engrchykae:
Banjo was a confused man and an unstable character.
He had no values.
He led the invasion into the Midwest but when it came to cross Ore in Ondo he became a socialist,he is not worthy to be called a soldier.
Both i.diots were rightly dealt with.

obviously you have not read much about him or you are just annoyed at his actions in ore. He was a well-known socialist in the army and a firebrand andthat was why he was jailed even though he was not part of the coup plotters.

pazienza:



Delta is a multiethinic state, with many Ukwuani and Ika people suffering from self hate (Igbophobia) and by extension, Biafra phobia.
I don't expect Delta to do anything for him.

The onus is on SE governors to name an important monument after him. Anambra State University had been renamed Odumegwu Ojukwu University, Imo state University is now Evans Enwerem University, it's remaining Abia and Enugu state universities.
Ebonyi FUNAI was recently renamed after Ekwueme, so it will be unfair to expect EBSU to be renamed this soon.

I think ABSU or ESUT should be renamed after Achuzia.

That's the right thing to do, if only we have thoughtful leaders.

Men who made personal sacrifices for the good of a people must be rewarded to encourage other members of the populace to imbibe such traits.

I prefer ABSU's name to be changed to 'Joseph Achuzie University Uturu' JACU

thesicilian:
If he's such a hero how come most of us have never heard of him? Don't get me wrong, my point is, we should learn to celebrate our heroes when they are still alive (which actually benefits them more) than when they are dead, which is of no use to them.

If you have been reading civil war stories, you would have heard about him. I got to know him through that. He operated in Owerri - ORLU axis, especially Oguta. He gave the federal troops tough time.

Skepticus:


Good

How come he wasn't very active in Ndi Igbo politics after the war?

He seems like a great guy and a better alternative to the clowns and jobbers Ala Igbo parade as leaders in national politics

As a warlord and one of those who followed Effiong to Lagos to end the war, I have no doubt he knew he was being watched by FGN.

ZombieBuster:


tdarkside
I don't roll with zombies
I annihilate them

do you realy think you can annihilate the darkside...??..

I NEVER POST FOR THIIS THREAD BECOS I STILL DEY RUN.

I DEY HOPE SAY ANOTHER THREAD GO OPEN SAY IT IS FAKE NEWS.


SIR, U ARE AN ICON AND SYMBOL OF THE RESILIENT BIAFRA SPIRIT.

DEY DNT MAKE EM LIKE U NO MORE, GREAT ONE.

RIP SIR!

hammer6F:
I NEVER POST FOR THIIS THREAD BECOS I STILL DEY RUN.

I DEY HOPE SAY ANOTHER THREAD GO OPEN SAY IT IS FAKE NEWS.


SIR, U ARE AN ICON AND SYMBOL OF THE RESILIENT BIAFRA SPIRIT.

DEY DNT MAKE EM LIKE U NO MORE, GREAT ONE.

RIP SIR!

he was a looser...!!!!

fact remains biafra lost the war.....

cocaineaddict:
The great iroko has finally fallen. The mighty Hannibal of Biafra.


The erstwhile terror to the hausa/fulani and Yoruba military junta. A nightmare to the combined forces of the Egyptian and English demonic mercenaries

The great nwafor from asaba, delta state that never stopped professing his igboness and the need for the harmonization of the SS/SE igbos even till his final moments.

Rest in peace the great Hannibal of Biafra.

Biafra mourns you

Lesson 101:
Fought as a Biafra, died as a nigerian.
What an irony of life!

Rest in peace!A Great Warrior every soldier shld Salute.

wingmanII:
I thought he was a Colonel. Hard legendary fighter. Very brave but ruthless. Even regular soldiers dreaded him.

Colonel Joseph Achuzia (rtd) was one of those that spearheaded the Biafra War. When ADEWOLE MARTINS met him in Asaba, Delta State on the death of Benjamin Adekunle, popularly known as Black-Scorpion, while Achuzia refused to recount the facts and figures of the civil war, he said what became of Adekunle after the war was akin to the law of Karma. Excerpts:

His view about Benjamin Adekunle as a military officer:
He was a young dedicated military officer, even though he was overzealous in the discharge of his duty. It was this overzealousness that informed his confrontation with his superiors in the military. In the military parlance, if you go against the tradition of superior to subordinate, you are finished. So, it is a taboo to confront your superiors. Once you come on a confrontational basis all the time with your superiors, you will realise that most of your colleagues, whom you thought at the officers’ mess were your friends, will automatically desert you. That is why Adekunle was relieved of his command.

