||NaijaObserver|| The Biafran vs Nigeria war Army division encounters

[vincent modebelu]

Biafra

IN MEMORY OF GENERAL CONRAD NWAWO

Who passed away today in life

DIVISIONAL COMMANDERS

101 DIVISION: Brigadier Banjo (later disbanded)

11 DIVISION: Brigadier Conrad Nwawo, Colonel Joe Achuzia, Brigadier Patrick Amadi

12 DIVISION- Colonel Festus Akagha, Brigadier Eze

13 DIVISION- Brigadiers Patrick Amadi, Conrad Nwawo

14 DIVISION- Brigadiers Ben Nwajei, Ogbugo Kalu

15 DIVISION- Colonels Joe Achuzia, Linus Ohanehi

COMMANDO DIVISION- Brigadier Conrad Nwawo

“S” DIVISION- Colonels Tim Onwuatuegwu, Asoya

 

  * 51 BRIGADE- of Biafran 101 Div which was later disbanded, brigade transferred to 13 Division.

Commanders: Madiebo, Amadi, Ude

Saw action: Obollo Afor, Ogoja, Enugu, Nkalagu, Abakaliki sectors

Adversary: units of Federal 1 Division

* 52 BRIGADE- of Biafran 14 Division

Commanders: Eze, Anuku(stand-in),Ugokwe, Igweze

Saw action; Calabar,Onne,PHC,OWERRI,Oguta, Aba sectors

Adversary: units of Federal 3 Marine Commando Division

*53 BRIGADE- of Biafran 101 Division, later moved to 13 Division

Commanders: Eze, LeRois, Nwajei, Ude

Saw action: Obollo Afor, Onitsha, Aba, Owerri, Okigwe sectors

Adversaries: units of Federal 1 Division, 2 Division and 3 MCD

* 54 BRIGADE- of Biafran 11 Division

Commanders:Ivenso,Nsudoh,Ohanehi, Nebo

Saw action:Onitsha,Nkpor,Otuocha,Umunya,Umuahia sectors

Adversaries: units of Federal 2 Division (MAIN), 1 Division

* 55 BRIGADE- of Biafran 13 Division

Commanders: Ochei, Agbogu,Ude

Saw action:Ikom, Obubra, Afikpo sectors

Adversary: units of 3 Marine Commando Division

* 56 BRIGADE- of Biafran 12 Division(later renamed Special Task Force and placed under direct command of BAHQ.

Commander: Simon Uwakwe

Saw action: Arochukwu, Ikot Okpora, Bende,Ohafia,Abriba sectors

Adversary: units of Federal 3 Marine Commando Division

* 57 BRIGADE- of Biafran 11 Division

Commander: Robert Akonobi

Saw action:Otuocha,Nkpor,Onitsha,Umunya,Ogidi sectors

Adversaries: units of Federal 2 Division (MAIN), 1 Division

*58 BRIGADE- of Biafran 12 Division

Commanders: Aniebo, Ivenso, Aghanya,Olehi

Saw action: Ikot Ekpene, Ugba Junction, Eberi(Omuma) sectors

Adversary: units of Federal 3 Marine Commando Division

* 60 BRIGADE- of Biafran 14 Division

Commander: Asoya

Saw action:OGUTA, OWERRI, Umuahia

Adversaries: units of Federal 3 Marine CDO Div (MAIN), 1 Division

* 61 BRIGADE- of Biafran 12 Division

Commander: Joseph Okeke

Saw action: Azumini sector

Adversary: units of Federal 3 Marine Commando Division

* 62 BRIGADE- of Biafran 12 Division

Commander: Ogbo Oji

Saw action: Ikot Ekpene

Adversary: units of Federal 3 Marine Commando Division

* 63 BRIGADE- of Biafran 14 Division

Commanders- Okilo, Ihenacho

Saw action: OWERRI, Mbaise, Amala sectors

Adversary: units of Federal 3 Marine Commando Division

* 64 BRIGADE- of Biafran 15 Division

Commander: (yet to be ascertained)

Saw action: Uzuakoli, Ugba Junction sectors

Adversaries: units of Federal 1 Division (MAIN), 3 Marine Commando Division

* 65 BRIGADE- of Biafran 12 Division

Commander: Omerua

Saw action: Aba, Owazza, Ugba Junction

Adversary: units of Federal 3 Marine Commando Division

* 66 BRIGADE- of Biafran 11 Division

Commander: Major Osuagwu

Saw action: Onitsha, Ogidi sectors

Adversary: units of Federal 2 Division

* 68 BRIGADE- of Biafran “S” Division

Commander: (yet to be ascertained)

Saw action: Owerri, Isiokpo, Igrita sectors

Adversary: units of Federal 3 Marine Commando Division

* 69 BRIGADE- of Biafran 15 Division

Commander: Oparaji

Saw action:Okigwe,Ugba Junction, Ihube, Umunnekwu sectors

Adversaries: units of Federal 1 Division

* 71 BRIGADE- of Biafran 12 Division

Commander: (yet to be ascertained)

Saw action: Azumini sector

Adversary: units of Federal 3 Marine Commando Division

* 73 BRIGADE- of 15 Biafran Division

Commander: Ginger (mercenary)

