₦airaland Forum

ehie: he Nigerian government launched a "police action" to retake the secessionist territory. The war began on 6 July 1967 when Nigerian Federal troops advanced in two columns into Biafra. The Nigerian army offensive was through the north of Biafra led by Colonel Shuwa and the local military units were formed as the 1st Infantry Division. The division was led mostly by northern officers. After facing unexpectedly fierce resistance and high casualties, the right-hand Nigerian column advanced on the town of Nsukka which fell on 14 July, while the left-hand column made for Garkem, which was captured on 12 July. At this stage of the war, the other regions of Nigeria (the West and Mid-West) still considered the war as a confrontation between the north (mainly Hausas) against the east (mainly Igbos)[citation needed]. But the Biafrans responded with an offensive of their own when, on 9 August, the Biafran forces moved west into the Mid-Western Nigerian region across the Niger river, passing through Benin City, until they were stopped at Ore (in present day Ondo State) just over the state boundary on 21 August, just 130 miles east of the Nigerian capital of Lagos. The Biafran attack was led by Lt. Col. Banjo, a Yoruba, with the Biafran rank of brigadier. The attack met little resistance and the Mid-West was easily taken over. This was due to the pre-secession arrangement that all soldiers should return to their regions to stop the spate of killings, in which Igbo soldiers had been major victims.[8][12] The Nigerian soldiers that were supposed to defend the Mid-West state were mostly Mid-West Igbo and while some were in touch with their eastern counterparts, others resisted. General Gowon responded by asking Colonel Murtala Mohammed (who later became head of state in 1975) to form another division (the 2nd Infantry Division) to expel the Biafrans from the Mid-West, as well as defend the West side and attack Biafra from the West as well. As Nigerian forces retook the Mid-West, the Biafran military administrator declared the Republic of Benin on 19 September.


Flag of the Republic of Benin.
Although Benin City was retaken by the Nigerians on 22 September, the Biafrans succeeded in their primary objective by tying down as many Nigerian Federal troops as much as they could. Gen. Gowon also launched an offensive into Biafra south from the Niger Delta to the riverine area using the bulk of the Lagos Garrison command under Colonel Benjamin Adekunle (called the Black Scorpion) to form the 3rd Infantry Division (which was later renamed as the 3rd Marine Commando). As the war continued, the Nigerian Army recruited amongst a wider area, including the Yoruba, Itshekiri, Urhobo, Edo, Ijaw, and etc. Four battalions of the Nigerian 2nd Infantry Division were needed to drive the Biafrans back and eliminate their territorial gains made during the offensive. The Nigerians were repulsed three times as they attempted to cross the River Niger during October, resulting in the loss of thousands of troops, dozens of tanks and equipment. The first attempt by the 2nd Infantry Division on 12 October to cross the Niger from the town of Asaba to the Biafran city of Onitsha cost the Nigerian Federal Army over 5,000 soldiers killed, wounded, captured or missing.
[edit]Stalemate

From 1968 onward, the war fell into a form of stalemate, with Nigerian forces unable to make significant advances into the remaining areas of Biafran control due to stiff resistance and major defeats in Abagana, Arochukwu, Oguta, Umuahia (Operation OAU), Onne, Ikot Ekpene, and etc.[13] But another Nigerian offensive from April to June 1968 began to close the ring around the Biafrans with further advances on the two northern fronts and the capture of Port Harcourt on 19 May 1968. The blockade of the surrounded Biafrans led to a humanitarian disaster when it emerged that there was widespread civilian hunger and starvation in the besieged Igbo areas. The Biafran government claimed that Nigeria was using hunger and genocide to win the war, and sought aid from the outside world. A Nigerian commission, including British doctors from the Liverpool University School of Tropical Medicine, visited Biafra after the war[14] and concluded that the evidence of deliberate starvation was overplayed, caused by confusion between the symptoms of starvation and various tropical illnesses. They did not doubt that starvation had occurred, but were unsurprisingly not clear of the extent to which it was a result of the Nigerian blockade or the restriction of food to the civilians by the Biafran government[11]


