₦airaland Forum

(5) The plan to capture PH was a modified version
of Gen. George S. Patton of the USA 7th Army
landing in Sicily during WW II. The full story is in my
book, on page 164.
(a) We addressed troops before any operations
against ill discipline.
(b) We never captured towns en route by attacking
them; we normally enveloped them to avoid
getting bogged down in having to clear each town
of Biafran troops. We had no time.
(c) The natives were our best friends – Just see
some of the pictures here. They gave us food, they
assisted in carrying our supplies and even fetched
firewood for our cooking as I had to feed over
40,000 troops on the move and in the rainy
season without Kerosene and cooking gas – Read
all about these in my coming book.
(e) See how not to do it. On pages 128 and 129 of
Achike Udenwa’s book titled “Nigerian Biafra civil
war – My experience.” He wrote about how Biafran troops recaptured Owerri, which took 7 months –
from October 1968 to April 1969. he wrote that his
Divisional commander Col Agbugo Kalu, (who by
the way was also my boss when I was tactics
instructor at NMTC Kaduna – 1965 to 1967) in
company of his brigade commander, Lt. Col Asoya
addressed his (Biafran) troops, and told them the
importance of clearing Owerri.
He further wrote that ammunition was shared and
so were the tasks of capturing Holy Rosary Girls
School, the catholic Bishop’s Court, Assumta
Roundabout etc. In fact Udenwa was shot on the
thigh and was evacuated to the hospital at Awo –
Omamma.
* I had no time for all these and that was why
Biafran troops got bogged down at Owerri for 7
months. It was a lousy and elementary tactics good only for WW I of 1914, not even for WW II of 1945.
Thank God that Capt. Udenwa was not killed
obeying such illegitimate order from his
commander.
5. The capture of Aba on pages 137 and 138, Chief Achebe wrote about Aba operations that the Third Division slowly marched north, crossing the Imo River, towards the market town of Aba. He further wrote that with heavy casualties along the way, Adekunle and his
men shot gleefully through a fierce Biafran
resistance and took Aba in August and Owerri in
September. The Aba offensive was particularly
gruesome.
On page 138, he wrote that on Third Division entry
into Aba, the Nigerian Soldiers massacred more
than 2000 civilians. Achebe also wrote about a report written by one Susan Masid of the French
Press Agency on the horrifying incident.
Comment
a. When we got to Aba it was a ghost town. Biafran
troops blew bridges and advised the natives to
evacuate the town.
b. See these pictures of the capture of Aba town.
Akinrinade was in charge of this operation and the
rest of the story is in my coming book.
1) The blown bridge by Biafran troops
2) The ghost town
3) The feeding of the returnees
4) The guarding of the textile mill
5) The guarding of the hotel.

bakynes:
The truth is that a Biafran cannot write about the War and won't be biased likewise a Nigerian.

The accounts of a foreigner is the best we can get from the War.

I keep telling Igbos that, the Biafran Army also did alot of atrocities, all is fair in War those days.

My Mother told me about her eye witness of how the Biafran Air Force did an aerial bombardment on Lagos,they dropped a Bomb right in Ebute-metta Casino killing Hundreds of People, she said all the glass widows in my grandfather's house were shattered due to the proximity to the Casino, they went to the scene later and they saw skulls of human heads and burnt bodies.

Likewise the aerial bombardment that happened in Kaduna and Kano which made many Hausa-Fulani enroll for the Army to fight in the War.

So both the Nigerian and Biafran Forces were brutal just because the Nigerian Army eventually won doesn't mean Igbos should start seeking sympathy when they also carried out massive slaughter on the minorities and on Nigerians.

You are right, it is part of this revealition, u have not gotten there. Trying g to upload pictures not uploading. I don't know why.

More

Afikpo
on page 139 of Achebe’s book, he wrote that on
the northern front, Mohammed Shuwa First Division
easily overran Abakaliki and Afikpo
Comment.
I led the troops that captured Afikpo in February
1968 as part of my order to clear Biafran troops
from South Eastern State, and to block the
international border with Cameroun. After the
capture of Ugep, Ediba, Itigidi and Obubra, I decided to have a feel of how fighting would be
like in Ibo land. Therefore with 12 Bde commanded
by Major Aliyu, we attacked Afikpo; but due to the
urgency of PH operation which had to be captured
before Kampala Uganda peace conference in May
1968, I was ordered by Adekunle the 3MDCO
commander to hand over Afikpo to I Division and
withdraw my troops to Calabar within 7 days. The
full story and pictures are contained in my book.
Therefore I Division did not capture Afikpo.

