Biafran War

The thoughts of the salted stockfish had haunted me for days' end, even as we prepared for an “attack”. The thoughts of my stockade “marara” running out were worse. I was just tired. My palms were now rough from some ingenious conversion of cassava tubers to some kind of soap…

To babies who starved that we may eat, To soldiers who died that we may live, To homes torn apart for our unity, We wave the flag of liberty. To men whose despair gave us hope, And women whose cries gave us smiles, To youth and infants whose future we are, We give…

THE OMEN 19.08.15 A dark storm emanates from the East It brings with it hell and brimstone Only the bald vultures shall feast From what is left of our hope A new kind of horror emerges Decapitated heads and shattered limbs Bodies lay helpless in the open field Demons reap from the robust…

I love history and if you know me well enough, you will know that I live and breathe history. I love history so much that I always fantasized about being a history teacher. I once told a friend of mine during undergrad how I would like to be a history…

The inception of ‘Psychedelic Rock’ in Nigeria in the late 60’s was underpinned by the frenzy that had erupted in the early stages of Nigerian independence from British rule. The two most significant political leaders of the north, the Prime Minister, Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, and the Premier of the…

“Mary, what a good woman! Mary advised me not to go to war, what a kind-hearted woman! Mary if I don’t go to war to defend you, the enemy will come carry you, the enemy will come marry you Instead of me to betray you, let me die at the…

In the middle of the rainy season of 1969, Biafran military intelligence allegedly obtained information that foreign oilmen, particularly staff from the Italian government’s oil conglomerate, Eni (A branch of Agip oil and Gas Company), were aiding the Nigerian army. …

NIGERIA LOST THE CIVIL WAR BUT WON THE CIVIL BATTLE The Nigerian Argument on the Civil war was hinged on the premise that if Biafra was allowed to secede, then a number of other ethnic nationalities within Nigeria would follow suit. The Nigerian government, therefore, had to block Biafra’s secession…

An old man who fought in the Biafran war once told me a story he was part of. He is now late though. In 1970, 15 days after Ojukwu fled the war in his private jet, the rest of his top-ranking officers surrendered to the federal troops. There was big…