What led to Adekunle’s retirement:
I watch his attitude towards dealing with civilians. The way he handled the Port Authority assignment earned him a lot of jealousy amongst his colleagues, which eventually resulted in his retirement. But of a soldier, he acted in the best interest of the professional system of the military and held the profession in high esteem of efficiency and dedication, even though he fought against Biafra. It was only recently that I started hearing about his connection with beat-ups in the Biafra. All that is history today. I won’t delve into his activities during the Biafra.


His objective view on whether the country at large was fair to Adekunle:
As far as I am concerned, the limitary has been so much unfair to him. The government also was unfair to him in all ramifications. As they would say spiritually or religiously, what became of him was Karma (nemesis). You cannot wish that away from his lot because he was opposed to Biafra. I wouldn’t say I miss anything about him because we were opposed to each other. The only thing I missed is that the war did not end quickly as we had envisaged. It was a gruelling, tasking and difficult time. Too tough to talk about. People were seen dying at the both sides of the divide. For me personally, I don’t like recalling the time because it was a dying moment of misunderstanding from the opposing sides.

If he has any regret on Adekunle:
The only regret I have about him is that those that benefitted from his efforts were those that castigated him the most. Well, everything, as we usually resign to fate in Nigeria, is left to God to be the judge. But the truth remains that Nigeria that benefitted, not the present day Nigeria, I mean the old Nigeria, through the death of the cause of Biafra, abandoned him and badly engaged him in a lot of hatred. But for us, I believe that we acknowledge our heroes. Whether they are dead or alive, we will continue to acknowledge them. So, I raise my cap for the fallen hero.

Why Adekunle is referred to as Black-Scorpion
It is just like octopus, which is a marine big fish or monster. The young officers at that time could not relate him to an octopus because they have not seen it neither do they understand what it is all about. They can only relate a superior to what they have seen, felt and experienced. All they could think of is a scorpion. And you know what a scorpion can do. How it stings. Consequently, since soldiers like their officers, especially if they fear him or have respect for him, they give him one name or the other to depict his gallantry. Adekunle falls in that category. He can’t be called a white-scorpion because they have not seen that before. That was exactly what happened in Adekunle’s case.

Will that be why he (Achuzia) is referred to as ‘Air-Raid’ among his contemporaries?
That is almost the same thing. I don’t know how they came about that too. I only discovered why while I was on a trip with my troop. As we were approaching the battle front, all of a sudden, majority of my boys jumped out of the vehicle and ran into the bush. Some of the drivers also stopped and escaped into the nearby bush. I was surprised. I commanded those that ran into the bush to come out. I immediately upgraded the ranks of the gallant ones who stood their ground during the action (encounter). When we got into our vehicles, I asked my driver and my orderly what actually happened. They said they sighted an Air-Raid plane. I replied, ‘but I saw no plane in the sky’. They started laughing. They said what a joke. It was then they told me I am the Air-Raid they are talking about. I asked them: ‘Do I look like an Air-Force officer?’ They answered: ‘No sir. You are the one they call Air-Raid.’ That was how I got to know that people gave me the name. Adekunle also came about his own name in a similar way.

Achizia, Hannibal, Air raid.....was one of the outsiders and greatest Biafran propagandist that General ojukwu used to destroy the morale of His seasoned field commanders.
His biggest stunt according to Alex Madiebo was his "appearing and disappearing" acts in the heat of battles...where He perfected the act of always reappearing from no where to claim credit for battles won and His direct access to the republic president when other field commanders were denied such previleges was also something interesting.
He was an aeronautics Engineer married to a European woman , claimed he fought in the Korean War using a pseudo name....
Alex General Alex Madiebo recommended him to General Ojukwu for commissioning after His Onitsha exploit against a very clueless Col Murtala Mohammed's men.
Seasoned and respected officers who were way out of his league such as Njoku and a few others will eventually be made to by Ojukwu to report to him at some point .