The capture of PH
The capture of PH was described on page 137 of
Achebe's book that in Aprip 1968, the Nigerians
decided to mount a Major strategic and tactical
offensive designed to cut Biafra off from the sea
coast; and that over 40,000 troops of the Third
Division led by col. Benjamin Adekunle engaged in
an amphibious, land and air onslaught on the Niger
River Delta City of PH.
He went on to say that after several weeks of
sustained air, land and sea pounding, a period
reportedly characterized by military atrocities rape,
looting, outright brigandry – PH fell to the Nigerians
on May 12, 1968.
Comment
a. Yes, the advance to capture PH started from
Calabar on 17th April 1968, a distance of
about 300miles. PH had to be captured not later than 30 days.

b. The advance and the attack was not led by
Adekunle but I was ordered to plan and lead the
attack from Calabar to PH which I did, and
captured PH in 30 days. Col Adekunle was in Lagos
at that time gathering supplies. The story is in my
book under “The Capture of PH”.
c. PH was captured on 18th May 1968 and not May 12,
1968 as contained in Achebe’s book.
d. Rape, looting, and outright bigandry were strong
words used to describe my troops and my
operations on that sector. Boloney!!!
(1) Firstly, you do not rape Efik, Ibibio or Annang
women. They were too sophisticated for that.
(2) Secondly, with me Alabi Isama in command and
with only 30 days to accomplish my task of
capturing 300 miles, my troops had no time for
nonsense as they had to cover at least 10 miles per
day including the plan to cross Opobo River. We
advanced day and night fighting for every inch of
the land.
(3) With our back to the Atlantic Ocean and our
chest to Biafran bullets, we had no place to hide
loots even if we had time for that. That operation
was in the mangrove forest, in the rainy season and
with rivers overflowing their banks. Every bit of
land was marshy, and water logged.
(4) Achebe used the word “Reportedly” Pity he did
not cross check his facts. Efiks, Ibibios, Annangs and Ikweres were the best people I had ever lived and
worked with in my life. Please see these pictures.

Chief (Dr) Chinua Achebe wrote a book titled
“There Was a Country” which had sparked a lot of
discussion on the pages of many of our National
Newspapers of the resent. The pity of it was that
Achebe had touched on the raw parts of the
Yoruba People of this country and many had
commented promptly and appropriately.

My comment to you today, has very little or nothing
to do with the tribal issues but as affecting the
military, the 3MCDO operation area during the civil
war and to Sector 3 of 3MCDO of which I was the
commander in particular, from 1967 to 1969. I was
also the Chief of Staff of 3MCDO during this same
period.
This book will be out there forever, and I need to
defend myself and my actions during the civil war
for posterity.
Nothing but the truth will be good enough for today
and tomorrow.
My account therefore will not be what I was told or
what I heard as contained in many parts of
Achebe's book. This is on the spot account of
events described in Achebe's book. I have just
completed reading it. Chief Achebe wrote about
the following military situations, which I know are
inconsistent with the truth:-
a Asaba Massacre – Page 133
b The Calabar Massacre -
Uyo – The brutality and blood lust of the
Nigerian Soldiers Page 137
c. The capture of Afikpo
d The Capture of PH - After several weeks of
sustained air, land and sea pounding, a period
reportedly characterized by military atrocities -
rapes, looting, outright brigandry – Port Harcourt
fell to the Nigerians on May 12, 1968. – Page 137
e. The Economic Blockade and starvation-
pages 209 – 210
I will therefore take these issues one by one and
expect that there will be questions at the end of
my discussions with you on the points made or
generally on the book, since I have read it.

