lacasa: Ibraheem A. Waziri
NORTHERN NIGERIAN MUSLIMS AND THE NIGERIAN CIVIL WAR: BETWEEN ACHEBE AND OTHER IGBO INTELLECTUALS
By
Ibraheem A. Waziri
iawaziri@yahoo.com

It’s just that ignorance reign in Nigeria or our public intellectuals do not have passion for details and deep philosophical enquiry into the nature and realities of our socio-cultural formation and its history for the best of their opinions. These can be the only open and not so stretched explanations to Chinua Achebe’s blatant, below status and insincere depiction of the Nigerian Civil War of 1967 - 70 in the light of a so called jihadist expansionist goal of Muslims of northern Nigeria. The excerpts of his latest book, There Was a Country, as published by the UK Guardian, Tuesday, 2nd 2012, make bold this meaningless assertion:

“But if the diabolical disregard for human life seen during the war was not due to the northern military elite's jihadist or genocidal obsession, then why were there more small arms used on Biafran soil than during the entire second world war? Why were there 100,000 casualties on the much larger Nigerian side compared with more than 2 million – mainly children – Biafrans killed?”

Needless to mention that Achebe is not alone in this kind of portrayal that is typical of recent Igbo ‘intellectuals’ when it comes to discussing the civil war. The task of re-educating them and the crop of their students is therefore necessary if the dream of a greater Nigeria in fair neighbourliness is to be realized.

Yes, northern Nigerians are mainly and majorly proud and faithful Muslims with unique culture and a record of close interactions with other world civilizations since time. They have for long known and understood that not everybody must look like them or believe in what they believed in, before peace, social cohesion and fair neighbourliness are justifiably established. In fact it can be authoritatively said that northern Nigeria of the 1960s, formed one the most cosmopolitan and accommodating social spaces in the whole world. When the Ghanaian president Kwame Nkrumah wanted to initiate and draft Nigeria’s prime minister Abubakar Tafawa Balewa and the premier of the northern region Ahmadu Bello into his Pan-Africanism they clearly told him that they were not racists and believed in the universal nature of truth, justice, fairness and equality of humankind regardless of race or ethnicity and that reflected the way they managed northern Nigeria and the country in general.

It was this world-view with its values and norms guiding intra and inter-pinning of human relations that saw a northern Nigeria of the 1960s as a home to many Igbos. In modern history the top one percent of the most literate and influential Igbo personalities once lived in northern Nigeria or spoke Hausa, the dominant language in the North. It was here that Major Chukuma Kaduna Nzeogwu’s parents settled and gave birth to him in 1937. He grew up with all opportunities unhindered and got the award of love, justice and trust of the then premier of the Northern Region, Sir Ahmadu Bello until he finally, easily and safely got access to him, in the night, in his house, in the privacy of his bedroom and killed him in front of his wife with no struggle, no any suspecting guard to check him or even ask him hard questions. It is finished. Brutus killed his Caesar in cold blood of treachery, hatred and breach of trust. Describing a similar situation in the same operation kill, where Major Ifeajuna an Igbo soldier and Major Nzeagwu’s co-kill planner ad partner, shot Brigadier Maimalari, Bernard Odogwu, an Igbo Nigerian Diplomat at the times of the events, in his book, No Place to Hide - Crises and Conflicts inside Biafra, clearly put it, “I am particularly shocked at the news that Major Ifeajuna personally shot and killed his mentor, Brigadier Maimalari. My God! That must have been Caesar and Brutus come alive...”

What then could have been the fate of other Igbos in many parts of the North who enjoyed the same love, trust and protection of the other northerners who began to see a new streak of arrogance, condescension in the behavior of the Igbo who were illussioned in the new leadership of General Ironsi to the extent that , as told by our parents, they used to mock the northerners, imitating the cries and squeaks of Abubakar Tafawa Balewa before he died in the hands of Major Ifeajuna. Still Igbo intellectuals engage in this mockery as the Nigerian military historian Max Siollun, recently re-told the story of Nzeogwu’s kill which clearly portrayed Ahmadu Bello as a coward and a simpleton who hide behind his wife when he saw that Nzeagwu was certain to get him. These provocations and the details of stories such as captured by David Muffett, a British colonial officer who wrote the account of the 1966 coup in a book titled, Let Truth Be Told, outlining the Igbo elite’s detailed plan to take control of not only the political structures but even the social structures of the North by killing all the then northern emirs in the final.