I will rank Achuzia up there as one of the most blood thirsty men ...second of course after to Col. "Black scorpion" Adekunle of the Nigerian Army during that war...both officers led their men to die senselessly without a real battle strategy at various times during the civil war

Overall, I give him a lot of credit for making a quick decision when Biafra knew the game was up (ofcourse morale at that point ...in January 1970 had become very low...no good, no ammo, no medical supplies...One of Adekunle's battalion had shot down a relief plane from principle and São Tomé...after His crazy declaration to a British press that He has instructed his men to shoot anything that moves....and His popular, line...of no caritas...no Red Cross...no pope ..etc..)?.so Achuzia led that initial field surrender barely four days after Ojukwu , Madiebo and a few of the Admin staff flew out to " secure more support for the war". It was Achuzia who bravely matched with a few of his men to the enemy territory to request to discuss surrender with another fortunate player of that war who hadn't won one battle after ya reluctant take over from Adekunle...and was never even nearby during surrender ...who else but Col. Obasanjo. Obasanjo eventually arrived the scene after Lt Col Alani Akinrinade radioed him about the development and He gladly arrived to discuss surrender with General Effiong the biafran Vice President and Acting Head of state during the closing stages of that war. Typical of Obasanjo always wanting to claim glory I have in the course of my research of the civil war realized He didn't even inform other field commanders of the surrender...as He flew the biafran soldiers to Gowon for the ceremony ..and ensured non of the other field commanders liked Cols Mohammed, wushishi...etc were no where near that momentous occasion.

In summary:
To Ojukwu...Achuzia was the only Biafran commander He could trust because He fear sabotage by the other sandhurst colleagues who had same training as himself during their time in the Nigerian Army. Of course there was roumour of a coup to topple Ojukwu at so,e point
To the Other Biafran field commanders He was just another propagandist without formal military training and constituted a lot of danger to fighting men...some even claimed NCOs fled the battle front often when they hear He was coming to their battalion.
To the civilians he was a very handy tool for keeping the biafran native nail dream alve even though the men were risking their lives most of the time without proper fighting equipment...

May He now RIP..

Note: Please we don't want to see another civil war/s ...I was born at 5 years later but Mehn...I recall travelling through Abagana in the late 80s are seeing bullet holes all over a building...those scars of the war on persons and amputees ...old soldiers and stories of people born without knowing their fathers because they died in a "senseless" lopsided war reminds me daily that no matter what happens...dialogue and not war should be the last option....unless ofcourse you have by all means exhausted the opportunity to intelligently negotiate yourself out of war .

Ekaka1:
Achizia, Hannibal, Air raid.....was one of the outsiders and greatest Biafran propagandist that General ojukwu used to destroy the morale of His seasoned field commanders.
His biggest stunt according to Alex Madiebo was his "appearing and disappearing" acts in the heat of battles...where He perfected the act of always reappearing from no where to claim credit for battles won and His direct access to the republic president when other field commanders were denied such previleges was also something interesting.
He was an aeronautics Engineer married to a European woman , claimed he fought in the Korean War using a pseudo name....
Alex General Alex Madiebo recommended him to General Ojukwu for commissioning after His Onitsha exploit against a very clueless Col Murtala Mohammed's men.
Seasoned and respected officers who were way out of his league such as Njoku and a few others will eventually be made to by Ojukwu to report to him at some point .

I will rank Achuzia up there as one of the most blood thirsty men ...second of course after to Col. "Black scorpion" Adekunle of the Nigerian Army during that war...both officers led their men to die senselessly without a real battle strategy at various times during the civil war

Overall, I give him a lot of credit for making a quick decision when Biafra knew the game was up (ofcourse morale at that point ...in January 1960 had become very low...no good, no ammo, no medical supplies...One of Adekunle's battalion had shot down a relief plane from principle and São Tomé...after His crazy declaration to a British press that He has instructed his men to shoot anything that moves....and His popular, line...of no caritas...no Red Cross...no pope ..etc..)?.so Achuzia led that initial field surrender barely four days after Ojukwu , Madiebo and a few of the Admin staff flew out to " secure more support for the war". It was Achuzia who bravely matched with a few of his men to the enemy territory to request to discuss surrender with another fortunate player of that war who hadn't won one battle after ya reluctant take over from Adekunle...and was never even nearby during surrender ...who else but Col. Obasanjo. Obasanjo eventually arrived the scene after Lt Col Alani Akinrinade radioed him about the development and He gladly arrived to discuss surrender with General Effiong the biafran Vice President and Acting Head of state during the closing stages of that war. Typical of Obasanjo always wanting to claim glory I have in the course of my research of the civil war realized He didn't even inform other field commanders of the surrender...as He flew the biafran soldiers to Gowon for the ceremony ..and ensured non of the other field commanders liked Cols Mohammed, wushishi...etc were no where near that momentous occasion.

