₦airaland Forum

I laugh when hear some people say that Biafran Warlord, Ojukwu, was coward for running away at the end of the war. I don't know any coward who would take on the military might of Nigeria for three years. Those who cannot fight for their freedom for 3 minutes against Nigeria, think Ojukwu who fought for three years is a coward? Very amusing 😆

In 2001, Journalist, Rudolph Okonkwo, interviewed Ojukwu in America, and one of the questions was about this running away matter.


RUDOLF OKONKWO: Modern day analysts have opined that the Ojukwu that died in 1970 would have been more powerful than the living Ojukwu of this day. Why didn’t you stay and fight until the end?

OJUKWU: Consider committing suicide? I am asking. What I considered was to fight the war to the best of our ability and give a leadership to our people for as long as I could. If you remember, when I left Biafra I went in search of peace. I went trying to get hold of Houphouet-Boigny, the president of the Ivory Coast. He happened to be in Cameroon. By the time he came back and we had a discussion, my number two, General Effiong, had surrendered. That was the way it came about. But all that notwithstanding, I know many people would have loved a dead Ojukwu but I would not oblige them. I intend to live for very, very, much longer and I intend also to be quite vocal in politics for as long as I can.

The one Nigerianist and unity beggars would have loved for Ojukwu to stay back and be used for target practice by the Nigerian Army. Ojukwu challenged the existence of their British colony called Nigeria. Ojukwu denied them the sweet pleasure of parading Ojukwu's dead body for the world to see, and declaring that Biafra was dead as Ojukwu. For them, bravery is not when you stand up and fight in difficult conditions, bravery is when you relax and present your self to be used as target practice by your enemies after fighting 😆

Unfortunately, for them, Ojukwu was not stupid to that level.






The full interview below

https://www.nairaland.com/811932/interview-ojukwucomments-coup-awolowo

🥴 gidgiddy na wa for you o!

U wan go meet president of another country without informing your deputy or u japa

Eastern Nigeria was also a British creation,so why fight a war for a part of the evil British creations,truth is Ojukwu wanted a part of the cake and it failed, even till today,the agitators of Biafra Will reject it if they are given the five States from the east, That's the simple truth

gidgiddy:
I laugh when hear some people say that Biafran Warlord, Ojukwu, was coward for running away at the end of the war. I don't know any coward who would take on the military might of Nigeria for three years. Those who cannot fight for their freedom for 3 minutes against Nigeria, think Ojukwu who fought for three years is a coward? Very amusing 😆

In 2001, Journalist, Rudolph Okonkwo, interviewed Ojukwu in America, and one of the questions was about this running away matter.


RUDOLF OKONKWO: Modern day analysts have opined that the Ojukwu that died in 1970 would have been more powerful than the living Ojukwu of this day. Why didn’t you stay and fight until the end?

OJUKWU: Consider committing suicide? I am asking. What I considered was to fight the war to the best of our ability and give a leadership to our people for as long as I could. If you remember, when I left Biafra I went in search of peace. I went trying to get hold of Houphouet-Boigny, the president of the Ivory Coast. He happened to be in Cameroon. By the time he came back and we had a discussion, my number two, General Effiong, had surrendered. That was the way it came about. But all that notwithstanding, I know many people would have loved a dead Ojukwu but I would not oblige them. I intend to live for very, very, much longer and I intend also to be quite vocal in politics for as long as I can.

The one Nigerianist and unity beggars would have loved for Ojukwu to stay back and be used for target practice by the Nigerian Army. Ojukwu challenged the existence of their British colony called Nigeria. Ojukwu denied them the sweet pleasure of parading Ojukwu's dead body for the world to see, and declaring that Biafra was dead as Ojukwu. For them, bravery is not when you stand up and fight in difficult conditions, bravery is when you relax and present your self to be used as target practice by your enemies after fighting 😆

Unfortunately, for them, Ojukwu was not stupid to that level.






The full interview below

https://www.nairaland.com/811932/interview-ojukwucomments-coup-awolowo

Gen Ojukwu should have left Biafra earlier than January 1970.

gidgiddy:
I laugh when hear some people say that Biafran Warlord, Ojukwu, was coward for running away at the end of the war. I don't know any coward who would take on the military might of Nigeria for three years. Those who cannot fight for their freedom for 3 minutes against Nigeria, think Ojukwu who fought for three years is a coward? Very amusing 😆

In 2001, Journalist, Rudolph Okonkwo, interviewed Ojukwu in America, and one of the questions was about this running away matter.


