₦airaland Forum

Ojukwu's letter to Victor Banjo

My dear Victor,

1. For some time now, you and I have been discussing the circumstances that have led to the current and inevitable disintegration of what was the Federation of Nigeria. We have been fully convinced that the aim of the Hausa/Fulani complex has ever been, and will ever remain, the total domination of every other part of what was known as the Federation of Nigeria. It is impossible to forget that the crisis which led to the army take over in January 1966, the coup of the Northern soldiers led by Gowon in July 1966, the wholesale and indiscriminate massacre of the people of what is now Biafra- and, to a less degree, the people of the Mid-West and West, including the Yorubas, were all the direct result of Hausa/Fulani attempt to subjugate and use as tools, the gallant people of Western Nigeria namely the Yorubas. We do not need to remind ourselves of the heavy losses in life and property suffered by the Yoruba people in their fight for justice and freedom during 1965.

2. Sharing.our belief that the people of Yorubaland have a right to live a life of equality and self-respect and justice free of domination and dictatorship from any quarter, you have both identified with the cause of the Biafra struggle for survival and expressed your determination to see the people of Yorubaland freed from Hausa/Fulani domination. We, the people of Biafra, for our part are willing and have decided to give you and the people of Yorubaland every assistance to achieve your aim.

3. After clearing the whole question with my Executive Council, I, as the Commander in Chief of the Biafran Armed Forces, have decided to place at your disposal Biafran forces, for the liberation of Yorubaland on the following clear conditions:- (i) You will have nothing to do with the Military Administrator in the Mid-West Territory during your sojourn there prior to your move to the West. (ii) The willingness and preparedness of Biafra to assist any part of the former Federation of Nigeria wishing and willing to liberate itself from the Hausa/Fulani domination, does not in anyway whatever imply any inclination on her part to compromise her sovereignty or preserve what remains of the defunct Federation of Nigeria. In other words, our sovereignty and break with Nigeria is irrevocable. Nothing must, therefore be said or done by you or any member of the Liberation Army to give a contrary impression. (iii) Biafra is determined to maintain and safeguard her sovereignty and ensure that her integrity and safety are never again threatened. (iv) Biafran troops will, after the liberation of the Yorubaland, remain in that territory only for as long as we in Biafra consider it necessary for the Yorubas to consolidate their position and sovereignty against any external threat. (v) On the liberation of the Yorubaland, you will be appointed as the Military Governor of that territory. (vi) The liberation of Western Nigeria will be a prelude to the liberation of all Yorubas up to the River Niger and the severance of all connections between the West and the North at Jebba. (vii) During the period of Biafrans troops’ presence in your territory, all political measures, statements or decrees shall be subject to the approval, in writing by myself or on my authority. (viii) Should our troops arrive and liberate Lagos, the government of the Republic of Biafra reserves the right to appoint a Military administrator for the territory. Such an Administrator will remain in office until a merger of that territory with Yorubaland is effected by Biafran troops. (ix) As soon as possible after your appointment as the Military Governor of Western Nigeria and separation of that territory from Nigeria, you and I must meet to discuss: (a) the duration of stay of Biafran troops in your territory; (b) the areas and subjects of cooperation between the liberated sovereign states of Western Nigeria, or by what name it may call itself, and Biafra.

4. I do not need to remind you that Biafra regards all Yoruba as friends. As such everything should be done, to ensure the minimum force and loss of life are involved in achieving the objective of liberation.

5. It is essential, in order to avoid misunderstanding or confusion, that all subsequent requests for support be formally made to me by you in writing.

6. Will you please signify in writing, your acceptance of the above conditions so that you may leave for Western Nigeria and lead the army of liberation.

Yours very sincerely, signed Lt. Col. Odumegwu Ojukwu,

Military Governor and Commander in Chief of Biafran Armed Forces.

culled from " A Break in the Silence : Lt. Col. Victor Adebukunola Banjo, pp.66-68, by F. Adetowun Ogunsheye, Spectrum Books, Ibadan, 2001".

Source: https://x.com/dmightyangel/status/1926690353622503576?t=geAMJx0JUZPE4Bb4YHrPaw&s=19

Ojukwu was about freedom, everyone else was about slavery

May God continue to bless his soul

Every Yoruba must read the story of Victor Banjo. Please read his story with an open mind.

As misguided and as lost as he was, when he was asked to invade his own people under the guise of liberation, with the conditions on this letter, He paused to ask questions. Those questions led to his sentence and eventually death by firing squad.

His very last words being, “I am not dead yet!”.

This letter woke Victor Banjo from his slumber, and he realized he was being used as a nuclear war-head against his own people. Truth be told, Victor Banjo was lost and filled with rage after being (wrongly) imprisoned for situations surrounding the Jan 1966 coup.

He was left to rot in prison by Ironsi, then by Gowon who came after him. None considered the possibility of his innocence. Immediately after the declaration of Biafra, Ojukwu released him alongside all the (alleged) plotters that were being held in Eastern Nigeria (Banjo was held at Ikot-Epene).