Some including Achebe are still contesting that the kill was not an Igbo carefully planned affair but rather a coup plotted against all Nigerian leaders of then. Yet all Igbos in prominent positions were missed in the fire and it was said the president, Dr. Nnamdi Azikwe was missed because he was out of the country for a medical checkup. The question is could they have missed Sir Ahmadu Bello or Abubakar Tafawa Balewa if any was on a medical trip or they would have postponed the plans for more appropriate date that would guarantee and ensure an all inclusive kill?

Yet, the pogroms that followed the events and the civil war were unfortunate (more objective details of which were written by Elechi Amadi in Sunset at Biafra). But the characterization of Northerners as Muslim jihadists who were already prepared and ready to stage a ‘holy jihad’ against Igbo, as a reason for the war is very untrue and intellectually insincere. Just because Igbo intellectuals have to find reasons then it doesn’t mean every reason must be dashed out. Just because they need someone to blame doesn’t mean the 21st century image of fundamentalist Islam must be projected backward into the story of Nigeria to justify a perspective.

Besides what religion did the major actors of the war on the federal side professed? General Yakubu Gowon, General Theopilus Danjuma and General Joseph Garba, were Christians. Chief Awolowo, the intellectual architect of the War was a Christian. General Olusegun Obasanjo and General Adekunle were all not Northerners. The prominent name in the commands that is a core Muslim northerner was only General Murtala Muhammed. Even if all the others were Muslims what sense could it have made for the Muslims to have fought the Igbos only to establish the leadership of General Yakubu Gowan who was a Christian, the same and only reason they supposedly could have fought the Igbos? Gowon enjoyed the support of all Muslim northerners as my good friend Alhaji Yakubu Musa, currently a media assistant to President Goodluck Jonathan who is from a devout Muslim family, once mentioned how he was named Yakubu in celebration of Gowon’s visit to Kano on a day that coincided with his birthday.

No. The truth of the matter is Igbo betrayed the trust given to them in the then northern Nigeria by the singular act of betrayal of Nzeagwu on Ahmadu Bello and the subsequent poor management of their relationship with their hosts that bred suspicion of complicity in the plans of the kill and a thought of greater conspiracy.

The way forward is not to employ a wider and more efficient propaganda machinery to score cheap sympathy and sponsor the production of a sensationalist movie in the Holly Wood, Secret of the Sun, starring Bruce Willis and displaying that northern Nigerian Muslim Hausa will attempt to do the same in the present Nigeria and in the recent future and can be stopped only by the Americans.

The way forward is to always tell the truth, accept faults, take responsibilities for errors and constantly preach the gospel of keeping trust, commitments and fair neighbourliness. Let’s make the younger generation and the entire world know that we are one in Nigeria and the top one percent of Igbo most informed political and public intellectuals lived in the North or even spoke Hausa. This ranging from Chinua Achebe himself, Cyprian Ekwensi, Major Chukwuma Kaduna Nzeagwu, General Emeka Ojukwu or Dr. Nmandi Azikwe. Cyprian Ekwensi even copied and translated the literary work of my uncle, John Tafida Umaru titled, Jiki Magayi, from Hausa to English, titled it African Nights Entertainments, and dubbed it his own without acknowledgement, adding to his literary stock, achievement and fame. The world must know the good contribution their living in the North and speaking its language brought into their skills and perspectives that which won them the accolades they so celebrate and rejoice in, today, a fact which they and their friends always want to hide!

lacasa: Ibraheem A. Waziri
NORTHERN NIGERIAN MUSLIMS AND THE NIGERIAN CIVIL WAR: BETWEEN ACHEBE AND OTHER IGBO INTELLECTUALS
By
Ibraheem A. Waziri
iawaziri@yahoo.com

It’s just that ignorance reign in Nigeria or our public intellectuals do not have passion for details and deep philosophical enquiry into the nature and realities of our socio-cultural formation and its history for the best of their opinions. These can be the only open and not so stretched explanations to Chinua Achebe’s blatant, below status and insincere depiction of the Nigerian Civil War of 1967 - 70 in the light of a so called jihadist expansionist goal of Muslims of northern Nigeria. The excerpts of his latest book, There Was a Country, as published by the UK Guardian, Tuesday, 2nd 2012, make bold this meaningless assertion:

“But if the diabolical disregard for human life seen during the war was not due to the northern military elite's jihadist or genocidal obsession, then why were there more small arms used on Biafran soil than during the entire second world war? Why were there 100,000 casualties on the much larger Nigerian side compared with more than 2 million – mainly children – Biafrans killed?”