In summary:
To Ojukwu...Achuzia was the only Biafran commander He could trust because He fear sabotage by the other sandhurst colleagues who had same training as himself during their time in the Nigerian Army. Of course there was roumour of a coup to topple Ojukwu at so,e point
To the Other Biafran field commanders He was just another propagandist without formal military training and constituted a lot of danger to fighting men...some even claimed NCOs fled the battle front often when they hear He was coming to their battalion.
To the civilians he was a very handy tool for keeping the biafran native nail dream alve even though the men were risking their lives most of the time without proper fighting equipment...

May He now RIP..

Note: Please we don't want to see another civil war/s ...I was born at 5 years later but Mehn...I recall travelling through Abagana in the late 80s are seeing bullet holes all over a building...those scars of the war on persons and amputees ...old soldiers and stories of people born without knowing their fathers because they died in a "senseless" lopsided war reminds me daily that no matter what happens...dialogue and not war should be the last option....unless ofcourse you have by all means exhausted the opportunity to intelligently negotiate yourself out of war .

Truth be told even the Nigerian military cannot stand what biafra stood for 3 years

phreakabit:


If you are Igbo, you should be somewhat ashamed about not knowing who he was. This man rose from being an untrained militia man, to being one of Benjamin Adekunle's fiercest rival. Read up about other brave HEROS like Gen. Philip Effiong, Colonel Patrick Amadi,Colonel Nsudo, Christopher Okigbo, Lieutenant-Colonel Willy Archibong (AKA Prince of darkness) etc. Can't mention all of them, the point here is regardless of the outcome Igbos should always stay informed about what happened during the war.... NEVER forget! You should read the book : No place to hide (crises and conflicts inside Biafra) by Bernard Odogwu. That is probably the most accurate account of what went on during the civil war.

Ojukwu, Biafra and I, Col Achuzia


Nigeria’s war time Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon, at the end of the Nigerian civil war in1970 announced ‘’No victor, no vanquished’’, a slogan, many thought, was meant to give those on the side of the defunct Biafra a kind of psychological relief and ‘sense of belonging’ in the affairs of the country. However, one of the top Biafran war commanders and a very close, trusted associate of Ojukwu the Biafran leader, Col Joseph Achuzia a.k.a “Air Raid’’, “Hannibal’’ or “Achucriminal’’ was thrown into jail for seven years after the war on the orders of the Federal Government under Gowon.

A British trained Aeronautic engineer and one-time Secretary General of the apex Igbo sociocultural organization, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Achuzia spoke inside his sitting room at his Asaba residence. Excerpts:

Could you comment on the Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu you knew ?

Dim Emeka Odumegwu Ojukwu has always been known to me right from my secondary school days, when we were in Kings College together. Then later we met in Britain. And by the time Nigeria became independent, in October 1960, and I came home, we met again. By then he had already become entrenched within his position in the Nigerian Army.

We did not interact before the first coup took place; and immediately after the coup I left back to Britain. And I was following events because he was a key player in the scenario that was unfolding. Then the next landmark in my relationship with him took place when he was appointed the Governor of Eastern Region and Ejoor (General David Ejoor, rtd) was also appointed a governor.

Ejoor was sent to Enugu and Ojukwu protested, which made the then Head of State, General Johnson Thomas Umunakwe Aguiyi-Ironsi to change the postings and sent him to Enugu while Ejoor was posted to Benin.

When we got to Enugu the situation was such that a townsman of mine was also the Secretary to the Eastern Regional Government in the person of C. C. Mordi, from Asaba here. A lot of things were going on: the killings in the North, pogrom; so many Igbos from the North were rushing down home; and what was taking place made me to have a closer look into the sort of programme the then governor of Eastern Region, in the person of Odumegwu Ojukwu held for the Igbo people because the trauma being created by the extensive killing was such that it required somebody with a proper insight in dealing with human tragedy to handle. Soldiers, civilians, civil servants were affected.

