When did you join the military?
I joined that Nigerian Army in 1968 as a Constable and was drafted to the war front immediately I finished my training at Depot NA Zaria. Because of my performance and activities during the war, I got accelerated promotions and eventually retired as a Colonel. During the war, I served in Artillery, precisely 3rd Marine Commando under the late Brigadier General Benjamin Adekunle who was a Colonel during the civil war. He was my GOC in Port Harcourt. At the artillery unit, we provided cover for the Infantry. When we had a target, there would first be raking, after which the Artillery would move in. But before doing this, we would use our artillery guns and compass to know the area we were supposed to shell and after dispersing the enemies, the Infantry would move in, sometimes led by the armoured tank.
How did the authorities then brief you on the cause of the war before you proceeded to the battlefront?
We didn’t know much about the cause of the war. What we later got to know was that the Southerners felt that the Northerners were suppressing them and that the Southerners, because of their education and advancement, saw this as injustice. This led to suspicion and lack of unity among the people and bred hatred and ethnicity. The coup that followed with the elimination of prominent people worsened the situation and consequently led to the civil war. It may interest you to know that some Igbo soldiers did not join Biafra. Open fire concerning the war started on 6 July, 1967. The experience, especially the scars of the war, is still with many today. But I can say that Nigerian troops handled the war with every sense of maturity. Towards the end of the war, leadership of my division was given to General Olusegun Obasanjo who was a Colonel then.
You were in the Third Marine Commando under then Cols Benjamin Adekunle and later, Olusegun Obasanjo, how did your division end the war?
It was by force and superiority over the Biafran solders. When I Division of the Nigerian Army captured Umuahia, the Biafran soldiers attempted to block us from entering Owerri. Those already inside opened the road for us and after a fierce battle, Umuahia and Owerri were captured by the federal troops. They initially promised to celebrate Christmas in Owerri but there was a heavy fight. During the battle, Obasanjo’s orderly was seriously wounded but after we captured Owerri, the federal troops proceeded to capture Orlu airport, which was under the control of Biafra.
In spite of the horrible experience of the civil war, there are people today calling for secession and revolution…
Before the demise of Chief Odumegwu Ojukwu, he said the Igbo made a mistake and he did not want such a mistake to happen again. He said Nigeria should remain as one entity. Every Igbo person that experienced the civil war will tell you that war is bad. The destruction of lives and property caused setbacks for the South-East and cost the Nigeria government millions of naira. And today, many will rather hang themselves than engage in a war.
What I saw during the war was horrible. There was a day that I thought I would not live to see the next day, given the heavy bombardments throughout the night between the federal troops and the Biafran soldiers. The battle was tense but I was unhurt. At daybreak, there were heavier casualties on the part of the Biafran soldiers than the federal troops. There was serious starvation and children died. Some were rescued by the federal troops.
Anyone calling for war had better think twice or ask from the survivors of the war. There is nothing as good as peace. War brings about destruction of lives and property but peace results in development. For example, the North-East, Boko Haram elements have been tormenting that zone for about 10 years now. People are being killed on a daily basis and communities are getting destroyed. It is a war situation. Go and ask the people there, they will tell you their experiences. So, anyone clamouring for war should think twice.
Our leaders should govern with conscience and fear of God. Our problem right from the beginning has been bad leadership. Most of our leaders are not sincere hence the insecurity we are experiencing today. The rule of law is not being respected. There is injustice at all levels. With all this, it would be difficult to experience the type of peace that would propel development and bring justice and equity to our nation. Democracy is good but those in power are corrupt. The majority of those in power today are ruled by ambition and selfishness. They are never satisfied. That is why you see some of them, after eight years of being governors without any achievements, wanting to go to the Senate or scheming to become president using looted resources to launch themselves to the ‘next level’. All these can cause injustice and war. So, the political class needs to watch their conduct and be careful.
Fifty years after civil war, do you think Nigerians have learnt any lesson?
Presently, what is the percentage of those who experienced the civil war? Many of them are no more; they are gone. Many of those in positions of authority today were either toddlers or yet unborn during the war. Those yearning for war or a break-up don’t know the implications of their utterances. They don’t know the bitterness of war. I remember that after our training at Depot NA, many of us were excited that we were going to war. But when those who fought the first and second world wars saw us, they shook their heads. They said we had no idea what awaited us at war front. It was when we got there that we realised the reason they shook their heads. I don’t blame the young ones who are drumming for war. It is because they have not experienced one. I think the Federal Government, through the Ministry of Education, should make the study of the Nigerian history, especially the civil war aspect, compulsory in secondary schools.
There are some Igbo people who still feel that they are yet to be properly integrated into Nigeria after the civil war…
They have no problem today. We are all one under one federating unit called Nigeria. Former Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon, laid the foundation for reconciliation and reconstruction and presently, there is full integration. What we lack is good leadership. General Gowon is not flamboyant; he is moderate. But check those who came after him, they are stupendously rich and they employ various sentiments to make themselves relevant.
What is your take on the insurgency in the North-East?
One can understand the reason behind Biafra. They wanted independence. But the motives of Boko Haram in the North-East are unknown. I keep wondering why the military is still unable to decimate the group in spite of the sophisticated equipment in their possession. I believe that politicians and some elements are the ones fuelling the problem for reasons best known to them. The civil war took just three years to suppress but this insurgency is about 10 years old now. To me, something is wrong somewhere.
Are you saying that the military is not fighting Boko Haram with the kind of determination it exhibited during the civil war?
I want to believe that they are determined but they are certainly not well equipped. It is as if some people don’t want the insurgency to end for selfish reasons. The manner in which the Chibok girls and those after them were abducted without any trace up to today is questionable. It belittles us as a country, especially those saddled with the responsibility of securing the country. Apart from this, kidnapping is gradually becoming a natural phenomenal in Nigeria, yet little or nothing is being done to arrest the situation. It is like our intelligence gathering mechanism in this country has failed us. Everything still boils down to the politicians in power. They are not keen on arresting the situation.
With your years in service which spanned about three decades, you must have participated in one coup or another. Is that approach to gaining power still relevant?
The idea of using coup to grab power is outdated all over the world. It is no longer fashionable. I want to tell you that no coup can succeed in Nigeria again. Modern technology such as telecommunication has made it difficult. There is nothing that is secret anymore. Moreover, our present-day military men are more exposed and civilised.
Is the present administration taking care of retired military men?
I commend President [Muhammadu] Buhari for taking care of military pensioners. Our pensions have been regular. But I am using this opportunity to appeal to our leaders to bury their differences and think more of the ordinary Nigerians.
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