Needless to mention that Achebe is not alone in this kind of portrayal that is typical of recent Igbo ‘intellectuals’ when it comes to discussing the civil war. The task of re-educating them and the crop of their students is therefore necessary if the dream of a greater Nigeria in fair neighbourliness is to be realized.

Yes, northern Nigerians are mainly and majorly proud and faithful Muslims with unique culture and a record of close interactions with other world civilizations since time. They have for long known and understood that not everybody must look like them or believe in what they believed in, before peace, social cohesion and fair neighbourliness are justifiably established. In fact it can be authoritatively said that northern Nigeria of the 1960s, formed one the most cosmopolitan and accommodating social spaces in the whole world. When the Ghanaian president Kwame Nkrumah wanted to initiate and draft Nigeria’s prime minister Abubakar Tafawa Balewa and the premier of the northern region Ahmadu Bello into his Pan-Africanism they clearly told him that they were not racists and believed in the universal nature of truth, justice, fairness and equality of humankind regardless of race or ethnicity and that reflected the way they managed northern Nigeria and the country in general.

It was this world-view with its values and norms guiding intra and inter-pinning of human relations that saw a northern Nigeria of the 1960s as a home to many Igbos. In modern history the top one percent of the most literate and influential Igbo personalities once lived in northern Nigeria or spoke Hausa, the dominant language in the North. It was here that Major Chukuma Kaduna Nzeogwu’s parents settled and gave birth to him in 1937. He grew up with all opportunities unhindered and got the award of love, justice and trust of the then premier of the Northern Region, Sir Ahmadu Bello until he finally, easily and safely got access to him, in the night, in his house, in the privacy of his bedroom and killed him in front of his wife with no struggle, no any suspecting guard to check him or even ask him hard questions. It is finished. Brutus killed his Caesar in cold blood of treachery, hatred and breach of trust. Describing a similar situation in the same operation kill, where Major Ifeajuna an Igbo soldier and Major Nzeagwu’s co-kill planner ad partner, shot Brigadier Maimalari, Bernard Odogwu, an Igbo Nigerian Diplomat at the times of the events, in his book, No Place to Hide - Crises and Conflicts inside Biafra, clearly put it, “I am particularly shocked at the news that Major Ifeajuna personally shot and killed his mentor, Brigadier Maimalari. My God! That must have been Caesar and Brutus come alive...”

What then could have been the fate of other Igbos in many parts of the North who enjoyed the same love, trust and protection of the other northerners who began to see a new streak of arrogance, condescension in the behavior of the Igbo who were illussioned in the new leadership of General Ironsi to the extent that , as told by our parents, they used to mock the northerners, imitating the cries and squeaks of Abubakar Tafawa Balewa before he died in the hands of Major Ifeajuna. Still Igbo intellectuals engage in this mockery as the Nigerian military historian Max Siollun, recently re-told the story of Nzeogwu’s kill which clearly portrayed Ahmadu Bello as a coward and a simpleton who hide behind his wife when he saw that Nzeagwu was certain to get him. These provocations and the details of stories such as captured by David Muffett, a British colonial officer who wrote the account of the 1966 coup in a book titled, Let Truth Be Told, outlining the Igbo elite’s detailed plan to take control of not only the political structures but even the social structures of the North by killing all the then northern emirs in the final.

Some including Achebe are still contesting that the kill was not an Igbo carefully planned affair but rather a coup plotted against all Nigerian leaders of then. Yet all Igbos in prominent positions were missed in the fire and it was said the president, Dr. Nnamdi Azikwe was missed because he was out of the country for a medical checkup. The question is could they have missed Sir Ahmadu Bello or Abubakar Tafawa Balewa if any was on a medical trip or they would have postponed the plans for more appropriate date that would guarantee and ensure an all inclusive kill?