A child suffering the effects of severe hunger and malnutrition as a result of the blockade. Pictures of the famine caused by Nigerian blockade garnered sympathy for the Biafrans worldwide.
Many volunteer bodies organised blockade-breaking relief flights into Biafra, carrying food, medicines, and sometimes (according to some claims) weapons.[15] More common was the claim that the arms-carrying aircraft would closely shadow aid aircraft, making it more difficult to distinguish between aid aircraft and military supply aircraft.[15] It has been argued that by prolonging the war the Biafran relief effort (characterised by Canadian development consultant Ian Smillie as "an act of unfortunate and profound folly", contributed to the deaths of as many as 180,000 civilians.[16]
In response to the Nigerian government using foreigners to lead some advances, the Biafran government also began hiring foreign mercenaries to extend the war.[citation needed] Only German born Rolf Steiner a Lt. Col. with the 4th Commandos, and Major Taffy Williams, a Welshman would remain for the duration.[17] Nigeria also used 'mercenaries', in the form of Egyptian pilots for their air force MiG 17 fighters and Il 28 bombers. The Egyptians conscripts frequently attacked civilian rather than military targets, bombing numerous Red Cross shelters.[15]
Bernard Kouchner was one of a number of French doctors who volunteered with the French Red Cross to work in hospitals and feeding centres in besieged Biafra. The Red Cross required volunteers to sign an agreement, which was seen by some (like Kouchner and his supporters) as being similar to a gag order, that was designed to maintain the organisation's neutrality, whatever the circumstances. Kouchner and the other French doctors signed this agreement.
After entering the country, the volunteers, in addition to Biafran health workers and hospitals, were subjected to attacks by the Nigerian army, and witnessed civilians being murdered and starved by the blockading forces. Kouchner also witnessed these events, particularly the huge number of starving children, and when he returned to France, he publicly criticised the Nigerian government and the Red Cross for their seemingly complicit behaviour. With the help of other French doctors, Kouchner put Biafra in the media spotlight and called for an international response to the situation. These doctors, led by Kouchner, concluded that a new aid organisation was needed that would ignore political/religious boundaries and prioritise the welfare of victims. They created Médecins Sans Frontières in 1971 (Doctors Without Borders).[18]
In September 1968, the federal army planned what Gowon described as the "final offensive." Initially the final offensive was neutralised by Biafran troops by the end of the year after several Nigerian troops were routed in Biafran ambushes. In the latter stages, a Southern FMG offensive managed to break through. However in 1969, the Biafrans launched several offensives against the Nigerians in their attempts to keep the Nigerians off-balance starting in March when the 14th Division of the Biafran army recaptured Owerri and moved towards Port Harcourt, but were halted just north of the city. In May 1969, Biafran commandos recaptured oil wells in Kwale. In July 1969, Biafran forces launched a major land offensive supported by foreign mercenary pilots continuing to fly in food, medical supplies and weapons. Most notable of the mercenaries was Swedish Count Carl Gustav von Rosen who led air attacks with five Malmö MFI-9 MiniCOIN small piston-engined aircraft, armed with rocket pods and machine guns. His BAF (Biafran Air Force) consisted of three Swedes: von Rosen, Gunnar Haglund and Martin Lang. The other two pilots were Biafrans: Willy Murray-Bruce and Augustus Opke. From 22 May to 8 July 1969 von Rosen's small force attacked Nigerian military airfields in Port Harcourt, Enugu, Benin City and Ughelli, destroying or damaging a number of Nigerian Air Force jets used to attack relief flights, including a few Mig-17's and three out of Nigeria's six Ilyushin Il-28 bombers that were used to bomb Biafran villages and farms on a daily basis. Although the Biafran offensives of 1969 were a tactical success, the Nigerians soon recovered. The Biafran air attacks did disrupt the combat operations of the Nigerian Air Force, but only for a few months.
[edit]War's End