In fact, what took place affected the core inner group that held Igbo citizenship together, something that made the Igbo Union, which one regarded as all supreme in everything, of which Ohanaeze today, the Igbozuruome of today, were modeled after. Igbo Union had to retreat to the East. And in doing so, every Igbo person, male, female, child everything, for survival, was heading eastward.
Why did Ojukwu protested Ejoor’s posting to Enugu

It seemed that Ojukwu, who probably foresaw tomorrow, knew what would happen in the future. Perhaps that was the reason he protested against Ejoor being sent to Enugu because I am quite certain, in my mind now, not on hindsight but from what I saw around that time that the posting wasn’t correct and that Ojukwu was right to protest.

From then on my interest became more firm and solid, in terms of support, which I made up my mind to give to him. He came to Enugu, we met, discussed briefly, then I left back to Britain. It was while I was back in Britain that 1p.m news, in the afternoon, in London, it was announced that, Chief Obafemi Awolowo said that if the East goes, the West will go. So I realised that the whole of this thing was heading towards a shooting match; and I felt that with the loss of so many experienced, trained officers from the East that they, Eastern Region, would need every hand available on deck.

That made me to board a plane coming back to Nigeria then to meet another coup, the July 1966 coup, which brought Gowon on board. I spent two days at Airport Hotel in Ikeja. When Murtala Mohammed was a Major, I knew him. George Miller, a friend of mine married to a German that I was going to stay in his house knew him (Murtala) but the instruction at the airport when we came out of the plane was that nobody goes out anywhere.

So we were taken to the Airport Hotel. George Miller, being friendly with Murtala, brought him and we met. We discussed and he assured that I should wait for a day or so and there would be flight to Benin. He kept to his words. Two days later, the route to Benin was opened again. And myself, my wife and child were taken to the plane which we boarded to Benin.

From there we headed to the East. By this time the situation was getting critical that second coup that we met was so devastating that it wasn’t only the army but everybody of Igbo origin or that came from the Eastern Region, including those Igbos from the Midwest became involved in the selective killings that were taking place.

And the vision which Ojukwu saw, when he protested now crystallized itself because the Midwesterners, Western Igbos, that were returning from the North and from the West, heading home, on reaching Benin, were not welcomed. Reliefs that were being distributed were not given them. Placements in the civil service departments where they were working, to enable them obtain salary or whatever would be given for succour were not allowed. They were told to go and meet their people in Enugu.

So they all trooped out and headed for Enugu. We were also around to assist in receiving them. In fact, that was when Ika Igbo Association was formed, just as today you are hearing Anioma, Anioma; Anioma wasn’t in our lexicon then. What we had was Ika Igbo. And our interaction with Ojukwu and his government was concretised at that time.

From then, even though the army in the Midwestern Command, the high echelon, was more of Midwestern Igbos, the civil service cadre that should have lent weight to them and support were no more available. Most of them had headed across the Niger. And it must also be borne in mind that the Nigerian boundaries vis a vis East and West were not as they are today, where you have as Ogbaru and those places used to be Midwest, Midwestern Region, the Niger wasn’t a natural boundary, it was the effect of the war that brought about the Niger, at the end of the war being regarded as a natural boundary and the configuration that took place since then still makes it difficult for the Igbos to settle down properly.
The Ojukwu I knew

As I was saying, you are talking about Ojukwu. Here was a man because of his vision, somehow prepared by God or providence, whatever it is, prepared him and placed him at this point in time in history at a place where he was to act as Moses for his people. This was the reason why all his pronouncements had always been that efforts must be made to make sure that the Igbos still remain recognised within the set up and arrangement called Nigeria.

He made a lot of pronouncements and also, at the same time made a lot of requests from the Igbo people. I remember that there was a meeting he called of Leaders of Thoughts. During that meeting, he said what we are asking for is not separation but what we are entitled to by being partners in the arrangement called Nigeria. He said we were being pushed with intention of pushing us out of Nigeria, and this we will resist.

For the first time he was the one who clarified what we mean in my mind and conditioned my attitude during the period of warfare, in the battle field. He said they can push us, we will take our stand in our own soil with our back against the wall but we will not give up what we have already created in Nigeria.

He said, in terms of civilised norms implanted into Nigeria, it is the Igboman alone that feels he must build a decent house, not only to accommodate his family, but to accommodate those in whose land, in whose territory he acquired wealth and built these things. He said the Igbo man by education, self help, both within the commercial business group, the civil service, the entrepreneurship are the Igbos that we can’t abandon. We must resist the push.