Asaba Massacre.
This was on the night of 8th August, 1967 at about
10pm. I was the commander of the Federal troops
of 4th Area Command at Asaba. The Biafran troops
broke the barricade on Niger River bridge and
went straight to a place called “Ogbe Hausa” at the
cable point; where the Hausa community lived.
Biafran troops pounced on them and killed many of
them. The few that escaped were moved down at
Onitsha end, the people jubilated. Before my
troops could reach me to report the situation,
about 20 Biafran troops attacked me at the
catering Rest House where I was living at the time. I
fought my way through, and overpowered the 20
Biafran troops and reported the situation to my
boss Major Henry Igboba at Agbor. The story of
how I did that is contained in my book.
b) When the tide turned and the Federal Troops
recaptured the Midwestern Region and Asaba, the
Hausas among them retaliated by killing the people
at Asaba. The Hausa who were there had
never denied doing that.
c) Please read the excerpts of this story in a
book written by a Midwestern Asaba Ibo author
titled “The Blood on the Niger” - pages 28 and 62

[b]Excerpts[/b]: Lieutenant Wokocha of the invading forces awakened one of the commanders of the Midwest Fourth Area Command in Asaba, Major Alabi Isama from sleep at the Catering Rest House. Major Alabi escaped arrest by shooting his way through and
headed straight to Agbor......
Elsewhere at the ’Ogbe Hausa’ settlement (the
equivalent name to the northern ‘Sabon Gari’
residential quarters of migrant elements living in the
traditional Muslim Hausa states), a former teacher of
35 years experience, tells an equally hair-raising
story. But before then, let us backup to the scenario
at Ogbe Hausa the day Biafrans crossed the Niger.
The Hausa settlement at the end of Cable Point is as
old as Asaba Township itself. It developed during the
trading boom of the Royal Niger Company. Trade on
the Niger had brought a lot of Nigerians together
buying, exchanging and selling goods. Most of these
stranger elements from the North – Hausas, Fulanis,
Nupes, Tivs and Igalas decided to stay on in Asaba.
Many were born there and did not have deeper ties with their own Northern roots, and during the crisis,
did not quite know where to run back to. These
were the Nigerians that a group of brigands from
Onitsha fell upon on the morning of 9th August, 1967.
These youths, mainly aggrieved refugees from the
North apparently had not forgotten the 1966
debacle in the North. In vengeance, they
accompanied the Biafran Brigade and before the
Asaba indigenes knew what was happening, a lot of
damage had been done in Ogbe Hausa. Many were
rescued and given safe conduct through Auchi by
road while others proceeded by boat through the
river Niger. This group never made it, for they were
ambushed at Onono near Onitsha and dealt with.
This was the situation as the Federal troops, now on
the offensive and in command, approached Ogbe
Hausa quarters, Asaba
* In short the Hausas were all killed.
The rest of the story is in my book now being
published which hopefully should be launched in
January / February 2013.
The Calabar Massacre – page 137 of Achebe’s
book.
I was the Chief of Staff of 3MCDO and Col
Benjamin Adekunle was the commander. Achebe’s
story here was that the Nigerian forces over ran
Calabar in early 1968 without much resistance or
investment. He further wrote that the Nigerian
Forces decided to purge the city of its Igbo
inhabitants and that by the time the Nigerians were
done, at least 1,000 and perhaps 2,000 Ibos had
been killed.

a. This is a very unfortunate comment.
Intelligence report showed that Biafran troops
had alienated the Efik people of Calabar, did not
recruit many into the Biafran Army and had lousily
defended the town and the beach area of
Atimbo. 3MDCO therefore led by Col Adekunle had
an amphibious landing at Calabar which proved
that the town and the beaches were not defended
by Biafran troops with the seriousness that it
deserved; and the natives welcomed 3MCDO with
all the enthusiasm and the support it deserved.
b. I landed 3 days after the amphibious
landing and the natives gave us all the support we
needed – medical, casualty evacuation, food, off
loading the ship of our supplies and heavy
weapons. These stories and relevant pictures are
contained in my book.
c. Achebe then said, on the same page 137
that the Nigerian forces opened fire and murdered
fourteen nurses and the patients in the wards in
Uyo.
Here is an excerpts from a book titled “The Nigerian
Revolution and the Biafran War” by AlexanderA. Madiebo, the commander of Biafran Forces on
page 240 and 242 of his book.

....On the 9th of March the enemy landed at Oron and
then on, no one including the Brigade
Commander Aniebo, really knew what was
happening until Ikot-Ekpene, 50 miles from Oron, also
fell. However, within hours of enemy landing, there
was firing in many towns and villages between Oron
and Uyo. Thereafter, wherever our troops tried to
deploy in the area, they fell into an ambush. That confusion continued until the 11th when firing
started inside Uyo town and we soon discovered
that the “enemy,” whoever he might be, was there.
In short Uyo had fallen! Our own troops were pulling
back in disarray, absolutely unable to establish a
defensive position anywhere along the route. Having
lost complete control of his brigade with no
prospects of regaining it, Colonel Aniebo was
dismissed from command and summoned to
appear before the Head of State, Ojukwu...