With increased British support, the Nigerian federal forces launched their final offensive against the Biafrans once again on 23 December 1969 with a major thrust by the 3rd Marine Commando Division (the division was commanded by Col. Obasanjo (who later became president twice) which succeeded in splitting the Biafran enclave into two by the end of the year. The final Nigerian offensive, named "Operation Tail-Wind", was launched on 7 January 1970 with the 3rd Marine Commando Division attacking, and supported by the 1st Infantry division to the north and the 2nd Infantry division to the south. The Biafran town of Owerri fell on 9 January, and Uli fell on 11 January. Only a few days earlier, Ojukwu fled into exile by flying by plane to the republic of Côte d'Ivoire, leaving his deputy Philip Effiong to handle the details of the surrender to General Yakubu Gowon of the federal army on 13 January 1970. The war finally ended a few days later with the Nigerian forces advancing in the remaining Biafran held territories with little opposition.
After the war Gowon said, "The tragic chapter of violence is just ended. We are at the dawn of national reconciliation. Once again we have an opportunity to build a new nation. My dear compatriots, we must pay homage to the fallen, to the heroes who have made the supreme sacrifice that we may be able to build a nation, great in justice, fair trade, and industry."[19]
[edit]Aftermath and legacy

The war cost the Igbos a great deal in terms of lives, money and infrastructure. It has been estimated that up to three million people may have died due to the conflict, most from hunger and disease.[20] Reconstruction, helped by the oil money, was swift; however, the old ethnic and religious tensions remained a constant feature of Nigerian politics. Accusations were made of Nigerian government officials diverting resources meant for reconstruction in the former Biafran areas to their ethnic areas. Military government continued in power in Nigeria for many years, and people in the oil-producing areas claimed they were being denied a fair share of oil revenues.[21] Laws were passed mandating that political parties could not be ethnically or tribally based; however, it has been hard to make this work in practice.
Igbos who ran for their lives during the pogroms and war returned to find their positions had been taken over; and when the war was over the government did not feel any need to re-instate them, preferring to regard them as having resigned. This reasoning was also extended to Igbo owned properties and houses. People from other regions were quick to take over any house owned by an Igbo, especially in the Port Harcourt area. The Nigerian Government justified this by terming such properties abandoned. This, however, has led to a feeling of an injustice as the Nigerian government policies were seen as further economically disabling the Igbos even long after the war. Further feelings of injustice were caused by Nigeria, changing its currency so that Biafran supplies of pre-war Nigerian currency were no longer honoured, at the end of the war, only N£20 was given to any easterner despite what ever amount of money he or she had in the bank. This was applied irrespective of their banking in pre-war Nigerian currency or Biafran currency. This was seen as a deliberate policy to hold back the Igbo middle class, leaving them with little wealth to expand their business interests.[22]
On Monday 29 May 2000, The Guardian (Nigeria) reported that President Olusegun Obasanjo commuted to retirement the dismissal of all military persons who fought for the breakaway state of Biafra during the Nigerian civil war. In a national broadcast, he said that the decision was based on the principle that "justice must at all times be tempered with mercy."

I am sure all the principal actors have now come to see the mistake of stopping Biafra. They are worse off for it and detororiating everyday. Let us continue to pretend all is well till one day we wake up to see that Ghana is now ruling our country. Nigeria was a fraud, same fraud will continue till we disintigrate.

ehie: On 29 July 1966, the Northerners executed a counter-coup. This coup was led by Lt. Col. Murtala Mohammed. It placed Lt. Col. Yakubu Gowon into power. Gowon was chosen as a compromise candidate. He was a Northerner, a Christian, from a minority tribe, and had a good reputation within the army. Ethnic tensions due to the coup and counter-coup increased and the sequels to the mass pogroms in May 1966 repeated later the same year in July and September known as the large-scale massacres of Christian Ibo living in the Muslim north

That day should be remarkable, that was the day they murdered sleep. All of us has been awake and restless till today. We are stuck in this ditch together with no hope of salvation or redemption.

ehie: your brother nzeogwu started this,if there hadnt been a coup,nigeria would have been a better nation,five thousannd nigerian soilders died,because your greed for power,u broiught this on urselves,stop disturbinng nigeria

Maybe Nzeogwu had a better plan that would have made this country a better place, see what your brothers has turned Nigeria into, a failed state. We are watching from the ringside, arms folded and with expensive wine on our lap

suraaj: who registered a fool like u as a member on nairaland.think twice b4 u open that stinking mouth of ur.