Saw action: Uzuakoli sector

Adversary: units of Federal 1 Division

* REPUBLIC OF BENIN BRIGADE- independent

Commander: Achuzia

Saw action: Asaba,Ogwashi-Uku,Ibusa,Okpai(Kwale) oilfields

Adversary: units of Federal 2 Division

*”S” BRIGADE

Commanders- Obioha, Onwuatuegwu, Atumaka

Saw action: Ozalla, Enugu,PHC, OWERRI,Okigwe

Adversaries: units of Federal 3 MC Division (MAIN), 1 Division

* 4 COMMANDO BRIGADE- of Commando Division

Commander: (yet to be ascertained)

Saw action: Umuahia, Uzuakoli sectors

Adversary: units of Federal 1 Division

* 8 COMMANDO BRIGADE – of Commando Division

Commander- Ananaba

Saw action: Umuahia, Uzuakoli sectors

Adversary: units of Federal 1 Division

* 12 COMMANDO BRIGADE- of Commando Division

Commander: Obi

Saw action: Umuahia, Uzuakoli sectors

Adversary: units of Federal 1 Division

vin.....///

....Born to tell the truth....

 Observe and see

[Tony Eluemunor]

Dear All,

Conrad Nwawo; One of the ablest Biafran Commanders

By Tony Eluemunor.

Col. Conrad Nwawo, one of the greatest commanders in the Biafran war effort, from Onicha-Ugbo, Aniocha North LGA of Delta State, died on Saturday February 27, 2016. He was 94 years old.  

As a Major in the Nigerian contingent of the UN peace-keeping mission to Congo in 1963, only he and the late Col. Adekunly Fajuyi  who as Military Governor of the Western Region was murdered in the July 1966 counter coup, received the Military Cross decoration.

He came into public reckoning in the aftermath of the January 1966 coup when he returned to Nigeria from his post as Military Attache at Nigeria’s High Commission in London, travelled to Kaduna and flew down to Lagos in the same aircraft with the late Major Patrick Chukwuma  Kaduna Nzeogwu.  He had convinced Nzeowgu to abandon his plans to march down on Lagos.

When the Nigerian Civil War hostilities resumed in 1967, he commanded the Mid-Western Region troops, and so was accused of granting Biafran soldiers easy access in his region – from the bridge across the River Niger at Onitsha.  When the Federal Forces rolled through the Mid-West, he fled into Biafra and began fighting on the secessionist side.

He Commanded 11 DIVISION of the Biafran Army before handing over to Colonel Joe Achuzia Joe (Air Raid) and later Brigadier Patrick Amadi before taking over the command of the  13 DIVISION from Brigadier Patrick Amadi. But his toughest test came when he assumed the Command of the COMMANDO DIVISION – the brigade of last resort who were called in at the last moment to retrieve lost efforts  and impossible cases or as somebody put it, to pull out victory from the jaws of defeat.

He faced down Murtala Muhammed’s Second Division; he was at the Onitsha side and Murtala was at the Asaba side. So he commanded the troops that “peppered” the Nigerian side as they tried to cross the Niger into Onitsha. He was also right there at Abagana when the Biafrans scored their unforgettable victory over Nigerian troops by destroying columns upon columns of Second Division’s supplies. After that Murtala simply returned to Lagos. His war efforts had ended.

Nwawo, as a Brigadier, was among the Biafran commanders who traveled to Lagos for the final talks that led to the formal surrender of Biafra and the end of hostilities. But while others walked home after the war Nwawo and few found guilty by a Board of Inquiry to evaluate the role of specific officers in the coup of Jan 15 1966 and the Mid-West invasion of 1967 Gen. Yakubu Gowon instituted.  Most of these officers (from the Igbo part of the Mid West) were detained until October 1st 1974, when they were released in an Independence day amnesty.  They included: . Lt. Col. A. B. Nwajei ,  Major Albert Okonkwo (the Governor of the Republic of Benin),  Major A. Asoya, Major Adewale Ademoyega (Jan 15 coup), Captain Ben Gbulie  (Jan 15 coup), Captain E. M. Udeaja, Captian G.N. Okonkwo, Captain J. N. Isichie,  Lt. F.M. Okocha, Lt. F.O. Amuchienwa, Lt. B. A. O Oyewole, Lt. N.S. Nwokocha,  Lt. G.B. Ikejiofor, Lt. G.G. Onyefuru, Lt. A.R.O Egbikor, Lt. A.N. Azubuogu, 2/Lt. C.G. Ngwuluka,  Lt. J.C. Ojukwu,  Lt. J.O. Ijeweze. All were dismissed (without benefits) except Ojukwu and Ijeweze who were retired. 

Col. Achuzie though not a former member of the Nigerian Army and so could not have been indicted under any military law, was found guilty and jailed for “his sadistic behaviour during the war”. He was a civilian Electrical Engineer based in Port Harcourt before the war began. He spent seven years in prison. But he is said to have fought in the Korean War – as Black Africa’s first mercenary.

 It was Nwawo who recommended Achuzia to be commissioned from the civilian militia to the Biafran Army. 

Thanks.

Tony Eluemunor.

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Posted by: vincent modebelu <vin_mo...@yahoo.com>

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