RUDOLF OKONKWO: Modern day analysts have opined that the Ojukwu that died in 1970 would have been more powerful than the living Ojukwu of this day. Why didn’t you stay and fight until the end?

OJUKWU: Consider committing suicide? I am asking. What I considered was to fight the war to the best of our ability and give a leadership to our people for as long as I could. If you remember, when I left Biafra I went in search of peace. I went trying to get hold of Houphouet-Boigny, the president of the Ivory Coast. He happened to be in Cameroon. By the time he came back and we had a discussion, my number two, General Effiong, had surrendered. That was the way it came about. But all that notwithstanding, I know many people would have loved a dead Ojukwu but I would not oblige them. I intend to live for very, very, much longer and I intend also to be quite vocal in politics for as long as I can.

The one Nigerianist and unity beggars would have loved for Ojukwu to stay back and be used for target practice by the Nigerian Army. Ojukwu challenged the existence of their British colony called Nigeria. Ojukwu denied them the sweet pleasure of parading Ojukwu's dead body for the world to see, and declaring that Biafra was dead as Ojukwu. For them, bravery is not when you stand up and fight in difficult conditions, bravery is when you relax and present your self to be used as target practice by your enemies after fighting 😆

Unfortunately, for them, Ojukwu was not stupid to that level.






The full interview below

https://www.nairaland.com/811932/interview-ojukwucomments-coup-awolowo

Ojukwu dressed like a lady while fleeing like a coward he is.

Hisroyalbadmeat:
Eastern Nigeria was also a British creation,so why fight a war for a part of the evil British creations,truth is Ojukwu wanted a part of the cake and it failed, even till today,the agitators of Biafra Will reject it if they are given the five States from the east, That's the simple truth

Five South East states is creation of Gowon so it is unacceptable by us.

Ojiofor:
Five South East states is creation of Gowon so it is unacceptable by us.

pls can u assist me with any amount for foodstuffs pls 🙏

Hisroyalbadmeat:
Eastern Nigeria was also a British creation,so why fight a war for a part of the evil British creations,truth is Ojukwu wanted a part of the cake and it failed, even till today,the agitators of Biafra Will reject it if they are given the five States from the east, That's the simple truth

Consider that everything most Nigerians do, including people like Obi, tinubu, atiku, gej, and even buhari and obsanjo...and even movements like IPOB, Oodua , Niger delta, and especially Boko...and bandits...is to get the cake.

There are very few Nigerians that are pro-Nigerian. Most Nigerians are pro-mammon. Biafra, like everything else...is a means to get the favor of mammon.

Ojiofor:
Gen Ojukwu should have left Biafra earlier than January 1970.

If Ojukwu had left earlier, Biafra’s leadership would likely have fallen into the hands of fiery, uncompromising soldiers. Strong-headed and fiercely independent, men like Nzeogwu and Ifeajuna would have shifted the war’s course entirely. Unlike Philip Effiong—disciplined, methodical, and molded by white military training—they would have abandoned conventional battle strategies for ruthless guerrilla warfare and precision lightning strikes.
. The head-on collision approach that drained Biafra's strength might have been cast aside, replaced by brutal, unpredictable tactics designed to bleed the enemy dry. The battlefield would have become chaos incarnate, driven by raw defiance and calculated ferocity.

.Biafra didn't fight the wrong war , they fought with the wrong tactical approach.

Useless speech from a very useless coward

I heard he disguised like a b1tch and ran away to Kigali


If the greatest man from your tribe is a coward, then the followers are just

Ojukwu should have killed himself like Brutus, Mark Anthony and Hitler.

Running away and leaving your people at the mercy of the enemy was an act of supreme cowardice.

Stop glorifying weakness.

Coward leader and people.

Ojukwu that was hiding in his bunker throughout the 30months war.


Same biafra war lead by a Yoruba man.

Thiefobi1:
Coward leader and people.

Ojukwu that was hiding in his bunker throughout the 30months war.


Same biafra war lead by a Yoruba man.