The blood of the innocents he wasted will continue to murder his children and grand children.

ehie: On 15 January 1966, Major Kaduna Nzeogwu and other junior Army officers (mostly majors and captains) attempted a coup d'état. It was generally speculated that the coup had been initiated by the Igbos, and for their own primary benefit, because of the ethnicity of those that were killed. The two major political leaders of the north, The prime Minister, Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa and The Premier of the northern region, Sir Ahmadu Bello were executed by Major Nzeogwu. Also murdered was Sir Ahmadu Bello's wife. Meanwhile, the President, Sir Nnamdi Azikiwe, an Igbo, was on an extended vacation in the West Indies. He did not return until days after the coup. However, evidence exists to the contrary. For example, the coup was not only generally applauded in the Northern region, it was most successful there. The fact that only one Igbo officer, Lt Col Arthur Unegbe, was killed can be attributed to the mere fact that the officers in charge of implementing Nzeogwu's plans in the East were incompetent. The coup, also referred to as "The Coup of the Five Majors", has been described in some quarters as Nigeria's only revolutionary coup.[10] This was the first coup in the short life of Nigeria's nascent 2nd democracy. Claims of electoral fraud was one of the reasons given by the coup plotters. This coup resulted in General Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi, an Igbo and head of the Nigerian Army, taking power as President, becoming the first military head of state in Nigeria.

Off topic!

Bambela: The worst of it is that he will never enjoy peace even at death as the blood of innocent biafrans are crying for justice. Shuwa you and your likes will never no peace. Gowon is your turn .

The evil that men do, kills them

I guess they know who the cowards are, hence their avoidance.

Moral of the story: Nigeria will never be one country.

Prof Corruption: RIP to a worthy and gallant soldier. Come rain come shine, he did not abandon his homeland. He was in Maiduguri throughout.

Someone dressed in woman wrapper and fled to Abidjan.

If he dared leave maidugrinistan, he would have been stoned to death

dayokanu: Rather than flee warfront

Which war front, coward dey go war front?

dayokanu: Ojuku died a weakling. Deaf dumb lonely He couldnt even help himself as his brothers were taking turn on his wife

Better than awolowo who drank a healthy dose of rat poison

Ikwere fist son: ya fist muritala ws murderd lyk a dog nd nw shuwa slughterd lyk a pig reming ibm haruna.we re waitng

Gowon losing his people to the fulani daily and the country they fought to preserve disintegrating surely.

CyberG: 1. An elderly, accomplished man WAS KILLED (criminal act) by criminals, iboez are rejoicing. That will NOT bring back the 3 M you sacrificed during the war.

2. Iboez singing songs of triumph due to criminal acts, REMEMBER this is ONE of the bigger reasons 30,000 iboez were slaughtered and made headless before the civil war when they rejoiced over the death of leaders killed by ibo rebels and terrorists.

3. His being killed is not any act for his courageous and gallant victories of the war (he swore and was paid by the country to do HIS job), it is criminality and more iboez than Shuwa will MEET the same fate of criminal behaviour in Nigeria. That is happened to one and you are rejoicing does not insulate you from similar criminal acts.

You are missing the point, the rejoicing is because of the irony this sad death presents us with. This contraption called Nigeria was supposed to go its seprate ways after the pogroms, but some people like this man wanted to keep the failing country together despite the glaring differences.
Now, 40+ years later and insecurity has claimed the life of a man who refused to allow the balkanization of the mistake called Nigeria. Ojukwu was right after all.

dayokanu: General Shuwa Rest in Peace.

