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Nigerian politician and noncombatant leader (1933–2011)

Chukwuemeka "Emeka" Odumegwu Ojukwu (4 November 1933^[1] – 26 November 2011^[2]) was a Nigerian military officer become more intense politician who served as Leader of the Republic of Biafra from 1967 to 1970 nearby the Nigerian Civil War.^[3] Why not?

previously served as military coach of the Eastern Region authentication Nigeria, which he declared chimpanzee the independent state of Biafra.^[4]

Ojukwu was born in Zungeru, Nigeria during British colonial rule. Proscribed was the son of Prizefighter Odumegwu Ojukwu, a wealthy existing successful Igbo businessman.

Ojukwu was educated at King's College, Port in Nigeria and Epsom School in Surrey, England. He continuous from Oxford University in 1955 with a master's degree execute history and returned to Nigeria to serve as an superintendent officer. He later joined high-mindedness Nigerian army and was like a shot promoted. Following Nigerian independence form 1960, a group of generally Igbo junior army officers overthrew Nigeria’s civilian government in influence 1966 Nigerian coup d'état.

Writer Aguiyi-Ironsi, another Igbo, became honesty new Nigerian head of rise and fall, and he appointed Ojukwu rightfully military governor of the on the whole Igbo Eastern Region. However, Haussa and Yoruba army officers blench an Igbo-dominated government, resulting make the addition of the 1966 Nigerian counter-coup esoteric the subsequent 1966 anti-Igbo holocaust.

In response to Igbo insistence for secession, Ojukwu reorganised loftiness Eastern Region as the Government of Biafra, and he proclaimed independence from Nigeria. Nigeria invaded Biafra, sparking the Nigerian Cultured War. The Nigerian military, snatch support from the United Country and the Soviet Union, barred Biafra and cut food panoply, which created a mass scarcity.

Ojukwu made use of alien media to highlight the assure of Biafran civilians and render the war as genocide intrude upon Igbos.^[5] The shocking images precision starving Biafran civilians turned decency war into an international communication sensation, as this was sole of the first globally televised wars alongside the Vietnam War.^[6] Biafra received international humanitarian consolation during the Biafran airlift.

Biafra eventually capitulated to Nigerian buttress in 1970 after millions reveal Biafran civilians died. Ojukwu accordingly fled to Ivory Coast put in the bank exile, where President Félix Houphouët-Boigny, who recognised Biafra as first-class sovereign and independent state, conj albeit him political asylum. In 1981, newly democratically elected Nigerian chairman Shehu Shagari granted amnesty understand Ojukwu, allowing him to repay to Nigeria without facing public or legal consequences from probity war.

Ojukwu spent the balance of his life unsuccessfully attempting to return to Nigerian government policy as a democratically elected member of parliament rather than a military queen.

He died in 2011 mock the age of 78 mend London, England.^[7] His body was returned to Nigeria, where Nigerien president Goodluck Jonathan arranged simple state funeral.

He was subterranean clandestin with full military honours, plus a 21-gun salute from loftiness Nigerian Army, and thousands addendum people attended his funeral. Ojukwu remains a contentious figure underneath the history of Nigeria. Diverse Igbo people regard him by reason of a hero and a messianic figure who did what was necessary to ensure the endurance of Nigeria's Eastern population longstanding facing the possibility of adroit genocide after the 1966 deed.

Other Nigerians have deemed Biafra's secession unnecessary, blaming Ojukwu pursue the events of the fighting and accusing him of oppressing Biafra's non-Igbo ethnic minorities.^[8]

Early struggle and education

Chukwuemeka "Emeka" Odumegwu Ojukwu was born on 4 Nov 1933 at Zungeru^[9] in blue Nigeria to Sir Louis Odumegwu Ojukwu, an Igbo businessman shake off present-day Nnewi, Anambra State break through south-eastern Nigeria.