Having heard all these, one wonders why, what do we do to redress the needless ferocious attack and traumatisation by the pogrom. Everybody encouraged him to go to Aburi. He went. What he came back with emboldened us to mobilise our people to wait for the onslaught of Police action when the army was unleashed on the Eastern Region as if they were intruders.

We tried to resist, hoping that it would be just something that well, in a month or two, Nigeria would get tired; we will get back to the roundtable to discuss issues. But what we were getting back from senior civil servants that were out and envoys that we had outside was that this attack unleashed on us wouldn’t last long, that if they pushed any further that there were countries within the civilised community, who will then come to our aid.

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So everybody guarded their loins ready to continue resisting to be pushed out so as to give time to and chance for help to come. That help never came. The help that came from a few African countries and the half-hearted help from the French side seemed to be the only help that we could expect.

In the meantime, through his propaganda machinery and the way he interacted with the grassroots of our people, everybody was ready to lay down their lives to defend the cause he believed in, which he made us believe in. This was the reason why young students, graduates from University of Nigeria, Nsukka, everybody was clamouring “Ojukwu give us guns” ‘’we will defend ourselves’’. The guns were not there and those that were there were not sufficient to even equip the army, let alone giving young graduates, who did not know how to handle guns.

Why we forced Ojukwu to declare Biafra

All of a sudden, we were given a date that on such and such a day the federal government is going to carve up Eastern Region. Ojukwu then called a Consultative Assembly of the people, among which were the Ika Igbos, also given a pride of place as part of the Igbo nation. Our traditional rulers from the Midwest, the Igbo speaking areas attended that conference.

I was privy. I was there. And around 1pm a news flash came. What we were hearing as rumour became a reality: Eastern Region was carved. They carved out Rivers State and South East State. So we went into the afternoon recess and by the time we came out of recess and went into afternoon session, a decision was quickly reached that we can’t sit back and see ourselves divided, so the best thing to do was that we must ask Ojukwu to declare the State of Biafra.

Before that there has been a lot of argument, here and there, over the issue of what name do we go by. So many different names and configurations were bandied about but finally we asked the group of lawyers assembled to prepare a communiqué declaring the state of Biafra.

Even that meeting, Ojukwu wasn’t there, he was still in Government House. This meeting was being held within Hotel Presidential. So by the time the decision was reached, this was carried to him, we were surprised that he said no. He will not do it. He said that he will not declare. We thought either they didn’t teach the military what is meant when somebody is trying to cut you to bits. If he didn’t understand, we did. So message was sent back to him and an ultimatum was given him that if by 8:00 O’clock that night he didn’t declare the state of Biafra, not only will we remove him, we will declare and decide who leads us.

Later in the evening he finally announced the state of Biafra. So we all rejoiced that now, at least, if Nigeria continued attacking us, we now knew how we were going to fight. The Eastern Region was one whole entity notwithstanding the earlier announcement by federal government creating three states out of Eastern Region.
Ojukwu as a magician

First to keep the morale of the people going, Ojukwu performed like a magician. People say, ah Okokon Ndem, Uche Chukwumerije, so many of them within the propaganda machinery, it was somebody that gave them the inspiration. Without Ojukwu, they wouldn’t have risen to the occasion. The army quickly changed by creating a situation where civilians were quickly mobilised into what was called Civil Defence.

It is this Civil Defenders that became the backbone of the Biafran Army and one should not forget that the Biafran Army is the Nigerian Eastern Command, whoever is recruited there belongs to Nigeria and is part and parcel of the Nigerian Army. The strength infused in them by Ojukwu made for the staunch, gallant defence of that realm by that army.

When there were shortage of arms and equipment, Ojukwu called on the Biafran educated engineers and they met and he said go and find an answer. Supposing we don’t get arms from anywhere or no money to buy since Nigeria was changing her currency, find an answer to these equipment scarcity.

We quickly formed the Research and Production (RAD). The story of what RAD did I will tell at a future date, not now. BOF was created, the story of who and what happened, I will tell at a later date because I was at the helm of all these groupings, to give direction and show them what to do.

Were you in the Nigerian Army before the war?

No!

Are you saying that Ojukwu was not interested in the Eastern Region pulling out from Nigeria because many say his stubbornness and personality led to the war?