Go and verify—aside ravaging farmlands and imposing a blockade, the Nigerian military accomplished little on the battlefield against Biafra. The 2nd Division, now stationed in Ibadan, was wiped out a record four times, with General Murtala Mohammed humiliated and exiled until the war's end.

Every Nigerian head of state, apart from Gowon, still carries scars—physical and psychological—inflicted by the relentless and fearless Biafran military. The nightmares of that war remain etched in their memories, a testament to Biafra’s unyielding defiance.

Thiefobi1:
Coward leader and people.

Ojukwu that was hiding in his bunker throughout the 30months war.


Same biafra war lead by a Yoruba man.

.Owerri was later recaptured with more than 90% the 3rd Marine command destroyed.

Mind you, the Nigerian chief of Army staff was killed during the war, by Biafrans . There is a reason history was banned by Nigerian government. Don't let them ban it again .

I read the battle of owerri and discovered that most casualties of the Nigerian military came from there.

It is not by chance that people relish owerri and there is a strong battle to control its politics .

Owerri was indeed a battle ground

Cowards just like your father n forefathers.

If and if all the time, cowards they say you will die many times before your actual death.

There is more than enough time for cowards like you to exhibit your if n if at any given time but what do cowards do ?

Wail like lunatics all the time that is what cowards do. Wail n Wail like lunatics.

kettykin:
If Ojukwu had left earlier, Biafra’s leadership would likely have fallen into the hands of fiery, uncompromising soldiers. Strong-headed and fiercely independent, men like Nzeogwu and Ifeajuna would have shifted the war’s course entirely. Unlike Philip Effiong—disciplined, methodical, and molded by white military training—they would have abandoned conventional battle strategies for ruthless guerrilla warfare and precision lightning strikes.
. The head-on collision approach that drained Biafra's strength might have been cast aside, replaced by brutal, unpredictable tactics designed to bleed the enemy dry. The battlefield would have become chaos incarnate, driven by raw defiance and calculated ferocity.

.Biafra didn't fight the wrong war , the fought with the wrong tactical approach.

You are actually the wailing mugu and lunatic with this your response. Pained mofo..

Nonsense

UpaIweka:
Cowards just like your father n forefathers.

If and if all the time, cowards they say you will die many times before your actual death.

There is more than enough time for cowards like you to exhibit your if n if at any given time but what do cowards do ?

Wail like lunatics all the time that is what cowards do. Wail n Wail like lunatics.

UpaIweka:
Cowards just like your father n forefathers.

If and if all the time, cowards they say you will die many times before your actual death.

There is more than enough time for cowards like you to exhibit your if n if at any given time but what do cowards do ?

Wail like lunatics all the time that is what cowards do. Wail n Wail like lunatics.

Please see below the exact battle for owerri from an unbiased perspective.

The Battle for Owerri was one of the most intense and decisive engagements of the Nigerian Civil War (1967–1970), lasting from 1968 to early 1969. Owerri, located in present-day Imo State, held immense strategic importance as a key Biafran stronghold and a transportation hub. Its capture was critical for Nigeria’s Federal forces to cut off Biafran supplies and movement in the southeastern region.

The Siege and Fighting

1. Initial Nigerian Capture:
In 1968, the Nigerian 3rd Marine Commando Division, led by the fierce and controversial General Benjamin Adekunle ("Black Scorpion", launched an offensive and successfully captured Owerri after heavy fighting. The capture was meant to isolate Biafra's remaining territories and pave the way for a total Nigerian victory.


2. Biafran Counterattacks:
Under the command of Colonel Joe Achuzia, a brilliant but ruthless Biafran officer, Biafran forces regrouped and launched guerrilla-style counteroffensives. Utilizing ambushes and hit-and-run tactics, they gradually encircled the Nigerian troops, making their occupation of the town untenable.


3. Nigerian Collapse:
By early 1969, after enduring fierce resistance, supply shortages, and rising casualties, the Nigerian troops were forced to abandon Owerri. Biafran forces recaptured the town in what was seen as a major morale boost for the secessionist state.



Tactics and Strategy

Biafran forces displayed remarkable ingenuity, using limited resources to construct makeshift weapons and reinforce their defenses.

The use of guerrilla warfare and sabotage by Biafran troops made the terrain treacherous for the Nigerian army.

Nigerian forces relied heavily on artillery and air support but struggled with logistics and the unfamiliar terrain.