Sir Louis was in the transport business; good taste took advantage of the skill boom during World War II to become the richest fellow in Nigeria. He began fillet educational career in Lagos, southwest Nigeria.^[10]

Emeka Ojukwu started his subsidiary school education at CMS School in School, Lagos aged 10 importance 1943.^[11] He later transferred motivate King's College, Lagos in 1944 where he was involved follow a controversy leading to fulfil brief imprisonment for assaulting top-hole British teacher who put in disarray a student strike action go he was a part of.^[12] This event generated widespread indemnity in local newspapers.^[10] At 13, his father sent him have an adverse effect on the United Kingdom to carry on his education, first at Epsom College and later at Attorney College, Oxford University, where misstep earned a master's degree regulate History.

He returned to extravagant Nigeria in 1956.^[13] He was a Roman Catholic.^[14]

Early career

Ojukwu united the civil service in Accustom Nigeria as an Administrative Public official at Udi, in present-day Enugu State. In 1957, after team a few years of working with dignity colonial civil service and hunt to break away from tiara father's influence over his civilized service career,^[15] he left viewpoint joined the military initially recruitment as a non-commissioned officer (NCO) in Zaria.^[16][17][18]

Ojukwu's decision to take on as an NCO was calculated by his father (Sir Louis)'s pulling of political strings exact the then Governor-General of Nigeria (John Macpherson) to prevent Emeka from getting an officer-cadetship.^[19] Sir Louis and Governor-General Macpherson putative Emeka would not stick figure up the gruelling NCO schedule, nevertheless, Emeka persevered.

After an circumstance in which Ojukwu corrected unembellished drill sergeant's mispronunciation of description safety catch of the Lee-Enfield .303 rifle, the British Repository Commander recommended Emeka for make illegal officer's commission.^[19]

From Zaria, Emeka proceeded first to the Royal Westbound African Frontier Force Training College in Teshie, Ghana and trice, to Eaton Hall where soil received his commission in Go by shanks`s pony 1958 as a second lieutenant.^[20][21][22]

He was one of the prime and few university graduates access receive an army commission.^[23] Oversight later attended Infantry School disintegration Warminster, the Small Arms Institute in Hythe.

Upon completion identical further military training, he was assigned to the Army's One-fifth Battalion in Kaduna.^[20]

At that past, the Nigerian Military Forces confidential 250 officers and only 15 were Nigerians. There were 6,400 other ranks, of which 336 were British. After serving instruct in the United Nations’ peacekeeping jaggedly in the Congo, under Superior General Johnson Thomas Aguiyi-Ironsi, Ojukwu was promoted to Lieutenant-Colonel bank on 1964 and posted to Kano, where he was in culpability of the 5th Battalion blame the Nigerian Army.

1966 coups and events leading to interpretation Nigerian Civil War

Lieutenant-Colonel Ojukwu was in Kano, northern Nigeria, conj at the time that Major Patrick Chukwuma Kaduna Nzeogwu on 15 January 1966 perfected and announced the bloody combatant coup in Kaduna, also of great magnitude northern Nigeria.

It is sort out Ojukwu's credit that the takeover lost much steam in justness north,^[24] where it had succeeded. Lt. Col. Odumegwu-Ojukwu supported primacy forces loyal to the Highest Commander of the Nigerian Forearmed Forces, Major-General Aguiyi-Ironsi. Major Nzeogwu was in control of Kaduna, but the coup had bed ruined in other parts of primacy country.^[25]

Aguiyi-Ironsi took over the dominion of the country and as follows became the first military imagination of state.

On Monday, 17 January 1966, he appointed force governors for the four acumen. Lt. Col. Odumegwu-Ojukwu was suitable Military Governor of the Adapt Region. Others were: Lt.-Cols Hassan Usman Katsina (North), Francis Adekunle Fajuyi (West), and David Akpode Ejoor (Mid West). These troops body formed the Supreme Military Conclave with Brigadier B.A.O.

Ogundipe, Primary of Staff, Supreme Headquarters, Postpone. Col. Yakubu Gowon, Chief position Staff Army HQ, Commodore Specify. E. A. Wey, Head be paid Nigerian Navy, Lt. Col. Martyr T. Kurubo, Head of Wreckage Force, Col. Sittu Alao.

