₦airaland Forum

Enice:
Banjo fought for Biafra

Victor Banjo (April 1, 1930 – September 22, 1967) was a Colonel in the Nigerian Army. He ended up in the Biafran Army during the struggles between Nigeria and Biafra. Victor Banjo was mistaken for a coup plotter against the Nigerian Prime Minister Tafawa Balewa, by the Government of Aguyi Ironsi (according with the book "Why we struck" by Adewale Ademoyega) He was alleged to have staged a coup plot against Biafran President Odumegwu Ojukwu.[1] and was executed as a result. It took a second military tribunal judge to sentence Victor Banjo, because Odumegwu Ojukwu's first military judge stated that there were not enough evidence to convict Victor Banjo of coup charges. There has been no third party verification of Victor Banjo's involvement in the Nigerian Coup nor Biafran Coup. His alleged involvement in both coup plots has been based on unsubstantiated hearsay.

Ekinematics:
All these ipods won't seize to amaze me. Oyigbo LGA of Rivers State is now Biafra, you people should continue your land grabbing.

Why does is is amaze you? The place is populated by full fledged Igbos, so why are you amazed?

Oh yeah! Because Gowon called the place 'Rivers state' just like Lugard called you a 'Nigerian'.

Mckennedy:
Victor Banjo (April 1, 1930 – September 22, 1967) was a Colonel in the Nigerian Army. He ended up in the Biafran Army during the struggles between Nigeria and Biafra. Victor Banjo was mistaken for a coup plotter against the Nigerian Prime Minister Tafawa Balewa, by the Government of Aguyi Ironsi (according with the book "Why we struck" by Adewale Ademoyega) He was alleged to have staged a coup plot against Biafran President Odumegwu Ojukwu.[1] and was executed as a result. It took a second military tribunal judge to sentence Victor Banjo, because Odumegwu Ojukwu's first military judge stated that there were not enough evidence to convict Victor Banjo of coup charges. There has been no third party verification of Victor Banjo's involvement in the Nigerian Coup nor Biafran Coup. His alleged involvement in both coup plots has been based on unsubstantiated hearsay.

from this biography, Banjo was a Biafran soldier, died a Biafran soldier and was from the SW.

Enice:
from this biography, Banjo was a Biafran soldier, died a Biafran soldier and was from the SW.

Well, he paid the price for being a Biafran soldier...

momonny:
Liar Uzuoma has no oil, rather its an impact community, all the wells in Uzuoma, Obeama, Okoloma, Ayama, Egberu are dry wells so stop telling lies and spewing trash on NL

izuoma I mean there oil in my land there as we speak and shell has already marked it

Enice:
from this biography, Banjo was a Biafran soldier, died a Biafran soldier and was from the SW.

There has been no third party verification of Victor Banjo's involvement in the Nigerian Coup nor Biafran Coup.

Mckennedy:
There has been no third party verification of Victor Banjo's involvement in the Nigerian Coup nor Biafran Coup.

so what do you mean from what you just posted? That Victor Banjo was not a Biafran soldier?

Enice:
so what do you mean from what you just posted? That Victor Banjo was not a Biafran soldier?

He wasn't.

Enice:
so what do you mean from what you just posted? That Victor Banjo was not a Biafran soldier?

He was a Biafran soldier. His sister wrote a book about him titled "A Break in the Silence:Lt. Col. Victor Adebukunola Banjo." His sister is Professor Felicia Adetowun Ogunsheye, the first female professor in Nigeria, and the first female professor of Library Science.

The foreword, by A.A. Adetunji, to Ogunsheye’s book, “A Break in the Silence: Lt. Col. Victor Adebukunola Banjo,” declares that “By his death… in accordance with the decision of a Kangaroo court-martial… (Victor Banjo) had made life worthwhile for those of us who… imbibed his principles of honour and high integrity.”