Significance

1. The recapture of Owerri was one of the last major Biafran victories in the war.


2. It boosted the morale of Biafran forces and symbolized the resilience of the Biafran spirit despite being outnumbered and outgunned.


3. The heavy losses suffered by Nigerian forces marked a turning point, leading them to shift tactics toward total economic blockade rather than direct confrontations.



Aftermath

Despite the Biafran success at Owerri, the war's tide had already turned in favor of Nigeria. The eventual fall of other key cities and the humanitarian crisis forced Biafra to surrender in January 1970, ending the conflict.

The Battle for Owerri remains a testament to the tenacity and determination of the Biafran forces during one of the darkest chapters in Nigeria's history.

Ojiofor:
Five South East states is creation of Gowon so it is unacceptable by us.

When you say by us, who are they exactly

kettykin:
If Ojukwu had left earlier, Biafra’s leadership would likely have fallen into the hands of fiery, uncompromising soldiers. Strong-headed and fiercely independent, men like Nzeogwu and Ifeajuna would have shifted the war’s course entirely. Unlike Philip Effiong—disciplined, methodical, and molded by white military training—they would have abandoned conventional battle strategies for ruthless guerrilla warfare and precision lightning strikes.
. The head-on collision approach that drained Biafra's strength might have been cast aside, replaced by brutal, unpredictable tactics designed to bleed the enemy dry. The battlefield would have become chaos incarnate, driven by raw defiance and calculated ferocity.

.Biafra didn't fight the wrong war , the fought with the wrong tactical approach.

Ojukwu leaving earlier than when he left means the war shouldn't have been dragged that long.
If leadership position have fallen into the hands of either Nzeogwu or Ifeajuna they woulld have ended the war through negotiated settlement with FG because they were true federalist they never believed in division of Nigeria that was the main reason why Ifeajuna was tried and executed for treason.Biafra was bound to lose the war nor matter the tactics either conventional or guerilla warfare the odds was heavily against the Biafrans and in favour of FGN.

If Ojukwu had gone into exile when Aburi accord failed we have experienced great statesmen in persons of Zik,,Okpara,Akanu Ibiam,Mbadiwe etc...respected in Nigeria and international community who would have gotten us a better deal through negotiated settlement rather than outright secession that led to unprepared war on both sides. .
My personal opinion.

Hisroyalbadmeat:
When you say by us, who are they exactly

Ndi Igbo because the so called southeast of today created artifial boundary on the Igbo nation.

Thiefobi1:
Coward leader and people.

Ojukwu that was hiding in his bunker throughout the 30months war.


Same biafra war lead by a Yoruba man.

Stop typing lies
There were instances where Ojukwu was the last soldier to leave the town. I think that was the battle for Umuahia.
Have you heard any of his fellow general calling him a coward?!
OBJ, Danjuma, Akrinnade, Yar'Adua, Shuwa, IBB, Abacha or Gowon?!
Use your brains

Ojiofor:
Ojukwu leaving earlier than when he left means the war shouldn't have been dragged that long.
If leadership position have fallen into the hands of either Nzeogwu or Ifeajuna they woulld have ended the war through negotiated settlement with FG because they were true federalist they never believed in division of Nigeria that was the main reason why Ifeajuna was tried and executed for treason.Biafra was bound to lose the war nor matter the tactics either conventional or guerilla warfare the odds was heavily against the Biafrans and in favour of FGN.

If Ojukwu had gone into exile when Aburi accord failed we have experienced great statesmen in persons of Zik,,Okpara,Akanu Ibiam,Mbadiwe etc...respected in Nigeria and international community who would have gotten us a better deal through negotiated settlement rather than outright secession that led to unprepared war on both sides. .
My personal opinion.

Zik who ran away abi another Zik?!

Ojukwu ran away to Abidjan and came back with another mistress.


-Kiss the truth!

Ojiofor:
Ndi Igbo because the so called southeast of today created artifial boundary on the Igbo nation.

So you have to force minorities to join your so called Biafra by force

Hisroyalbadmeat:
So you have to force minorities to join your so called Biafra by force

How does ndi Igbo which I stated in my comment translate to minorities?
Do you know that some Igbo communities were cut into two one part in Abia and the other half in Rivers, same thing in Imo,Enugu,Ebonyi,Anambra etc..So to you those who were separated from their brothers due to artificial state creation boudaries are nolonger Igbos?I am not talking about non Igbos here so take note.

tishbite43:
Zik who ran away abi another Zik?!