Yet, the pogroms that followed the events and the civil war were unfortunate (more objective details of which were written by Elechi Amadi in Sunset at Biafra). But the characterization of Northerners as Muslim jihadists who were already prepared and ready to stage a ‘holy jihad’ against Igbo, as a reason for the war is very untrue and intellectually insincere. Just because Igbo intellectuals have to find reasons then it doesn’t mean every reason must be dashed out. Just because they need someone to blame doesn’t mean the 21st century image of fundamentalist Islam must be projected backward into the story of Nigeria to justify a perspective.

Besides what religion did the major actors of the war on the federal side professed? General Yakubu Gowon, General Theopilus Danjuma and General Joseph Garba, were Christians. Chief Awolowo, the intellectual architect of the War was a Christian. General Olusegun Obasanjo and General Adekunle were all not Northerners. The prominent name in the commands that is a core Muslim northerner was only General Murtala Muhammed. Even if all the others were Muslims what sense could it have made for the Muslims to have fought the Igbos only to establish the leadership of General Yakubu Gowan who was a Christian, the same and only reason they supposedly could have fought the Igbos? Gowon enjoyed the support of all Muslim northerners as my good friend Alhaji Yakubu Musa, currently a media assistant to President Goodluck Jonathan who is from a devout Muslim family, once mentioned how he was named Yakubu in celebration of Gowon’s visit to Kano on a day that coincided with his birthday.

No. The truth of the matter is Igbo betrayed the trust given to them in the then northern Nigeria by the singular act of betrayal of Nzeagwu on Ahmadu Bello and the subsequent poor management of their relationship with their hosts that bred suspicion of complicity in the plans of the kill and a thought of greater conspiracy.

The way forward is not to employ a wider and more efficient propaganda machinery to score cheap sympathy and sponsor the production of a sensationalist movie in the Holly Wood, Secret of the Sun, starring Bruce Willis and displaying that northern Nigerian Muslim Hausa will attempt to do the same in the present Nigeria and in the recent future and can be stopped only by the Americans.

The way forward is to always tell the truth, accept faults, take responsibilities for errors and constantly preach the gospel of keeping trust, commitments and fair neighbourliness. Let’s make the younger generation and the entire world know that we are one in Nigeria and the top one percent of Igbo most informed political and public intellectuals lived in the North or even spoke Hausa. This ranging from Chinua Achebe himself, Cyprian Ekwensi, Major Chukwuma Kaduna Nzeagwu, General Emeka Ojukwu or Dr. Nmandi Azikwe. Cyprian Ekwensi even copied and translated the literary work of my uncle, John Tafida Umaru titled, Jiki Magayi, from Hausa to English, titled it African Nights Entertainments, and dubbed it his own without acknowledgement, adding to his literary stock, achievement and fame. The world must know the good contribution their living in the North and speaking its language brought into their skills and perspectives that which won them the accolades they so celebrate and rejoice in, today, a fact which they and their friends always want to hide!

dayokanu: Ashebe did not write about the reason why Igbo killed other regional leaders and spared theirs

5columnist: People are quick to point accusing fingers. Awolowo made his decisons in his capacity as entity and I dont think that decision represents the views of all yoruba people. So I be mused that our western brothers are taking offence. What Awo and his cronies did was wrong. Period.

Eziachi:
You are making a lot of sense. The war was between Nigeria and Biafra but most Yoruba from big to nobody always take it upon themselves to make it theirs.
You can never hear the northerners and middle belt boasting about atrocities of the war. Its not a Nairaland/internet thing, even within the ruling establishment, an average Yoruba will bring the war as a taunt to Easterners at every given opportunity.
OBJ never waste time in bring the war issue into the equation when its not needed, as a war hero. Something the likes of Babangida will desist from, even though they all wer involved.
Do you remember the Yoruba diplomat in the U.S taunting Ojo Maduekwe about the war during OBJ years?

I haven't read the so called Achebe's book, but based on what they are saying that he said, I had been told that he was directing issues to Gowon and his deputy, Awolowo. But you will think that Gowon wasn't mentioned OR HE CAME FROM A PLANET OF NO PEOPLE and it was Achebe vs Yoruba.

