Igbo Issues According to Terhemba Osuji

Compiled by Terhemba Osuji Lt Colonel Ojukwu Declared the Republic of Biafra on May 30, 1967. Immediately following that declaration there was mass mobilization of Biafrans into the army to counter the Federal Government which quickly condemned the declaration and immediately began directing army units towards Biafran borders to put down the rebellion. The Senior Officer Executive corp of the army including Ojukwu himself were made up of former officers of the Nigerian Army. The went about their task with zeal and under strenuous conditions to open several military training camps to handle the flood of patriotic recruits many of whom they had to turn away. The Biafran Army had only a few bolt action rifles at its prime arsenal in Enugu and its quick formation barely gave it enough time to organize or develop its fighting units before it was forced to weather an attack by the Nigerian Army at Garkem. Nevertheless, and despite the overwhelming shortage of arms it launched an invasion of ...

Nigeria’s Armed Forces Day, also known as Remembrance Day is celebrated every year on January 15. It was set to that date to commemorate the end of the Civil war through the official surrender of the Biafran Armed forces to the Nigerian Government thereby ending the armed struggle by the Igbo tribe to secede from Nigeria in 1970. Typically, most of the activities focus on marches, laying of wreaths at the tomb of unknown Nigerian soldiers and other activities related to recognition of veterans, but not much mention is made in these speeches and activities nor are tributes paid to the forgotten veterans and fallen rebel soldiers of the secessionist Republic. It is very important to note that the insidious shell of the Biafran Armed forces was made up of former officers of the Nigerian Armed Forces. They formed the nucleus of the armed forces and many served honorably and in senior officer commands of the secessionist armed forces training the volunteers who populated the ranks of the ar...