ngozievergreen: If you are yoruba, just leave dis forum cos like i said before, the nigerian civil war was btw the northern n d eastern regions. U people were/are too weak to be involved. See how dey are talking like dey know their stand in dis country, Una comments above have a lot of fibre, no facts.
How can sb say Awolowo didnt put igbos on 20pounds stuff? He was doing those tnz so dat he will be compensated by d abokis, yet dey dissappointed him. All dese tnz are/were well documented n ma grand dad is stl alive to tell d story. See, dis topic is not a case of the usual NL catfights.
U ppl shd summon courage n confront d north for once, if not den lleave d igbos, cos we are not evn thinking abt u guys.
Shameful dat a region once devastated is beta dan yours even without much govt presence.
How can sb tell me d war has ended when d u ppl also opened ur mouths to say we are marginalised. Inshort......... All cowards shd go to bed. When its time for war, u start lookin for d people with larger arsenal to join..

Andre Uweh: The above junk is very hillarious. Dude, you write as if Biafra at any time declared war on Nigeria. Did that ever happen?. Your post above shows that you are one of the forumites who only learn about Biafra/Nigeria crisis in nairaland. Anyway, we will keep on educating you lots.
Stop thanking God in vein thinking Yorubas did not join the war. The war was Nigeria against Eastern Nigeria (Biafra). Yorubaland was and is still part of Nigeria. The commander of the Nigeria 3rd division that cleared South of Biafra was a Yorubaman called Adekunle. Another Yorubaman finished the task for him.
Can you do us a favour by stop meantion Biafra which you know nothing about?.

dayokanu:

Any secession without a referendum is a declaration of war. Anywhere in the world.

When Southern US seceded the whole country declared war on them

tomakint: @Andre, even after returning from Aburi, Gowon and his cohorts were ready to secede (remember the word 'Araba') and were planning to make Kaduna the new capital, unfortunately, the then Allison Ayida-led Civil Service opened the eyes of the Abokis on the danger it would be for the 'Northerners' which made Gowon to renege on his earlier decisions

Andre Uweh:
Imagine senseless soldiers who murdered Ironsi and Fajuyi because of Nigerian The only thing they wanted was 'Araba' or secession Sometimes I only laugh at comments of people in this forum who accuse Ojukwu for lacking focus. Yet the the khaki boys from the north are not mentioned. Nairaland is so full of clowns. Isn't it Tomakint?.

Andre Uweh: The above junk is very hillarious. Dude, you write as if Biafra at any time declared war on Nigeria. Did that ever happen?. Your post above shows that you are one of the forumites who only learn about Biafra/Nigeria crisis in nairaland. Anyway, we will keep on educating you lots.
Stop thanking God in vein thinking Yorubas did not join the war. The war was Nigeria against Eastern Nigeria (Biafra). Yorubaland was and is still part of Nigeria. The commander of the Nigeria 3rd division that cleared South of Biafra was a Yorubaman called Adekunle. Another Yorubaman finished the task for him.
Can you do us a favour by stop meantion Biafra which you know nothing about?.

Andre Uweh:
Forget secession. The East was already functioning independent of Nigeria since July 66. Gowon's regime was not recognized in the east and easterners saw Ojukwu as their own head of state.
Secession only helped the northern agenda-which was to secede from Nigeria. The northern Nigerian counter coup of July 66 was to pull Northern Nigeria out of the rest of Nigeria.
Its a pity that the murderers made a swift turn around from their major objectives of the coup to now propagate unity of Nigeria. This same unity which Ironsi was preaching and they murdered him with his host in Ibadan.
Till date, those brains that they lacked has still eluded them.