All further efforts to intervene by eminent Nigerians and well-wishers to Nigeria like Gen. Ankrah, late Emperor Hallie Selassie of Ethiopia and the late Dr Martin Luther King proved abortive. (Yes, they had 'eminent persons' too! Was there anything really authentic and new in the Kenyan crisis?)

Bushman Ojukwu seized the Federal Government property and funds in the East. He planned the hijacking of a National commercial aircraft Fokker 27 on a schedule flight from Benin to Lagos. All these and other signs and reports convinced the Federal Military Government of Ojukwu's intention to secede.



Ojukwu like many other failed rebel leaders and loser generals before him has greater responsibility for the shedding of blood in his hands, not in the least, for relentlessly leading his heroic and loyal people into a fruitless cause. Regardless of his aims, in history villainy is accorded to the losers; this is merited perhaps by the fact that they sacrificed the lives of others for nothing. In the very least he should have surrendered earlier, more so if he knew that his life was not worth the cause he was egging others to die for.

The losers (Ojukwu and his military command) have not escaped the tag of being the blood-drenched villains. If you think that Ojukwu is not a villain, then would you feel comfortable being associated with him? Imagine telling people that, " I (your name) am an Ojukwu fan, the former Biafran rebel leader. He was such a jolly, witty fellow and later he even became a completely reformed stiff-neck."

All that would be needed is a giant photo of the starving children in the Biafran War, embedded in the middle with your photo and that of your buddy Ojukwu laughing highlighted with the words 'Bloodthirsty Cowards'. You will be calling a press conference in a jiffy to retract your 'fanship'.



Have I been overly harsh on Ojukwu? Absolutely yes! I have no pity, remorse or regard for priveleged rich people who expediently and callously barter the lives of the http://mwycliff..com/2012/03/mocking-of-nation-where-nigeria-leads.htmlpoor to further their personal ambitions.

Abagworo: It still baffles me how killing of innocent people is a thing of joy to non-Igbos. Why all these hate and envy? Even if Nzeogwu killed all the Western leaders, they should have killed back Igbo leaders and not Igbo civilians who had nothing in common with Nzeogwu or politics. What an average Igboman believes is in success of his endeavor whether education, sports or business and does not know the next man until he succeeds. Whatever ethnic consciousness an Igbo has stems from discrimination from a combination of other Nigerians. Why are people mad that Igbos are living and investing in their area? Why can't they do same? In Igbo culture, we protect strangers rather than kill them off at the slightest provocation as other people do us.

CyberG: ibo stupidi.ty on display. Your tantrum of 1967 was treated and it won't be different today or tomorrow. A tantrum that you could not even afford after which you needed subsidy #20 pounds from Nigerian taxpayers, food, money and weapons from Nigeria and charity aid organizations. Useless ojuku run-away coward!

Osiris.211:
Another lies and conjectures from an ethnic propagandist. Just look at how you water down this despicable ethnic cleansing, the foundation of the ethnic animosity and distrust in Nigeria. This singular acts you paint as "Even if Nzeogwu killed all western leaders" is the virus eating this country at the moment and betrays your sincerity on this matter.

Sardauna trusted Nzeogwu with his life and he did not only betrayed him, he personally pulled the trigger on his head . Again, lemme attempt to answer your question by pretending I don't know how selfish you lots can be. You killed tribal leaders and openly poked fun of it and you expect flowers in returns?

You murdered Tafawa Balewa, SL Akintola and even mockingly mimicked their final moments and you expect fanfare in returns?

You slaughtered Maimalari and other fine mid western gentlemen and expect them to "do bale" for you?

Quick check on Hutu and Tutsi i.e. Ruwanda genocide revealed that the minority ruling class killed "few" people after the leadership of the country changed hand and what did we got from the other side? They massacred 1.2 million civilians in return and almost wiped out that ethnic group. They branded them " Nyanzi" which means creepy or snakes that must be exterminated. Moral line is don't start what you can't finish.

MegaMan2020: Another day, another Igbo finger pointing. Don't you Igbos get tired of pulling the the victim card all the time?

dayokanu: OP,

Can you explain why Igbo soldiers killed other regional leaders and spared theirs on January 15 1966.

That is the genesis of the war.