Ogunsheye, who regards her brother as a “man of valour and integrity,” recalls that “The period of the civil war, and the subsequent death of a son, brother, father, and uncle… was a traumatic experience for the Banjo family.”

Because their mother refused to accept Victor Banjo’s death, the family appropriated the denial, and couldn’t mourn or perform his funeral rites. The ram that Mama bought to celebrate his homecoming died after three years.

Neither the entitlements of Victor Banjo, who is presumed dead, has been paid, nor his confiscated documents and properties returned to his family. The audience granted his widow, Taiwo, by former Head of State General Yakubu Gowon yielded nothing. http://punchng.com/celebrating-prof-ogunsheye-90/

Another commentator wrote a few things about Banjo in another online publication, using excerpts from her book.

The West had been rearmed and were now participating in the Federal Government as partners. Awolowo was now a Federal Minister in Gowon’s government. Victor, however, did not raise any issue with Ojukwu. He knew the situation had changed. He could now only march to the West as an invader at the head of a Brigade of foreign Biafran troops. He had announced on August 9 in Benin that he was fighting for one Nigeria.

Ojukwu in his letter rejected the idea of one Nigeria and in fact sought its dismemberment. The East, he reaffirmed, would not be part of one Nigeria. There was no going back on its secession and separation from the Federal Republic of Nigeria. He was, however, ready to annex the Mid-West now regarded as conquered territory, no longer liberated territory. Victor was no longer to have anything to do with the Mid-West or make any announcement on its political disposition.

“He would support Victor in his attempt to liberate the West. He now had the backing of his Council to loan him Biafran forces on certain conditions:

a.) Biafran troops will remain in the West after the liberation for as long as he, Ojukwu, and Biafra deem fit;

b.) During that period, all political measures, statements and decrees must be subject to Ojukwu’s approval or on his authority;

c.) Victor’s appointment as military governor of the Yorubaland will emanate from Ojukwu and be subject to his pleasure;

d.) Should Lagos be also liberated by the forces under Victor’s Command, Ojukwu and Biafra will have the right to nominate a military administrator for Lagos.

Lagos, for the purpose of this exercise, is therefore not considered Yorubaland until a merger of that territory is effected with Yorubaland. No such condition was necessary for all the other Yorubaland territory north of Western Region to Jebba on the Niger.

“How, after the volte-face in the Mid-West, anyone expects Victor to accept these conditions beats the imagination! Victor must have written his consent as required in the document. He thus won his freedom from arrest and detention to lead now the 54th Brigade to Yorubaland?

“Victor thought he needed time to work out another strategy to resolve the problem in keeping in view his ideas on the concept of one Nigeria. Back at Benin, he met a demoralised and frightened Biafran force and a hostile civilian population who did not bargain for subjugation under Biafra.

As Ogbemudia in his book, Years of Challenge, observed: ‘An underground resistance movement was formed to harass the now largely Ibo occupation force. There were also very many incidence of arrests and killing of the non-Ibo population.’ It gave Victor a preview of what would happen in Yorubaland, if he also overran it for the Ojukwu government of the Mid-West.

“It has been suggested in the writings of some Biafran officers that Victor was unable to return to the West. Even Gowon admitted to his wife that they knew he had nothing to do with the January 15, 1966 coup. Nobody was looking for him for a revenge action. In the West, he was well thought of. Victor was a nationalist to the core. He sympathised with the Biafrans for the genocide directed at them, but his concept of one Nigeria was steadfast....

On his release from detention to return to Benin to salvage the deteriorating situation, he must have reflected on the Biafran leader’s bidding in relation to the West. Victor was nobody’s puppet as observed by the British Times of London. He did what his gentleman officer’s mind dictated. He was a highly moral and caring person.

Ademoyega, again, commented on his high moral standard, thus: ‘Finally, the charge the he, Banjo, took money from the British High Commission was utterly false and frivolous. Ojukwu himself knew that to be so. Banjo was a well to do officer and was quite comfortable. He had no need to look for cash.