You served your country well by putting down forcefully the Biafran uprising.

And his life has been put down by force after he achieved Nigerian forced unity?

franklinjoseph: Anybody dat says anything bad about dis man will meet such a death. He was a nice man. He used to be the chairman of our family bank IMB before it got dissolved. May his soul rest in peace.

Which rest in peace? Ojukwu and Nzeogwu will be pumelling him with blows in hell by now

Ikwere fist son: gen muhamd shuwa ws d comanding officer of d nijeran fist divisn wic is presently d 1st div in kaduna,during d civil war hs army matchd frm d nsuka bordr he ws creditd wit sm victories during d war.bt ws one of d muderos comanders dn as a col dat supervise d sumary executn of many biafran civilans along wit gen muritala nd ibm haruma of d 2nd div wer al cald d muderos generals.muritala ws neva a gud c.o bt ws gud at kilng civilans dats y gowon widrew hm frm d front afta col achuzie disgracd hm at abagana nd he escapd wit an helicopter nd ws replacd by col bellow.so shuwa ws a nijeran hero bt a vilan 2d ibos.cos he neva hide hs hatred 4d ibos even unto hs shameful death

They won the war and lost the peace to the Biafrans

[quote author=Osiris.211]May God bless Shuwa and other veterans. You lived like a man, fought like a man and died like a man. Let the cowards live forever.[/quote]Lived like a man and died like a chicken. Am sure he will be buried like a chicken also.

CuntDestroyer: OP, by the way this isn't your Dear John advisory. If you can't figure sh1t for yourself by now then you have no business getting a higher education. Consider a simpler way of life like doing dishes or flipping burgers. You know regular direct entry labor market skills.

We talk politics here and no one is going to give a rat a55 about your grades.

gtfo!

wonder who gave this raving lunatic access to the internet?

CuntDestroyer: no your mother. mind your business!

cuntdestroyer, watch out as you sound like the one who will wind up in jail, your anus will serve the big boys as a cun.t every night

CuntDestroyer: you will never get back to your previous academic form and being that your life is worthlessly dependent on the outcome of a test score I suggest you kill yourself.

pic related : it's what i think you are.

Is that your father's picture?

Ymodulus: Afternoon all, A friend of mine sent me this.

Been an old time member of this forum never felt i will one day be asking questions, untill today. Now straight to my story.

Am a guy, 19 by age to be precise, a year 3 student of a federal university, working in some places and also schooling,

Recently my last semester result was released and my academic performace was poor compared to previous performance, dropped from 4.43 to 3.89 as semesterial gp
and cgpa also went low from 4.33 to 4.21.
Its almost a week i ave been battling with this, been so depressed, really not able to eat(yeah i now take water & biscuits) and trying to cheer myself up for the new semester which just started and not to repeat the silly mistake i made last semester, i have decided to take some following decisions of which am still not sure am doing the right thing as i believe i might be over-reacting so i have decided to come up here to seek your advice.

Actions about to be carried out.

WORK.
1. I work in a radio station, web developing start firm and a construction firm. [ About tendering my resignation letter. Infact it is already typed as i speak.]


RELATIONSHIPs
1. Trying to cut off relationships or close ties with most if not all people around me in school. [ I know it sounds crazy but i think if i have to tell myself the truth i got associations, pple coming around me last semester more.]
Note am not using this as an excuse for my poor performamce.

2. I Have no girl friend, and not planning on getting one. [but i'm planning on getting a female friend, One matured in THINKING.] as i belive the will actually pgive the best advice
3. Also planning on getting a guy i can call a friend. (Note i live a very ISOLATED live, i dont really see a problem with this but if you think its bad i will be willing to hear your reasons).