Igbos brought war on themselves by the action of Ifeajuna, Nwobosi, Onwuatuegwu, Nzeogwu and ironsi

Abagworo: It still baffles me how killing of innocent people is a thing of joy to non-Igbos. Why all these hate and envy? Even if Nzeogwu killed all the Western leaders, they should have killed back Igbo leaders and not Igbo civilians who had nothing in common with Nzeogwu or politics. What an average Igboman believes is in success of his endeavor whether education, sports or business and does not know the next man until he succeeds. Whatever ethnic consciousness an Igbo has stems from discrimination from a combination of other Nigerians. Why are people mad that Igbos are living and investing in their area? Why can't they do same? In Igbo culture, we protect strangers rather than kill them off at the slightest provocation as other people do us.

AK 48:
because they wanted to make awolowo the president,read well Bros

Abagworo: I still do not understand how all other ethnic groups in Nigeria behave. I believe Igbos think quite differently from the rest of them because of our individualistic nature.

Off course, you do (think differently) hence we have no business being in the same country, together. But we all know which group it was that was for one Nigeria, then. Even willing to delay their return to self-rule.



I cannot judge every Yoruba guilty because of one Yoruba man. If you take a look at Achebe's work, he never claimed Yorubas did anything but Awolowo.

Achebe never claimed the yorubas did anything wrong per se but we are very grateful to awo for what he accomplished in and for our region during his term ( regardless of what haters might say) and if other haters now attempt to fabricate fallacious stories about him then its our duty as (omoluabis) to defend him. Would you keep mute when someone writes or try to pass on deceptive information, as FACTS, about your father?




All Igbos did not unanimously agree to kill and can never unanimously agree on anything. I believe its same with any other group but they acted like animals by killing people who have no business with the coup. Imagine going from house to house to search for Igbos to kill because some Military boys of Igbo origin misbehaved.

Oh well, I guess your ibo young revolutionaries must have touched on a RAW nerve when they decided to waste the sardunna of ALL west African muslims! They had to show you guys how much he meant to them.




When Dimka killed Nigerian sitting Military head of State, why didn't Nigerians wipe off Dimka's ethnic group?

Probably 'cause the sitting military of state didn't mean as much to them (Northerners and not nigerians)
as the Sardunna of ALL west African muslims.!

I still do not understand how all other ethnic groups in Nigeria behave. I believe Igbos think quite differently from the rest of them because of our individualistic nature. I cannot judge every Yoruba guilty because of one Yoruba man. If you take a look at Achebe's work, he never claimed Yorubas did anything but Awolowo. All Igbos did not unanimously agree to kill and can never unanimously agree on anything. I believe its same with any other group but they acted like animals by killing people who have no business with the coup. Imagine going from house to house to search for Igbos to kill because some Military boys of Igbo origin misbehaved. When Dimka killed Nigerian sitting Military head of State, why didn't Nigerians wipe off Dimka's ethnic group?

Probably 'cause the sitting military of state didn't mean as much to them (Northerners and not nigerians)
as the Sardunna of ALL west African muslims.!

Mowire: Reading the OP, I wonder just why immediately after the war,& to this day, Igbos in their numbers still rushed to the same Nigeria regions to build their bizs', neglecting Igbo land. Can't their intellectuals enlighten them better instead of preaching hatred.
Even today an igboman still nurses the dream of an Igbo governor of a SW state!

afam4eva:
To a lot of Yorubas, Awolowo=Yorubas...Any insult on Awo is an insult on all Yorubas because he's the only man reverred by an astronomical number of Yorubas. But that doesn't mean the truth should not be told the way it is. If you don't like the truth then you could try killing yourself.

It's also sickening that what i hear from some Yorubas about this book is that it is the past and that the past should be forgotten...For me it's another way of saying "Abeg, make we no go to the past so that dem no go open our yansh". The same people are the ones that keep shouting June 12, MKO and NADECO wherever they go. Why haven't they forgotten about June 12. The civil war is not even as popular as june 12 courtesy of the Lagos media. let's stop being hypocritical in this country and be fair for once in our lives.

tigerleggs: if u do not have anything to contribute, just sit 4uck up and read just like me. No be do or die. Diekanu

Ngodigha1:
Monkey, shut up your stinking mouth. What is wrong in one come up with the truth in his published memoirs, get a life, bastard.

re@lchange:
lesson for all igbo would build houses in lagos and marry Yoruba

you will suffer pain
real pain