Biafran Heroes of Yoruba Extraction

Not many of us remember the Yoruba soldiers who fought gallantly on the side of Biafra.This is a quick attempt to remember some of them now.

1.Lt Col Victor Banjo

He was one of the first graduates to join the army alongside Ojukwu and others.The two were best of friends according to public records and individual accounts.When Ojukwu released the January 15 coup suspects in the Eastern region after the revenge coup ,Banjo stayed in the government house with him while the rest were accommodated elsewhere in Independent Layout,Enugu.
Banjo led the 3,000 strong Biafran brigade known as the "Liberation Army of Nigeria" and also called the "Midwest Expeditionary Force" in the planned invasion of Lagos.His forces reached Benin within 12 hours on August 9,1967.By this time,Nigerian forces had captured Biafran towns of Obudu, Garkem,Ogoja, Nsukka heading to Enugu and Bonny, heading to Port Harcourt.
Banjo's arguments with Ojukwu resulted in fatal tactical delays in Benin and Ore enroute Lagos for several days.He was recalled back to Enugu alongside his deputy and Quartermaster;Major Ifeajuna,court-martialed and executed with 3 others in September 1967.
Lt Col Banjo was the highest ranking Yoruba in the Biafran army.

2.Major Wale Ademoyega

One of the five majors that toppled the government of Balewa on January 15,1966,he was released from Warri prison during the Midwest invasion in August 1967 by a battalion led by Major Chukwuka; another of the five Jan 15 majors.He first commanded the Biafra newly reorganised 19th Battalion but replaced Ifeajuna as the "Liberation Army" Quartermaster General when he(Ifeajuna) was recalled back to Enugu with his commander;Col Banjo.
Ademoyega wrote a book on the Jan 15 coup titled Why We Struck.He was arrested by federal soldiers after the war,faced the military commission and was detained until October 1974.

3.Capt Ganiyu Adeleke.

He was one of the Jan 15 officers released by Ojukwu.He cordinated the Biafra 18 Battalion at Onitsha as Infantry Company commander with Major Chukwuka in readiness for the Midwest invasion.He distinguished himself in the charge toward Ore and later become an instructor at the Biafra School of Infantry.
When other Biafran soldiers who took part in the Midwest invasion were released from prison in 1974 after Gowon granted them pardon, Capt Adeleke,Lt Col Ochei and "Col Hannibal"Achuzia were exempted from pardon and remained imprisoned.

4.Lt Fola Oyewole

He also joined in setting up the Biafra 18th Battalion at Onitsha and commanded the D Company that liberated Ughelli,parts of Sapele and Warri during the Midwest expedition.
Lt Oyewole is one of the first soldier to write a very instructive book on the civil war titled the Reluctant Rebel.It is a credible account of the civil war from the eyes of an active Biafran army commander who is not from the East.
Oyewole is also one of the Biafran soldiers detained by the federal government after the war and released in 1974.

Note:

Other notable Yoruba who opposed the federal government on the Biafra war include but not limited to:
1.Wole Soyinka
2.Tai Solarin
3.Prof Hezekiah Oluwasanmi;former Vice Chancellor of OAU Ife (1966-1975)

The pictures below are arranged in line with the arrangement of the article with only Capt. Adeleke missing in the pictures

Compiled by: Mbe Nwaniga, foremost writer and Historian.

http://igbobia.com/?q=meet-the-four-4-biafra-war-heroes-who-are-yoruba.html

Lalasticlala, Mynd44

following

Ok................................. Noted

If only they knew how ungrateful the people they are helping are.

Let us learn from history!

Victor Banjo was not a Biafran hero. He was a traitor

peckhamboi:
Kindness is just inbuilt inside the Yoruba DNA.

Yorubas are also the heroes their useless IPOB, if not for Fayose and FFK, the albino would still be rotting in prison.

Yet with all these kindness, they still repay us back with hatred.

Don't worry about oshokomole and FFK too much. They've already elevated those heroes of their struggle to god status even as we speak. Fayose and FFK are on the same level as Amadioha and Shuku okuko alaroka. They're already looking for a befitting place to erect shrines in their honour

EmeeNaka:
Victor Banjo was not a Biafran hero. He was a traitor

What of azikiwe? Was he a biafran traitor too? Or a hero?

shukuokukobambi:


What of azikiwe? Was he a biafran traitor too? Or a hero?