Ubenedictus: dude, u've gat to know wu u are talking to b4 u spew rubbish, oh yeah d decision to leave nigeria was made by d ibo heavy weight and ojukwu took their burden.. To correct ur silly ideas, i didnt learn abt d nigerian civil war on niaraland, instead i took time to make and indepth study of d cause and effect of d matter. Nobody attacked yet when briafra solders attacked asaba and benin looting d central bank too, dat is a declaration of war, ojukwu undid himself wen he sent his started his move to capture ore. If d yorubas had joined d ibo's, d lack of weapons of d biafra soldiers would has made d yoruba soldier look. foolish. Beside ojukwu's declaration of succession was for d eastern region only, so why shuld d yorubas help him fight in a stuff dat wont profit them.

revolt: the honorable thing yorobax n awo should have done was to stay out of this war btw east n north. Perhaps a mediator for both sides but taking sides with Nigeria in the face of their lucid knowledge of the injustices meted on ndigbo made their participation even more treacherous than abokis!!

revolt: the honorable thing yorobax n awo should have done was to stay out of this war btw east n north. Perhaps a mediator for both sides but taking sides with Nigeria in the face of their lucid knowledge of the injustices meted on ndigbo made their participation even more treacherous than abokis!!

inufele2:

The honourable thing you Igbos should have done is to fight your war alone. You have no biz coming over to Ore in an attempt to decimate Yorubaland, in the end you got what you deserved. Stop whining!

Ubenedictus: dis is da point! What was ojukwu looking for in ore?

Ubenedictus: dat is interesting. Do u know dat befor d war broke out awo had succeded in convincing d yorubas to b politically neutral? The yorubas kept their distance from d war until ojukwu decided to go on an adventure into ore. At that point, everything fell, it was as if ojukwu wanted to capture yoruba land! He wasnt going to fight d north, he was going to fight d west. When he attacked ore, all d yorubas said enuf is enuf. Dat was how ojukwu added d yorubas to his list of enemies. Ojukwu would have had a chance if he went directly to da north.

Ubenedictus: dat is interesting. Do u know dat befor d war broke out awo had succeded in convincing d yorubas to b politically neutral? The yorubas kept their distance from d war until ojukwu decided to go on an adventure into ore. At that point, everything fell, it was as if ojukwu wanted to capture yoruba land! He wasnt going to fight d north, he was going to fight d west. When he attacked ore, all d yorubas said enuf is enuf. Dat was how ojukwu added d yorubas to his list of enemies. Ojukwu would have had a chance if he went directly to da north.

Ubenedictus: dat is interesting. Do u know dat befor d war broke out awo had succeded in convincing d yorubas to b politically neutral? The yorubas kept their distance from d war until ojukwu decided to go on an adventure into ore. At that point, everything fell, it was as if ojukwu wanted to capture yoruba land! He wasnt going to fight d north, he was going to fight d west. When he attacked ore, all d yorubas said enuf is enuf. Dat was how ojukwu added d yorubas to his list of enemies. Ojukwu would have had a chance if he went directly to da north.

Ubenedictus: dat is interesting. Do u know dat befor d war broke out awo had succeded in convincing d yorubas to b politically neutral? The yorubas kept their distance from d war until ojukwu decided to go on an adventure into ore. At that point, everything fell, it was as if ojukwu wanted to capture yoruba land! He wasnt going to fight d north, he was going to fight d west. When he attacked ore, all d yorubas said enuf is enuf. Dat was how ojukwu added d yorubas to his list of enemies. Ojukwu would have had a chance if he went directly to da north.

Dede1:

You are pathetically ignorant.

tomakint:
Alagba Ubenedictus, it seems you know a lot about the war that we don't know, perhaps you fought in that ill-fated war! Imagine you telling us now that Ojukwu intended to invade Yoruba land when [size=14pt]from all indications his mission was gentlemanly (by sending Banjo-via Wole Soyinka to the treacherous Obasanajo) for passage to Lagos the then seat of power[/size] in order to teach the demonic, megalomaniac Hausa-Fulanis a lesson they will never forget,unfortunately the plan failed when Obj betrayed Soyinka into the hands of his Hausa superiors, the more reason plan B was implemented to ward off the 'vandals' from using the mid-west as a launchpad to enter into the then Eastern region. It is too unfortunate that so many revisionists always invade the thread that talks about the Nigerian-Biafran War! Remember that, Awolowo made a promise to Ojukwu that Yorubas will be 'neutral' if a war eventually emerges, unfortunately that was not to be, even Pa Awolowo was an arrow head in the 'war cabinet' of the clown (Gowon)hmmnnnn

[size=18pt]LETTER FROM LT.COL. OJUKWU TO LT. COL.BANJO[/size]

22nd AUGUST 1967



From: The Military Governor,

Republic of Biafra Enugu,



22nd August, 1967.