Ojukwu urged Victor Banjo to join them. Victor Banjo was reluctant to join the Liberation (Biafra Army) at first because the battle was between Igbos and the North. However, when he observed the lapses and sabotage in the Biafra Army, he joined them to command the operations in the Northern front, before being sent to the Midwest when he took Benin city without firing a bullet.

Obasanjo was defiant in Ibadan, anticipating what was to come. However, prior to this letter Banjo was reluctant to advance because he insisted he could take over ibadan and create passage to Lagos without firing a bullet— as he did in the mid-west.

When Victor Banjo read this letter and stalled to question Ojukwu, it marked the beginning of his end— because you are not allowed to ask questions or tow a different line of thought. You’d be labeled a traitor and sentenced to death.

Shortly after, He was alleged to have staged a coup, which there was so little to no evidence. The allegation was so baseless that the first military judge stated clearly that there was not enough evidence to convict him of coup charges.

It took a second military tribunal (yeah right totally normal) to convict and sentence him to death. He died at age 37.

There’s a lesson for EVERYONE in his story.

Photo: Victor Banjo and his family.

Ok

gidgiddy:
Ojukwu was about freedom, everyone else was about slavery

freedom by appointing administrator in south west n south south?

Ojukwu was just looking for who to dominate

They want to capture Lagos by force.

Why is it always Lagos. Why?

We must fight this obsession. We must be an end to this obsession this generation. We cannot allow this madness to continue.

If we open our eyes and we give them free hand, they will pursue all Yorubas from Lagos and Yorubaland when the time comes.

Yorubas!!!! Wake up! Your ancestors kept this land for you so that you can have somewhere to call home.

Don't offer it out on a platter of wood. Push the traitors and panderers like Dele Farotimi out of your midst. This is a battle we have to win and put a stop to.

No inch of Yorubaland will be given to any other ethnicity. Yorubaland is Yorubaland.

Copied.

Factcheck0001:
freedom by appointing administrator in south west n south south?

Ojukwu was just looking for who to dominate

Hmmm! This means the urge to rule Lagos started a long time ago.

Simply put, a letter from a true patriot... You will never have such a man again in the history of this nation, may God continue to rest hia soul.

The dark anal of giving Igbo power is gone
Igbos will florish in Business Commerce etc. but no power
They tend to be irresponsible and reckless with power
Era of fighting war’s because of their Greed is over

madridguy:
They want to capture Lagos by force.

Why is it always Lagos. Why?

We must fight this obsession. We must be an end to this obsession this generation. We cannot allow this madness to continue.

If we open our eyes and we give them free hand, they will pursue all Yorubas from Lagos and Yorubaland when the time comes.

Yorubas!!!! Wake up! Your ancestors kept this land for you so that you can have somewhere to call home.

Don't offer it out on a platter of wood. Push the traitors and panderers like Dele Farotimi out of your midst. This is a battle we have to win and put a stop to.

No inch of Yorubaland will be given to any other ethnicity. Yorubaland is Yorubaland.

Copied.

Keep quiet there! This una useless propaganda format don cast.
The real people who want to take over Lagos are those batch of over 250 men who they dumped/relocated to Lagos from the sahel region by Dangote's truck claiming they are his refinery workers.

Bad governance by a terrible yoruba president has really opened the eyes of all sensible Yorubas.
Every thing is not about tribe.
Tinubu is OTP!

We Ndigbo are begging for another Victor....

So that we can be going out on Monday

madridguy:
They want to capture Lagos by force.

Why is it always Lagos. Why?

We must fight this obsession. We must be an end to this obsession this generation. We cannot allow this madness to continue.

If we open our eyes and we give them free hand, they will pursue all Yorubas from Lagos and Yorubaland when the time comes.

Yorubas!!!! Wake up! Your ancestors kept this land for you so that you can have somewhere to call home.

Don't offer it out on a platter of wood. Push the traitors and panderers like Dele Farotimi out of your midst. This is a battle we have to win and put a stop to.

No inch of Yorubaland will be given to any other ethnicity. Yorubaland is Yorubaland.

Copied.

Lagos was the capital of Nigeria then. Otherwise, Ojukwu won't have nothing to do with Lagos or South West.

delpee:
Hmmm! This means the urge to rule Lagos started a long time ago.

Lagos was capital of naija... If u captured it.. it is victory for the army of Biafria.. not for any other reason...

gidgiddy:
Ojukwu was about freedom, everyone else was about slavery

This letter says otherwise....
Ojukwu was a land grabber according to this letter.

E be things..

T9ksy:
Yeah right!!! However, at the time in question, ALL roads led to the south west. There were more igbos in Ibadan than lagos.

I don't get you, but there's no way the Biafran soldier could get to Lagos without passing through other south western states.

The intention was to capture the capital and possibly remove the then president, which would be total victory on the Biafran side.

Ojukwu thought that the best way to pacify/negotiate with the Yorubas,
in order to allow Biafran soldiers pass through their states, was to probably use one of their brothers for the negotiation.

That was why he chose Banjo.