Here also is an excerpt of the book titled “Nigeria
and Biafra my Story” by Phippip Effiong, the Chief of
Defence Staff of the Biafran Armed Forces on
page 220 and 221 of his book:

.....When I visited the Brigade shortly before the
invasion, particularly in Uyo and Calabar areas, I
received a lot of complaints from the local people
about unsavoury treatment by our (Biafran) troops. I
drew Colonel Eze’s attention to these complaints and
urged him to improve relations with the civilians. At
Uyo, military/civilian relations were so strained that I
had to personally intervene to release a local
newspaper editor from detention. Such acts on my
part were not just a question of feeling alone for my
people, but also a question of justice and sense of
belonging in an emergent Biafran State. Were these
arrests, false accusations, and detentions a sign of
things to come in an independent Biafra? These issues bothered me as they would anyone else in
my position then.....
..... With the fall of Calabar, Itu , Uyo and Ikot Ekpene
the rest of the mainland was militarily threatened.
Before this threat became imminent, I had strongly
suggested to Ojukwu that as Ikot Ekpene was a vital
junction town. It should be strongly defended. All he
did was to sarcastically remind me that in fact we
should also put a battalion at Nnewi. Nnewi was
Ojukwus’s homerown as Ikot Ekpene was supposed to
be mine, because I lived and grew up there.
However, I am from Ibiono in Itu, and not Ikot Ekpene.
After I received his sarcastic message, I did not
mention the subject again. As it eventually turned out,
the fall of Ikot Ekpene hastened the collapse of the
Biafran 12th Division and, consequently, of Biafra....

d) More of the story and pictures of the capture of
Calabar, Uyo Ikot – Ekpere are contained in
chapter 5 of my book.
1. (Pictures) – Building Bridges – Page 85 of my book.
2. (Picture) Natures helping to build the roads and
bridges – page 86 of my book.
3. Map for the capture of Obubra – page 87 of my
book.

Demdem:
My friend keep shut if u have nothing to say. Am here in ph and for over a decade now. Ph is not igbo/biafra land. Get that to ur skull.


https://www.nairaland.com/1113144/where-biafra-delcared

Is he claiming rivers as igbo land?

Antivirus92:
Unlike other regions in the country that have atleast 3 to 4 states developed. Even the poor north is more developed than the south-west. South-west only has LAGOS as the only developed state. Why is it like that? I need answers and not insults!

Did you say developed. Is there dictionary in aba with definition for developed

Hmmm

ameri9ja:
What is tbc?

The billion coin.

Isokowadoo:
What a Read, Earned 4btc back den And Sold all.
Funny Ppl Ain't allowed to Talk Abt btc on Nairaland

Yes o. I condemned It when it first came and made a huge mistake. I heard about tbc too now, I see people condemning it, but I don't care as I bought it.

mazimee:
Post your picture let us see if you look any better.

Warning : No brown roof background

Odensi

GuyWise:
Look at how these afons are wailing ontop of an IGBO man corpse, Chai dem swear for you people from WASTE not to see anything IGBO even their dead body?

What is this one saying? I can't find the correlation.

chibuzorAbia:
This confused Biafrans continue to think Lagos is part of their homeland. Why the HELL are Yoruba leadership not saying anything? This insolence from the confused Flatthead tribe need our response. I am fully behind IPORK on this issue.

Yoruba leaders see them as people suffering from inferiority complex. They can't stoop so low to answer them. Even when their Mumu governor obiano talked rubbish.

Just look at how they packaged his body like a dead scumbria fish.

Nice one. Let me see any developer that will claim this.

classicMan22:
as 4 me I will say let SARS continue so dat dey will tormented dose skull miners.

Common, Just see English.

humblenature:
When sars was disturbing in PH, yorubas kept mute when police and sars were killing people in rumuokuta and killing ipob and biafrans in ph and aba , south south and south east were crying end sars but yorubas did not join. when operation python dance 1 in south east was going on other sars brutality in south south and south east , yorubas was enjoying even laughing at us saying that sars cannot do dat in lagos or south west because they own govt. now.. sars donland for their face. sars don remember dem yahoo bois there and jobless yoruba bitcoin guys they are crying. crying. look. enjoy the music like we did in the past because sars do not disturb us in east and south again. they are now our friends. they have made our region safe .. so #istandwithsars . sars carry go and flush out dose lazy idle bloggers and fake journalist and yahoo boiz in southwest. let South West be clean again. God bless sars. yoruba think they have sense , only lending their voice to a cause when it has startee affecting them

What is this one saying

Obi1kenobi:
I've not seen any report from WHO that claims such.