Miscellanous
1. This is one of the Most difficult decisions but its something i have to do, i have taken programming to me as everything though i dont want to blieve programming has anything to do with my bad grades or use any excuse to justify my poor performance, as my course is not computer related i am thinking of giving a break totally from this.
2. Last semster i waste too much time online browsing, whatsapping and on nairaland lol! yeah. already killing this habit drastically

Reading.
1. Last semesters i was reading at late hours( wen it was late ) and wasnt really focus. [ Now will make sure their is a change. Infact am already working on this. ]


Truth be told i just want to re-start my life in the university and everywhere this semester afresh. please is anything wrong with the above decisions ?

Thanks for your contributions in advance and i also need advice or help on how i can move forward.
Now i feel like i lost a gal friend. lol!! thanks once more. Forgive me if i have posted this in the wrong section. but couldnt determine which board is the right board for something like this.

Avoid drugs, Work harder, keep few friends and sleep early, also try some outdoor sports in the weekends. As you grow older, these problems will vanish.

Abagworo: Everyday people will post about bad roads in Aba. Is Aba the only city in Nigeria? Every city has its challenges but IMHO, aren't people living in Aba good enough to open their drainages and construct their own roads? Why wait for Government? Is it Government that generates filth and dump them indiscriminately? I am aware that in Port Harcourt there are worse places but I can never live in such place and allow people dump refuses and block drainages that's in my neighborhood. Aba is not the State capital so it will be difficult to be the choice area for beautification. People there don't love their city. Calabar is clean not because the Government is getting excess money like Akwaibom, but because people there take pride in the cleanliness of their city. Same goes to Owerri.

So Aba people stop crying wolf. Repaint those houses, clear your drainage and use waste bags in refuse disposal before shifting the blame to Government.

People to open drainage and construct their own roads and not wait for government?
Your need to take your brain to be serviced by a motor mechanic!

This man might be innocent, a guy that was corrupting my little cousin sister was treated like this. We waited for him and tied a goat to his leg and called out the whole town and flogged him for 3 hours before letting him go. we call it 'treating his fvuck up'

lagcity: stop referring me to your mechanic. After about two visits to your mechanic, I might end up having the famous okoro Igbo Igbo women will then be running away from me just like they run away from you. Bros, I no wan join that club abeg

I have an igbo queen waiting beside me in my bedroom now, let me do the 1-2 touch with her before she sleeps, will be back later, no time left for yoruba cowards.


IGBO RULES, AND THEY WILL RULE FOREVER!!!

lagcity: She is having fun because she is well fed, something u kwashiorkor okoros know nothing about. You spend your days screaming about how Yoruba didn't feed you.

well fed with a straw? this man needs help!

you need a motor mechanic to tighten some loose screws on your brain.

bittyend: At least learn how to spell "buffoon" correctly if you're going to say it.

thanks, I am happy you did not contest the fact of what I called you

bittyend: FIXED!

Damn! You study men's look, bruv?

You're a faggit! I need to stay away from every thread you're on.

I'm not homophobic but homoeroticism is e-contagious!

cant you stay on topic? wetin concern homo with this talks now?
whenever we are flogging you, beg for mercy instead of throwing up stewpid rubbish!

lagcity: That woman in the picture has class. She is being innovative. A bush Igbo would have licked the plate with her tongue. Eeeeww

No wonder, that is the type of innovation that has kept you people stagnant since .....

bittyend: Just comparing like for like, mate.

but you were crying foul like a buffon last time they talked about somebody's mum

bittyend: Still posting pictures like bytches.

Yet you wonder why your women don't like you lot.

Igbo men suffer from acute bit.chazzness syndrome smh.

I guess that's why most of you always end up being faggits!

Bitterend, your end may be bitter if you dont take time.

Ngodigha1: Monkey, you are talking about civilization, then tell us what your civilization has done to the yorugba woman below

Bros, you are wounding these people with those pictures, where on earth did you dig them up from

bittyend: That guy right there looks better than Ojukwu and his taliban beards, and Ojukwu was the greatest Igbo man ever smh.

Ojukwu definitely looks like he smells of poo and that lol.

Talk of insults to somebody's father

Ha! yoruba hypocrites!