No! Like I said we followed his actions from the first coup. If it wasn’t for Ojukwu and the role he played, the North would have been the battle ground because Nzeogwu was holding the North and the army firmly in his hands. And the North could have been the battle ground. But that aspect of Ojukwu’s action which favoured the people who are now saying that he caused the war, if he didn’t take the steps he took, the story would have been different.

The people who should be criticising Ojukwu are the Igbos because every Igboman, including the Northerners, were happy with the situation when the first coup took place. And the role Ojukwu played, like I started by saying that he objected to his posting as governor that he would rather be posted to Enugu, to the East and let Ejoor go to the Midwest.

Achuzie
How should Ojukwu be buried, as an officer of the Nigerian Army; as a General of the Biafran Army or Eze Gburugburu of Ndigbo?

Any of the caps fits him. I repeat, any of the caps fits him. But you ask me, in everything there are always stakeholders, notwithstanding, the relations, which, under our tradition, are the first port of call for burial, by his position. He is now a public figure belonging to the Igbo race, belonging to Nigerian army, while at the same belonging to the Nigerian civil populace.

Every one of these arms gained by the experience of coming in contact with Ojukwu. So, the burial should be such that all stakeholders should feel a sense of belonging within the process of his final interment.

thesicilian:

What is my business with the history of your hometown? You think it's everyone that cares about some minor militant soldier from the East?

Now you've shown your true intent. Bigot

thesicilian:

Easterners are generally hot headed people (sorry, this is not an insult, it's just an observation). Whenever they perceive someone is against them (even if the person actually is with them) they go all out to rain e-stones at the person, without really trying to digest what is being said. Men like Adekunle like you said, Gani Fawehinmi, Enahoro, Obafemi Awolowo were all celebrated in line life and in death. Yakubu Gowon is still being revered. A lot of those shouting online today have never bothered to say or write anything about this fallen hero of theirs but now it has become as if they live and breathe Achuzie.
My point simply was, let's learn to value our own when they can still appreciate it, but in their usual aggressiveness, they are all coming for my jugulars for saying I don't know him. What a bunch of jokers!

Who is celebrating those folks? Perhaps only Awolowo, who knew his people were not going to do much on their own if they opted out of the Nigger Area.

hucienda:
Ikemba of Asaba.

Hannibal.

#Respect.

Thank you our Brig General for making the ultimate sacrifice and dedication not only to Biafra, but to Black People by saying we are not animals you can lock up in a zoo anyhow, but free people, the ORIGINAL PEOPLE on Earth.

The sun will rise again


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8cfZEY3R6Io

Chai! Hannibal! Air raid! the name that struck fear and terror into the hearts of vandals.

He doesn't keep vandals he catches in Biafraland, he buries them upside down.

RIP Odogwu agha!

great man. I respect you. what you guys saw and fought for 50 years ago that is what the people that fought against you is just experiencing now. you guys saw tomorrow. that's why elders say what you guys saw seating down, a young man will not see it even on top of a tree. ride on sir your name is written in gold.

[s]

thesicilian:

You people make me laugh. Unfortunately for you people, he's not as popular as you'd have liked him to be. That's just a hard pill you'll have to swallow. Even Lawrence Anini was ten times more popular than him.

[/s]

Oga shut up and hide your face in shame. Ignoramus!

Alex General Alex Madiebo recommended him to General Ojukwu for commissioning after His Onitsha exploit against a very clueless Col Murtala Mohammed's men.
Seasoned and respected officers who were way out of his league such as Njoku and a few others will eventually be made to by Ojukwu to report to him at some point .

I will rank Achuzia up there as one of the most blood thirsty men ...second of course after to Col. "Black scorpion" Adekunle of the Nigerian Army during that war...both officers led their men to die senselessly without a real battle strategy at various times during the civil war

Mischievous fellow you are.

Mutala Muhammad was not clueless, Achuzia was just a superior strategist, stop undermining a man's heroics.

Achuzia earned Ojukwu respect and trust, I don't expect other officers to be happy with this, but this always happens in an organization.
Achuzia was patriotic and without selfish ambitions, Ojukwu couldn't vouch same of of other officers, especially considering how Ifeajuna turned out.

You need a psychiatric examination. How exactly was Achuzia blood thirsty? Did he kill civilians? How dare you put him on same sentence with the murderer and genocidal Adekunle that was busy shooting at civilians (women and Children) as well as medical supplies?