As for the WHO claims that circulate here, it was pretty clear a number of cities were sampled and all 4 Nigerian cities that were in the study - Onitsha, Aba, Umuahia and Kaduna - featured in the bottom 20 for air pollution.

These are some of the quotes from the conductor of the study from WHO:
http://edition.cnn.com/2016/05/31/africa/nigeria-cities-pollution/index.html
"The report only included pollution levels from cities with a population of over 100,000 residents that monitor their pollution levels -- something many African cities don't do.

Regarding the four cities in Nigeria, we would actually like to praise them. They are at least monitoring the pollution levels, others are not even monitoring the air, we know that some are very polluted.

These four cities are moving towards taking action to reduce pollution"

I've been to Ibadan and Kaduna for example and only an ignorant person who hasn't traveled to both cities would claim Kaduna is more polluted than Ibadan because Ibadan didn't make the pollution list.

The SW does lead Nigeria though in metrics like open defecation with Ekiti standing proudly atop the heap. In any case, what does all this have to do with the original thread topic?

Be consoling yourself here. We only listen to WHO

totit:
Lool
Every developed and developing countries has its (slum) rural and urban areas, does that make such countries underdeveloped or wholly rural

Anyways, here :
https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2017/feb/13/polluted-onitsha-nigeria-perpetual-dust-city-world-worst-air



Lool

Chai, igbos are too dirty

emmie14:
Is gala paper as dirty as excretion from Yorubas leaving around ijora and badia. What about kirikiri town and related under bridge dwellers. What is in Kenya and Algeria? Talk of south Africa okay. Kenya that is beautiful is only Nairobi. The whole of Lagos is dirty with blocked drainage. Clean your environments and stop blaming migrants. The tradition of your land....dirtiness is influencing them. How can 10 Igbos change the character and styles of living of 1000 Yorubas? You no dey shame?

Bros, leave story and go and drag with WHO that named your tribe most dirtiest in the world. Abi who na Yoruba organisation?

emmie14:
Are you not a Yoruba? Your body and environment is the dirtiest in the country. You're manufacturers of dirtiness'. There is no eastern state that is as dirty as Ibadan ogun and Lagos. Badia. Ijora apapa. God forbid. Your girls I heard goes with panties for 3days without washing. Rubbish. Every corner in Lagos international airport is dirty and smelling. Yoruba culture of dirtiness. Look at you with advice on hygiene. Come to Enugu or owerri..

Says an igbo man world health organisation named his tribe as the dirtiest tribe in the world. Who takes what they say serious

KushyKush:
Lol... Sorry I am Jobless. So back to trashing your fake thread.

What job is the lady in question into apart from living fake lifestyle? Is she a Hoeloshow?

You are right. I have posted inbetween my two brother's cars, I mean correct one l, before with the keys and called it mine. So we can fake anything in life. Who is she doing?

So, these comrades are still in prison. And dilector is busy eating pizza in Ghana

Stingman:
Stinking man! Who cares...Which region has more IDPs and more suicide cases after NE Boko ravaged region? Not SW.

kwantinue!!

Who is this one.

dman4mdmoon:
"Yorubas are backstabbers" for not voting for Jonathan in 2015? But the same Yorubas voted for Jonathan in 2011! You didn't say they were backstabbers then.

He is mad.

Mufasa27:
I am full blood, but it won't stop me from saying the truth

Which truth. Cos other people refuses to vote for who you prefer. Why are Yoruba not calling you backstabbers for not voting apc. You still crying over 2015 in December 2017. Be prepared to cry for the next six years.

Alcatraz005:
You wish you were yoruba.

He really wish.

Mufasa27:
Dust

You are mad. Backstabber because they didn't vote Jonathan but not backstabbers when they voted Jonathan in 2011. I repeat, you are mad. Useless ipob. Die for all we care. We will still vote apc in 2019, if it pains you, you can go and wait for train to crush you to death.

Hmmm