By Eluwa Chidiebere Chinazu | Biafra Writers
September 12, 2020
In life history often repeats itself. Those who gave deaf ears to this epic truth ended up becoming victims. Aguiyi Ironsi, Ken Saro Wiwa, Adaka Boro, Biafrans serving in the Nigerian military before the war and currently the Biafrans sent to fight Boko Haram, etc, are typical examples.
Michael O. Nwankpa, a Biafran serving in the Nigerian military is one among the few that escaped same fate before the war. He was serving in Kaduna. Though he escaped, his story could help the current Biafrans serving in the Nigerian military.
Michael was maintaining his oath of allegiance as a soldier to the federal republic of Nigeria. Even when his own people were being massacred, he remained resolute to the call of serving the Nigerian government in the capacity of a soldier.
I could call him a foolish uncle today had it been that he was among the many executed then. But he was a brave soldier who after escaping death at the hands of the northern army Generals, fought gallantly for his motherland Biafra.
According to my mother, a sister he was training in the school then, her elder soldier brother came home and there was a great jubilation in the family. A jubilation that my mother has never forgotten till date.
After the great jubilation, my uncle narrated how he escaped. According to him, all the Biafrans serving in that particular division he was in were held at a gunpoint and locked inside a hall. Luckily, he was not among those held.
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From his hideout he heard the footfalls of the Northern soldiers who were going about looking for the Biafrans among them.
When he figured out that his hideout was no longer safe, he changed location. In his new location he hid himself inside a Dustin container in the Barrack. He slept there for two days before the Dustin was taken away to be emptied. From there, he gained his freedom and headed back home.
He came back and aided his people in the Biafra war. My mother has never stopped to talk about the bullet wound her soldier brother sustained in his hand during the war. The family persuaded him to never go back to the war front again but he remained resolute and went back to fight.
Although he fought at the war front for the years the war lasted, he wasn’t killed in battle. However, a saboteur from his own community saw to his death when the war was coming to an end
This is one of the reasons I beckon on Biafrans to deal accordingly to the saboteurs (big and small) so as to send a strong warning to the upcoming ones.
By the makings of the Almighty God I am here now and will join the league of those that will fight to restore our dear nation, Biafra, which my great, brave and good-hearted uncle fought for. I shall do that for him.
The Biafra Times
Edited by Nelson Ofokar Yagazie
Publisher: Chijindu Benjamin Ukah
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