BIAFRA: BEYOND THE REALM, SABOTAGE AND DEARTH OF INTELLIGENCE IN THE BIAFRA/NIGERIA DEBACLE, 1967-1970

Ezeonwuka Innocent-Franklyn O., Ani, Uchenna S.

Abstract


War, as the last stage of diplomacy and peace, requires a strategic sequence to be effected.
The Biafran Republic once declared on May 30th, 1967, was welcomed, protected and
propelled by natural pride of the groups that made up Eastern Nigeria as well as
resourcefulness and jealousy-guarded patriotism, triggered by the preceding litany of
organized pogrom meted against the Easterners. From start, many Eastern Nigerian
soldiers and police personnel serving with the Nigerian armed forces, swiftly changed
sides and fought on the Biafran side. With unequalled vigour, and common cause of able
commanders stationed in different places were psyched up by the Biafran propaganda
machinery to defend the newly taken freedom with iron and blood. At the initial stages of
the war, Biafran successes were tremendous; however the headache on the Nigerian army
over these successes was short-lived owing to sabotage, divisiveness and paucity of
military tactical intelligence which when strategically synthesized could silence the
impact of lethal weaponry; all these played discordant tunes on the Biafran high
command. This work contends that the importance of signals, its interpretation and
analysis necessary for the prosecution of modern warfare was highly undermined by the
Biafran high command; it was complicated by viable selfish interests which paved way for
the Biafran loss of the war. The need for historical objectivity and analysis in this study,
has underscored the reliance on primary information and research, even into classified
documents

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References


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http://www.dtic.mil/doctrine/jel/new-pubs/jpl-02.pdf (Accessed 10/8/2017)

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Nigerian Army. During the war initially operated first as one of the coordinators

of the “Boys Brigade” guerilla group and afterwards admitted into the

controversial Biafran commando unit that operated majorly around the riverine

Anambra area. Also, he actively participated in the Midwest invasion. At the time

of this writing, he is the traditional ruler of Amesi Kingdom of Anambra State,

Nigeria

Paul Odonna, c.78, a native of Ogoja who operated at different periods both on the

Biafran and Nigerian side during the war.

Madiebo, The Nigerian Revolution and the Biafran War…p. 101

Madiebo, The Nigerian Revolution and the Biafran War…p. 83

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(New York: Algora Publishing, 2009) p. 162

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, 2013),p. 97

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p. 58

Madiebo, The Nigerian Revolution and the Biafran War, p. 48

Biafra/Nigeria Debacle, 1967-1970: Beyond the realm, sabotage and dearth of intelligence

Patrick Anwunah, The Nigeria – Biafra War 1967 – 1970: My Memoirs (Ibadan:

Spectrum Books, 2007) p. 48

Cornelius Agbodike c.77, a Professor of History. He actively participated in the

Nigerian /Biafra war as a soldier. He operated under the 13th Brigade that covered

Ihiala/Uli axis

Madiebo, The Nigerian Revolution and the Biafran War, p.48

Colonel Aghanya interview cited

Cervernka Zdnek, A History of the Nigerian War, p. 8

Siyan Oyeweso, Perspectives on the Nigerian Civil War (Lagos: Campus Press

Limited, 1992) 62

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Madiebo, The Nigerian Revolution and the Biafran War, p. 110

Aghanya, interview cited

Alfred Egbuacho, interview cited.

Alfred Ebguacho interview cited

Alfred Egbuacho interview cited.

Emma Udeagbaja c.86. He operated during the war from the Biafra Army

Headquaters, Enugu, and later as a militia coordinator after the fall of Port

Harcourt.

Emma Udeagbaja interview cited


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