BIAFRA WAS WELL BEYOND AN IGBO AFFAIR; ALL IN THE REGION WERE FULLY INVOLVED.
Biafra was never an Igbo movement.
The last President of Biafra, General Philip Effiong, Akangkang of Ibiono, though born in Aba was an Akwa Ibom son.
Chief Frank Opigo, the man who named Biafra is from Bayelsa State and is today Dawai the Third, Amanaowei of Angiama. He was Administrator of Yenegoa Province.
The most popular voice on Radio Biafra was a Cross Riverian. The war started at 5.30am, July 6, 1967 in Garkem, Cross River State no thanks to Lt. Gado Nasko who fired the First Artillery shots.
The last officer to leave Nigerian detention ,Col. Beneth Ochei, was from Delta State. One of the first ever hijackers, Captain Ibikari Allwell-Brown had Rivers blood in his veins. The trio seized a Nigeria Airways flight bound for Lagos from Benin.
Allwell Brown flew the aircraft to Enugu. Some top officers in Biafra were not from Igbo lands. Starting point should be Ibiono, home town of Gen. Effiong. It is also the place of Chief Ntienyong Akpan, Secretary to the Biafran government.
The environment will shock all. There were civilians like Chiefs Ekukinam Bassey, J.E. Udoh-Affiah,Dr. Thompson Akpabio, and S.J. Edoho. There were crack officers and soldiers from Akwa Ibom. Lt. Col Nsudoh,was described as “tough, courageous and iron willed, “ by General Alexander Madiebo, Biafra’s Army Chief.
Col. Akpan Utuk was all bravado and was said to have committed suicide when news of the surrender got to him. There was one teenage Commando, Edet, who fought in Uzuakoli under Col. Emeka Ananaba. From Cross River, there were civvies like Dr. Sam Imoke, Governor Liyel’s dad,from Itigidi, Abi.Chief Matthew Mbu, Professor Eyo Bassey Ndem, Justice Ndoma Egba, Senator Victors father and Frank Ugbut. In the military, they had Lt. Col. Archibong, who according to Madiebo, was “one of the bravest officers I have ever met.”
The young man on wheels of the dreaded Corporal Nwafor armoured car, Daniel Lawrence, better known as ‘Pampas of Argentina’ was an Ikom boy, born to a British mother from Liverpool. And Clement Ebri of the Biafra Airforce.
There was one armourer, Arikpo, from Mpaghni, Ugep who was ready to die for Biafra while his kinsman Okoi Arikpo defected to Nigeria to be appointed Commissioner for External Affairs. Mention must be made of Lt. Peseke Ita Ikpeme and Sylvanus Eta, one of the crew of the Panhard armoured car, Oguta Boy.
Then the train moves to Port Harcourt to see the family of Emmanuel Agumah. Other sons of the soil,among them Ignatius Kogbara, S.N. Dikibo and Sylvanus Cookey.
The warriors included Col. Joshua John (J.J) Brown, Capt. Willy Murray Bruce, Senator Ben’s brother and Victor Masi. From the Garden City, next stop is Asaba. Col.
We all remember the Asaba massacre of 1967 and what followed in Isheagu and Igbodo. Delta is the land of Brigadiers Conrad Nwawo, Okonjo, Auntie Ngoo’s papa,and Mike Okwechime. And Navy Chief Wilfred Anuku who was also an Army Commander just like Ben Nwajei. Bini man Sam Loco Efe too.
Written by the LNC as a part of the Remembrance Week for the Extraordinary Events of 1966-1970 in Eastern Nigeria that became Biafra).
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