fortunately, most of them grow up and are able to look back and shudder.

abeg go a way- why will i want to debate with you? because you saw my age,i am sure i am always right.

metal-gong:

Then just take it that we are still at war . . . . . And thats why the cesspit called Nigeria would never know peace till it disintegrates into its different components.

At least some of you fools are now feeling the effects of the suicidal mistake made by your inept and lily-wily levered leaders.

Yep, call them by their name - fools!

Sefago just one question,who started the war nigeria or biafra?

asha 80:

Sefago just one question,who started the war nigeria or biafra?

I bet he/she doesn't know.

Then just take it that we are still at war . . . . . And thats why the cesspit called Nigeria would never know peace till it disintegrates into its different components.

At least some of you fools are now feeling the effects of the suicidal mistake made by your inept and lily-wily levered leaders.

And that is where your problem lay- not letting sleeping dogs lie. Well I feel no regret about nigeria, at least i am smart enough to understand that biafra would have been a failed state if they had been allowed to seceded- so why secede?

I love the fact that you guys think in small pieces, while i think more complexly, but usually your best defense is how young and naive I am. Your dumb ojukwu came in declaring a war without exact plans on what would happen after biafra, having precedents in a large number of african countries. No plans of organization of the new country. I am sure immediately after the war, ojukwu would have been president- then immediately problems of relinquishing of power- like most African countries would come up- then people from enugu would say the are being marginalized by people from anambra, then anambra would want to break away from biafra, then the never ending cycle of war continues. Yorubas were smart enough to fight for one nigeria because we believed it could work despite all odds.

The eastern region voted for secession, and so nigeria decided to keep them together- incase you dont know- trying to secede is usually the same thing as treason in international law.

So the eastern region initiated the war, by going against standard international law (agreed made by europeans), but regardless you cannot fail to agree that a decision to secede causes for aggravation.

Have you asked yourself what led to that asking of secession?Do you think Ojukwu woke up one morning and decided to declare biafra unlikw what happened in the balkans. Whether biafra would have failed or not is not the issue here because you and i might never know.

it is not as if nigeria is eldorado as it is also struggling to become a failed state.

Have you asked yourself what led to that asking of secession? Whether biafra would have failed or not is not the issue here because you and i might never know.

So no significant consideration of the feasibility of a nation is needed b4 you go into a full blown war . Jesus. So Ojukwu did not consider the women and children that would have been killed by unscrupulous FMG soldiers, b4 he decided to go into a bloody war. Of course we might never know. We might also never know what would have happened if the war never happened either. My point, make calculated risks and when you do so- get ready for the consequences- and when the consequences dawn on you- do not complain.

A secession war that was gone into without critical thinking, and you want to claim genocide? I might as well start my own secession. Then some idiot calls me a teenager without significant knowledge of international law at that time or nigerian history and just feels he can comment on my age because he was born some years b4 i was.

I know what caused the secession- but it was also a two way street. I dont believe in secession, i would have expected the eastern government to have considered the reconciliation measures:

In January 1967, the military leaders and senior police officials met at Aburi, Ghana, at the invitation of the Ghanaian military government. By now the Eastern Region was threatening secession. In a last-minute effort to hold Nigeria together, the military reached an accord that provided for a loose confederation of regions. The federal civil service vigorously opposed the Aburi Agreement, however. Awolowo, regrouping his supporters, demanded the removal of all northern troops garrisoned in the Western Region and warned that if the Eastern Region left the federation, the Western Region would follow. The FMG agreed to the troop withdrawal.

http://www.onwar.com/aced/data/bravo/biafra1967.htm

Know what you are talking about before you do any talking.

An accord to keep nigeria together was agreed in aburi ghana.on coming to nigeria it was jettisoned by the federal civil service(consisting of who) why?

I do not want to even comment on Awolowo's declaration.

Why is general Akinriade regretting figthing in that civil war?Why did Lt col Ayo Ariyo refuse to fight that war?

asha 80:

An accord to keep nigeria together was agreed in aburi ghana.on coming to nigeria it was jettisoned by the federal civil service(consisting of who) why?

I do not want to even comment on Awolowo's declaration.

Why is general Akinriade regretting figthing in that civil war?Why did Lt col Ayo Ariyo refuse to fight that war?

odogwu nwoke, utilize your time for more important things rather than using them to educate SeFOOL, the yoruba boy is too young to assimilate and understand the political intrigues and nuances that led to the civil war.
As our people always say " Ukwa rue oge ya, o daa". Time shall tell.

Whenever someone cannot own up to something as simple as self identity: sex, age, race/tribe, or national origin he/she usually has something to hide.

SEAFROG here yaps like a young boy but claim to be a girl/lady in his user profile. No woman ( even the mother of all harlots) would rationalize or justify a mass rape, or the starving of innocent children. So, by his logic of "all is fair in war" (which makes a complete nonsense of the Geneva Conventions of War -1949), he demonstrated a profound foolery. Like someone said earlier, the war has not ended at all. Not by a long shot! 

He also wondered whether Biafra could have fared better. Well, Nigeria has clearly failed, even the birds know. He also didn't even know that the right to secede is a UN recognized right and is in line with international law.

I am not his teacher though. He should wait to be educated the right way, when the war gets to his house. Igbos have since moved on and surpassed the genociders in all sectors of human development (except perhaps in looting the Nigerian treasury!). So, any Igbo still dreaming of a united Nigeria should think of people like SEAFROG. While thinking about our dead brothers and sisters, we should be well advised that the killers are still on the loose!

i am still speechless at, is it ndu whatever? yes shehu, good that he has owned up to his  fulani heritage that has sentenced his hausa brothers to perpetual slavery and servitude. shocked at seafrog or is it goat, that want,s to live in a fantasy world, of letting sleeping dogs lie, live with it!! your fathers were murderers, rapists and arsonists.

To the conscripts, child soldiers and innocent victims of war
The truth is not one sided.

Both sides exchanged attrocities and lost the right to moral superiority
The truth is not one sided

To the conscripts and child soldiers who still hear the screams, see the terror and smell the horror every night.
To the survivors who remember crimes committed against them
Soldiers who were perpetrators now claim to be victims,
Soldiers who were protectors now forgotten by the people they were protecting.
To the laptop soldiers baying for war from their cosy sitting rooms
The truth is not one sided

Questions for 2009 and beyond

How can we prevent this from happenning again?

What can be done to honour the memory of the dead and war victims still alive today?

Formenting hatred is not an option.