Achuzia made the most of little ammunition and advantages he had with him during the war. If he had half of the ammnuitions Britain provided Nigeria, he would have done better than Nigerian Army officers did.

justtoodark:



i dont think any igbo will get elected as president the way you igbos think...

you already gave up nigeria back then that easy....i dont think none igbos trust an igbo to become president....

they may use you,but i dont think nigerians trust igbos that much....

Nna men, carry this your president noise and shove down your smelly nyash No fuvck giving.

thesicilian:

History only remembers those who make a tangible impact. It's not my fault he ended up on the losing side despite his so called gallantry. We do not know him.

You don't understand consolation? Let them console themselves with their beliefs.
In fact, one day they will change the narration to say Biafra won the war.

BiafraIShere:
SMH at you, the two groups of people that won't know the great Hannibal are little kids and those that don't/can't read! This man was arguably the most gallant soldier on the Biafran side during the war. The greatest single massacre inflicted on the Nigerian soldiers was led by the Hannibal himself, and that was the Abagana ambush when with much lesser men and ammunition, he ambushed a full battalion of Nigerian soldiers armed to the teeth!! What was left of the thousands of Nigerian soldiers were their charred remains and long columns of completely burnt out tanks, armoured cars, vans etc! Google Abagana massacre and be informed, you can thank me later. If you read the comments above, then you will realize that you belong to the minority that don't know Col. Joe Achuzie. Reading his exploits when I was small used to fill me with awe.

The small boy is a big fool. Ignore the idiot.

kettykings:


Truth be told even the Nigerian military cannot stand what biafra stood for 3 years

Yes, even though I did not delve into that in my write-up but if I had time I will be able to defend why I support your assertion but in brief....
The biafrans fought because they had to fight ....they knew exactly why they fought , they were creative, they were resilient, most of their civilian population where very highly educated, they were hopeful...I have seen images of barefooted and rag tag biafran soldiers .
The Nigerian recruits fought because they were told to do so...and it was a high paying job for the illiterates and semi illiterates...they hardly engaged the biafran in infantry f2f combats...but rather chose to shell the biafran who always ran out of ammo after a few shots.

The biafran had very few countries you can count in your fingers..chiefly .France, Belgium , Tanzania , Ireland , the American catholic relief community and a few more supporting them .

The Federal troops had Biafra, Russia and most European and African countries including Nigeriens who came in droves to die in Igbo heartland for a cause that did not even consign them

Biafra Had the popular and deadly flying mine " Ogbuniwe" (hope I got that right)but because the Federal troops did not want to engage frontally those mines could not be used in most cases. Biafra even captured at least one or two of a Col Murtala's tanks which they reequipped and reused throughout the war till the very tail end.

Nigeria had unlimited supply of ordinances and logistics but Biafra had rationed ammo...Ojukwu rationed at will and supplies only trickled into Uli intermittently at night...and at some point it became un safe for pilots to fly into Biafra.

Finally, Nigeria had visionary and cunning leadership in Gowon and His minister of finance....that is another turning point in the war...that man ...the minister of finance threw in a joker that ended the war before it even ended officially.....story for another day

Biafra had one sole man dictating the pace and tune of the war...lost confidence in a His elite commanders and preferring propagandist and mercenaries....well...that again is another story for another day...

pazienza:
Chai! Odogwu anaa muo!

Ochiagha ndi Igbo ji eme onu!

A man of great interigity, the untainted one!

Igbo nationalist par excellence
These are men who were still holding the last vestiges of the Igbo nation frontiers.
Men that I look up to.

Francis Ellah is gone

Achuzia is gone!

Where are their replacements

Sage, very true. But no need to fret, great minds, the likes Osita Mordi, are taken up the mantle. We will get there one day.

Mbediogu:


As a warlord and one of those who followed Effiong to Lagos to end the war, I have no doubt he knew he was being watched by FGN.

He was actually hated by the FG. He was the only Biafran officer thrown into jail by Gowon after the war even while they chanted 'no victor no vanquished'. It was in that jail he wrote his own account of the war.

Rest in Peace Achuzia the Lion

Wisdomkosi:
Cc Lalasticlala

It is not his fault that you don't know history

thesicilian:
If he's such a hero how come most of us have never heard of him? Don't get me wrong, my point is, we should learn to celebrate our heroes when they are still alive (which actually benefits them more) than when they are dead, which is of no use to them.

The people who have not heard of him do not read.