*Says “Capturing Awka Was One Of The Toughest Battles We Fought, And It Was Also The One In Which We Made The Costliest Mistakes”
Former Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar (retd.), has given fresh insight into the events that deepened the animosity between the then Military Governor of the Eastern Region, Lt.-Col. Emeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, and the then Head of State, Lt.-Col. Yakubu Gowon, before the outbreak of the Nigerian Civil War, while also revealing the systematic duplicity of Nigeria’s political class including the disclosure that some politicians who publicly championed the cause of Chief MKO Abiola during the June 12 crisis were secretly working with the government, and that others collected money from both Abiola and his opponent, the late Bashir Tofa, during the 1993 presidential election.
The disclosures are contained in Abubakar’s 264-page autobiography titled Call of Duty, publicly presented at the Aso Rock Villa, Abuja, during activities marking his 84th birthday.
According to the former Head of State, Ojukwu’s refusal to recognise Gowon as Nigeria’s new leader after the killing of Major General Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi was rooted in his insistence that military hierarchy should be followed in choosing Ironsi’s successor.
Abdulsalami recalled that after the January 1966 coup led by Major Chukwuma Kaduna Nzeogwu, in which several prominent Northern leaders were killed, ethnic tension worsened across the country.
He said there were complaints among Northern officers over what they perceived as jubilation or arrogance following the killing of Northern leaders, while some also alleged that Igbo officers were being promoted above others in the military.
“There were complaints about the reported hubris over the killing of the northern leaders. Some Northern officers also complained that Igbos were being promoted above others in the military,” Abdulsalami wrote.
“Quickly anti-Igbo sentiments exploded in the North, leading to protests against Aguiyi-Ironsi, mainly in Kano, Kaduna and Jos. Riots broke out and Igbos were targeted and killed, with their properties set on fire in places like Kano, Sokoto and Kaduna. It was a disturbing period for young, passionate Nigerians like me.”
Abdulsalami said the crisis took a more dangerous turn when some senior Northern officers overthrew and killed Aguiyi-Ironsi. Following Ironsi’s death, Gowon emerged as Head of State, but Ojukwu refused to recognise his authority.
He said Ojukwu maintained that in the absence or death of Aguiyi-Ironsi, the proper person to take over should have been Brigadier Babafemi Ogundipe, who was then the Chief of Staff, Supreme Headquarters.
“Lt. Colonel Emeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, the Governor of the Eastern Region, refused to recognise the new head of state, insisting that in the absence or death of Aguiyi-Ironsi, the next in command was Brigadier Babafemi Ogundipe, the Chief of Staff, Supreme Headquarters,” he wrote.
“Ojukwu refused to pledge loyalty to Gowon. Tensions were building across the nation. Communal and ethnic clashes continued. Killings did not stop in the North and Igbos were being evacuated and returned to the East. Revenge killings also took place in the East.”
Abdulsalami said the continued killings, evacuation of Igbos from the North and retaliatory attacks in the East pushed the country closer to war.
He recalled that on May 30, 1967, Ojukwu declared the Republic of Biafra, saying he believed Igbos were being victimised and marginalised in Nigeria and that secession had become the only solution.
According to Abdulsalami, several efforts were made to stop the secession, including meetings and agreements, but none succeeded. He specifically mentioned the Aburi Accord, saying it failed to resolve the political crisis.
“All efforts to prevent secession failed. Meetings and agreements, including the famous Aburi Accord, did not serve any useful purpose. A political solution was not looking likely. Economic sanctions also failed,” he wrote.
He said Nigeria eventually went to war in 1967, with Gowon insisting on keeping the country united, and that Gowon’s famous declaration, “To keep Nigeria one is a task that must be done,” became the defining slogan of the Federal side during the war.
Abdulsalami said that, looking back, he believes the Civil War could have been prevented if anger, rising tempers and retaliatory killings had not blocked opportunities for reconciliation.
“To this day, I believe that the Civil War, like most other conflicts in life, could have been prevented. I feel that rising tempers, anger, and the cycle of retaliations didn’t leave room for understanding and reconciliation,” he stated.
He said the crisis became a clash between one side seeking to break away and another insisting on preserving Nigeria’s unity and sovereignty.
The former Head of State noted that many have blamed the war partly on the youthfulness and temperament of the leaders at the time, but said the country must continue to learn from the bitter experience.
“There was one side wanting to break away and the other insisting on maintaining the unity and sovereign integrity of the country. A lot of argument has been made about the fact that our leaders were very young and hot-blooded. Whatever the case, I want to believe we learned valuable lessons from the war,” he said.
Abdulsalami added that he hoped Nigeria would never again experience such a conflict, stressing that the country was fortunate to have survived the war, reconciled and made peace.
“I want to hedge a bet that we would never go to war again. We have a bitter experience to learn from. I would also say we were lucky as a country to survive the war. We were able to reconcile and make peace. Those who felt they were being marginalised eventually returned to the fold,” he stated.
Abdulsalami also recalled one of the costliest military mistakes made by Federal troops during the war after the capture of Awka in present-day Anambra State.
According to him, after Federal troops captured Onitsha in February 1968, the division commander, Colonel Murtala Muhammed, believed victory had effectively been secured. Abdulsalami said Muhammed lined up vehicles and ordered troops and ammunition to move, believing the war was almost over. He described the move as a tactical miscalculation because Biafran forces were still prepared to strike.
“Capturing Awka in present-day Anambra State was one of the toughest battles we fought. It was also the one in which we made the costliest mistakes,” he wrote.
“When we captured Onitsha in February 1968, Colonel Muhammed, our division commander, felt we were done and dusted. He believed victory was already assured. Believing the war was over, he lined up vehicles and asked us to move with all our troops and ammunition. It was a tactical miscalculation. Indeed, it was an error.”
Abdulsalami said Biafran forces attacked with rockets and bombs, causing vehicles and fuel tankers to explode. He described the scene as terrifying, adding that many soldiers died while he narrowly escaped.
“We didn’t know the Biafrans had other plans, attacking us with rocket fire and bombs. Our vehicles caught fire. The tankers supplying us with fuel for our operational vehicles also exploded. It was a most terrifying scene. Many soldiers died. I was lucky to escape,” he stated.
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