Nzeogwu

raumdeuter:


Nzeogwu

My padi, i wanted the child of bitterness to tell me whether azikiwe was fighting for biafra while eating amala and ewedu in Lagos during the war

shukuokukobambi:


What of azikiwe? Was he a biafran traitor too? Or a hero?

Azikiwe was a Nigeria and African hero

Awolowo's treacherous action rubbished other Yoruba's good deeds towards biafra.

My only joy is that he was duly served.

EmeeNaka:
Azikiwe was a Nigeria and African hero

Are you a Nigerian? What concerns you with Nigeria? Are you no longer a Jew?

We are talking of biafran heroes here. Was azikiwe a hero? Or will you call him an efulefu?

shukuokukobambi:


Are you a Nigerian? What concerns you with Nigeria? Are you no longer a Jew?

We are talking of biafran heroes here. Was azikiwe a hero? Or will you call him an efulefu?

Whenever Shukuokukobambi is in the building, wandering sons of bambiala be like..

sigh

peckhamboi:
Kindness is just inbuilt inside the Yoruba DNA.

Yorubas are also the heroes of their useless IPOB struggle, if not for Fayose and FFK, the albino would still be rotting in prison.

There was no Ibo leaders to be found then, it was only after the Yorubas freed him that they crawled out of their wood work and started visiting him at home.

Yet with all these kindness, they still repay us back with

hatred.

You and your type are always known for eye service, responsible men works underground.

[s]

omenkaLives:
Whenever Shukuokukobambi is in the building, wandering sons of bambiala be like..

[/s]
Nonsense trash
look who's talking about nairaland going to the dogs
my guy you and your likes brought nairaland down
with your omenka omenkalives progressive01 moniker that always breaks the law including rule 19 and goes free

well i blame seun and super mods like lalasticlala for these

useless trashy post by a supposed nairaland old man

omenkaLives:
Whenever Shukuokukobambi is in the building, wandering sons of bambiala be like..

My very person, dey haf use ban to finish me

In fact, I have repented. Na pet I go dey pet dem now

shukuokukobambi:


My very person, dey haf use ban to finish me

In fact, I have repented. Na pet I go dey pet dem now

This your definition of petting ehn, I'd rather be brutalised.

You mean mercenaries and double agents?


Yoruba no be fool

[s]

omenkaLives:
This your definition of petting ehn, I'd rather be brutalised.

[/s]
Shatap there and get out!
always talking trash

BuariCopyPaste:
Awolowo's treacherous action rubbished other Yoruba's good deeds towards biafra.

My only joy is that he was duly served.

hahahahahahaha
see finishing

shukuokukobambi:


Are you a Nigerian? What concerns you with Nigeria? Are you no longer a Jew?

We are talking of biafran heroes here. Was azikiwe a hero? Or will you call him an efulefu?

Azikiwe is a Nigeria and African hero

Biafra is an ideology towards emancipation of the black race, it is not an igbo thing as the propagandist postulate and any afonja expecting gratitude from igbos for their brothers identifying with a noble cause does not understand the roots of the Biafra struggle

ok

BuariCopyPaste:
Awolowo's treacherous action rubbished other Yoruba's good deeds towards biafra.

My only joy is that he was duly served.

So u expect those u are fighting to be feeding u?

They were simply fools..

how many igbos can do same for Yorubas? None!
They should carry their cross and leave Yorubas out of it

Biafra was created by Awolowo

BuariCopyPaste:
Awolowo's treacherous action rubbished other Yoruba's good deeds towards biafra.

My only joy is that he was duly served.

Why are all you these strange online made in aba jews such bloody liars? I am always seeing all these crap statements you and your fellow tribalists love making about how awolowo died from rat poisoning but you all know it is not true! Even if you guys want to diss your yoruba enemies can't you do it with facts?


This was how I caught one of you creating a thread and using a fake picture of a chess player that is still alive yesterday to claim that was the photo of the jewish student who committed suicide during the war! So it seems as this may 30th approaches your ipob lies grow bigger?

Na wa for una! Receive sense abeg!


https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Obafemi_Awolowo

These cowards and sabos were the reason we lost the war.

We have learnt. Never again!