Read again unless you lack comprehension or this topic is simply above your understanding.
Zik quit Biafra in 1969 while Aburi Accord happened in 1967.

tishbite43:
Stop typing lies
There were instances where Ojukwu was the last soldier to leave the town. I think that was the battle for Umuahia.
Have you heard any of his fellow general calling him a coward?!
OBJ, Danjuma, Akrinnade, Yar'Adua, Shuwa, IBB, Abacha or Gowon?!
Use your brains

No soldier, dead or alive, could ever attempt what Ojukwu did and walk away unscathed.

Imagine this: daring to confront a Nigerian force backed by the Soviet Union, Britain, East Germany, Egypt, Sudan, the Arab world, Cameroon, Niger Republic, Chad Republic, and the OAU.

Not even Gaddafi, with all his bravado, dared to take on the Western powers head-on. And look at Zelensky today—backed by NATO and the United States—yet he hasn’t managed to turn the tide of battle.

If Biafra had been armed to the teeth, Nigeria would have been relegated to the annals of history.

The audacity of Ojukwu’s defiance remains unmatched, a brutal reminder of what could have been.

kettykin:
No soldier, dead or alive, could ever attempt what Ojukwu did and walk away unscathed.

Imagine this: daring to confront a Nigerian force backed by the Soviet Union, Britain, East Germany, Egypt, Sudan, the Arab world, Cameroon, Niger Republic, Chad Republic, and the OAU.

Not even Gaddafi, with all his bravado, dared to take on the Western powers head-on. And look at Zelensky today—backed by NATO and the United States—yet he hasn’t managed to turn the tide of battle.

If Biafra had been armed to the teeth, Nigeria would have been relegated to the annals of history.

The audacity of Ojukwu’s defiance remains unmatched, a brutal reminder of what could have been.

Aptly said

kettykin:
No soldier, dead or alive, could ever attempt what Ojukwu did and walk away unscathed.

Imagine this: daring to confront a Nigerian force backed by the Soviet Union, Britain, East Germany, Egypt, Sudan, the Arab world, Cameroon, Niger Republic, Chad Republic, and the OAU.

Not even Gaddafi, with all his bravado, dared to take on the Western powers head-on. And look at Zelensky today—backed by NATO and the United States—yet he hasn’t managed to turn the tide of battle.

If Biafra had been armed to the teeth, Nigeria would have been relegated to the annals of history.

The audacity of Ojukwu’s defiance remains unmatched, a brutal reminder of what could have been.

Audacity?


No, it was ignorance and foolishness.


Ignorance in the sense that he felt the Federal Government would simply allow him secede without confrontation.


Foolishness because he felt he could go to war against the Federal Government and come out victorious.



In fact, it was said that his game plan was to drag the war for as long as he could in the hope that the Federal Government would get tired and just let him go with his Biafra.



How could he have imagined that the Federal Government would allow him secede with all those oil-rich lands if he was not plain stupid?



Rashness or thoughtlessness is not audacity. He learnt his lessons the hard way.



The only unfortunate thing is that none of his loved ones perished due to his lack of foresight. His children or cousins were not among the millions of children who starved to death.



It is this same stupidity that I have noticed in many Igbos.


They confuse their recklessness for bravery.



The legendary Chinua Achebe wrote: "We often stand in the compound of a coward to point at the ruins where a brave man used to live."

danvon:
Ojukwu should have killed himself like Brutus, Mark Anthony and Hitler.

Running away and leaving your people at the mercy of the enemy was an act of supreme cowardice.

Stop glorifying weakness.

Kaduna Nzeogwu actually did that (suicide) after realising he made a grievous mistake partaking in the coup.

Ojiofor:
How does ndi Igbo which I stated in my comment translate to minorities?
Do you know that some Igbo communities were cut into two one part in Abia and the other half in Rivers, same thing in Imo,Enugu,Ebonyi,Anambra etc..So to you those who were separated from their brothers due to artificial state creation boudaries are nolonger Igbos?I am not talking about non Igbos here so take note.

If they say they are not willing to join your so called Biafra, Will you force them? Creating a new country with the same template as the existing one, People should be free to chose, Force Will create more conflicts