Banjo entered the Mid-West with no more than five thousand pounds given him for the operations. He had not spent more than five hundred pounds, before he handed over the remainder to me for operations. While in Benin, he received several instructions from Ojukwu to break into the Central Bank, Benin and remove whatever money was there. Banjo completely refused to do it, saying it was not honourable. The truth was Ojukwu needed a scapegoat for his utter lack of preparation for the war and for his failure to find means of supporting his soldiers on the field.’ http://waleadedayo..com.ng/2009/07/my-responses-to-prof-bolaji-aluko-on-lt.html

laudate:
He was a Biafran soldier. His sister wrote a book about him titled "A Break in the Silence:Lt. Col. Victor Adebukunola Banjo." His sister is Professor Felicia Adetowun Ogunsheye, the first female professor in Nigeria, and the first female professor of Library Science.



Another commentator wrote a few things about Banjo in another online publication, using excerpts from her book.

thanks. This would enlighten some of these yoots that the civil war was not fought only by people of Igbo extraction on the Biafran side,

laudate:
He was a Biafran soldier. His sister wrote a book about him titled "A Break in the Silence:Lt. Col. Victor Adebukunola Banjo." His sister is Professor Felicia Adetowun Ogunsheye, the first female professor in Nigeria, and the first female professor of Library Science.



Another commentator wrote a few things about Banjo in another online publication, using excerpts from her book.

the banjo family is just full of intellectuals, the reason banjo fought on the side of Biafra still baffle me. I laugh when flat head attribute cowardice to Yoruba without basic knowledge of history, let them read the story of victor banjo junior brother ( prof segun banjo) a professor of anatomy and human medicine who spent his live savings to import arms into the country to fight abacha.

If adekunle fajuyi had Knw he won't had die with aguyi ironsi. Maybe he would still be alive
If victor banjo had Knw he wouldn't have fought on the side of Biafra . irrespective of Wht u do for them u are still an afonja.

Would love Dis nyamiri to listen to Dis interview by Edmund obilo

https://m.soundcloud.com/edmund-obilo/prof-segun-banjo-my-mission-to-eliminate-abacha-with-million-dollars-high-calibre-weaponsmp3

Mckennedy:
He wasn't.

When Biafra was proclaimed on May 30, 1967 Banjo was released from an Eastern Nigerian prison by President Odumegwu Ojukwu and made Colonel. His imprisonment was without trial, due to his alleged involvement in a 1966 coup. When the Nigerian Army invaded Biafra on July 6, 1967 Ojukwu sent Banjo and Major Albert Okonkwoto invade Nigeria. Banjo was able to capture Benin Cityin less than a day and was able to get within 300 kilometers of the Nigerian capital Lagos. After Banjo was repulsed at the Battle of Ore, he and other officers ( Emmanuel Ifeajuna, Phillip Alale, and Sam Agbam) were accused of allegedly plotting a coup against Ojukwu. [4]After a hurried trial, [5]that some authors characterized as biased, [6]Banjo and other alleged plotters were found guilty of treason and were sentenced to death. On September 22, 1967 Banjo, Emmanuel Ifeajuna, and Philip Alale were marched into the Enugucity center and were tied to a pole. A firing squad of Biafran soldiers fired at them. When Banjo was hit, he reportedly yelled defiantly, "I'm not dead yet!" and he had to be shot multiple times before he died.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victor_Banjo

ok

wow

. .

stevnwigw:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dP3ZbuBiUV0 Izuoma asa is located in oyigbo rivers state south south Nigeria and is a Biafra territory.

It's Obigbo, not oyigbo. I thought Ken Saro Wiwa died a lng time ago!

ok

our oil

yes

stevnwigw:
Nigeria never won Biafra in that war, go back to your history.

No Victory no vanquish abi, has the state of Biafra been actualised?