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" . Provided by Prof. Olufemi Ojo.

tomakint:
Trust me Dede1 he is not denying that, he is just being unnecessarily stubborn and warped in his logic

dayokanu:

Read the below and tell us what is gentlemanly about that move

LETTER FROM LT.COL. OJUKWU TO LT. COL.BANJO

22nd AUGUST 1967



From: The Military Governor,

Republic of Biafra Enugu,



22nd August, 1967.



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) [b]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" . Provided by Prof. Olufemi Ojo.




The moment Biafra attacked SW at Ore all bets were off

Ubenedictus: thank God d yoruba's didnt join d war. Maybe some of my yoruba friends wouldnt have been alive today. D ibo went to a war they knew they couldn't win, dat is suicide not genocide, u cant start a war wen u know u dont have d food, manpower allies and asenal to support u. Dat isn't war it is suicide. It was late b4 ojukwu (GOD rest his soul) knew dat his brothers has pushed him into a war he could win. He began to show d staving ibo people on tv in an effort to win international sympathy, he got the sympathy alright but lost the war. U guy are talking of human right violation during d war, intarasting, i donot support d senseless killing of civillian but come on man, it was war, and in war u have casualities,

Dat is why after a war, d best tin to do is heal d broken relationships, drop d bad feelings and make sure such disaster called war never repeat itself. Spread d hate of d war will lead no where! America had a civil war and they lived thru it, do u hear dem fighting over d misdeeds of d civil war? Nigerians need to learn how to forgive forget and move on. We've gat to stop living in da past.

tomakint:
Alagba Ubenedictus, it seems you know a lot about the war that we don't know, perhaps you fought in that ill-fated war! Imagine you telling us now that Ojukwu intended to invade Yoruba land when from all indications his mission was gentlemanly (by sending Banjo-via Wole Soyinka to the treacherous Obasanajo) for passage to Lagos the then seat of power in order to teach the demonic, megalomaniac Hausa-Fulanis a lesson they will never forget,unfortunately the plan failed when Obj betrayed Soyinka into the hands of his Hausa superiors, the more reason plan B was implemented to ward off the 'vandals' from using the mid-west as a launchpad to enter into the then Eastern region. It is too unfortunate that so many revisionists always invade the thread that talks about the Nigerian-Biafran War! Remember that, Awolowo made a promise to Ojukwu that Yorubas will be 'neutral' if a war eventually emerges, unfortunately that was not to be, even Pa Awolowo was an arrow head in the 'war cabinet' of the clown (Gowon)hmmnnnn

Dede1:

You are pathetically ignorant.

Dede1:




I hope those moronic nitwits that pass as Nairaland political moderators should jump in here and do justice to the above rubbish. It is ridiculous that a person regarded as a professor should be associated with this prank not worthy of third graders.

Only a born fool will postulate that Ojukwu was “Military Governor and Commander in Chief of Biafran Armed Forces”. Biafra never had a military governor. It is laughable when Yoruba peeps claim all forms of rubbish to boaster their ignorance.

revolt: to lay this issue to rest finally could u pls tell me who drew firstblood cos u guys kip gvn the lousy excuse tht igbos tried to attack yorubaland forgetting tht the seat of nigerian govt was lagos n ofcos had Yorubas slaving for their northern masters.....you guys are pathetic revisionists. in the face of injustice youre still trying to justify awos actions.. na wa o

Andre Uweh:
Another simple one. Ohanaeze saw in Goodluck Jonathan as a politician from the eastern region. It is like the north presenting a candidate who is not Hausa Fulani. We Ndigbo had accepted G.E.J before Ohanaeze endorsed him.