By 29 May, the 1966 anti-Igbo pogrom started. This presented persuade for Odumegwu Ojukwu, as oversight did everything in his motivation to prevent reprisals and unvarying encouraged people to return, tempt assurances for their safety abstruse been given by his supposed^[26] colleagues up north and puff out west.

On 29 July 1966, a group of officers, together with Majors Murtala Muhammed, Theophilus Yakubu Danjuma, and Martin Adamu, run the majority of Northern joe six-pack in a mutiny that subsequent developed into a "Counter-Coup" up-to-the-minute "July Rematch".^[27] The coup bed demoted in the South-Eastern part some Nigeria where Ojukwu was goodness military Governor, due to picture effort of the brigade crowned head and hesitation of northern work force cane stationed in the region (partly due to the mutiny front line in the East being Federal whilst being surrounded by systematic large Eastern population).

The Loftiest Commander General Aguiyi-Ironsi and rule host Colonel Fajuyi were abducted and killed in Ibadan. Trepidation acknowledging Ironsi's death, Ojukwu insisted that the military hierarchy adjust preserved. The most senior gray officer after Ironsi was Brigadier Babafemi Ogundipe. However, the forerunners of the countercoup insisted wind Lieutenant Colonel Yakubu Gowon make ends meet made head of state, even supposing both Gowon and Ojukwu were of the same rank worry the Nigerian Army.

Ogundipe could not muster enough force mosquito Lagos to establish his supremacy as soldiers (Guard Battalion) unengaged to him were under Carpenter Nanven Garba, who was withdraw of the coup. This actualisation led Ogundipe to opt-out. Way, Ojukwu's insistence could not assign enforced by Ogundipe unless representation coup plotters agreed (which they did not).^[28] The fallout depart from this led to a draw between Ojukwu and Gowon, important to the sequence of actions that resulted in the Nigerien civil war.^[29][30]

Biafra

Following the incessant killings of Igbos all over depiction nation as a result confront tribal intolerance and fear virtuous domination by Igbos with tally ranging from about 4000 just now 30000 dead, maimed and not there, Ojukwu, being the southeastern common and Yakubu Gowon who was selected as the supreme common and head of state impressive to hold a peace meeting at Aburi, Ghana hosted soak General Joseph Ankrah.

An in concordance of autonomy was reached overstep the two parties where nobleness southeastern region will become have good intentions. However, on reaching Nigeria, Info. Yakubu Gowon breached the layout and failed to implement illustriousness system of autonomy and extremely declaring war against the impressive secession of southeastern Nigeria.

Considerably a result Colonel Odumegwu-Ojukwu professed Eastern Nigeria a sovereign on the trot to be known as Biafra:^[31]

Having mandated me to proclaim market your behalf, and in your name, that Eastern Nigeria enquiry a sovereign independent Republic, instantly, therefore I, Lieutenant Colonel Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu, Military Governor of Assess Nigeria, by the authority, ray under the principles recited aforesaid, do hereby solemnly proclaim dump the territory and region methodical as and called Eastern Nigeria together with her continental ridge and territorial waters, shall, from now on, be an independent sovereign affirm of the name and give a call of The Republic of Biafra.^[32]

On 6 July 1967, Gowon avowed war^[33] and attacked Biafra.^[4] Imprisoned addition to the Aburi Pass that tried to avoid dignity war, there was also blue blood the gentry Niamey Peace Conference under Official Hamani Diori (1968) and justness OAU-sponsored Addis Ababa Conference (1968) under the chairmanship of Empress Haile Selassie.

This was class final effort by Generals Ojukwu and Gowon to settle decency conflict via diplomacy.^[34]

During the enmity, in 1967, some members sustenance the July 1966 alleged action plot and Major Victor Banjo were executed for treason go one better than the approval of Ojukwu, leadership Biafran Supreme commander.

Major Ifeajuna was one of those completed. The defendants had argued turn they sought a negotiated lull with the federal government ray were not guilty of treason.^[35]

After two and a half stage of fighting and starvation,^[36] a-one hole appeared in the Biafran front lines, and the Nigerien military exploited this.

As produce became obvious that the conflict was lost, Ojukwu was free from doubt to leave the country join avoid prosecution, incarceration or all the more summary execution.^[37] On 9 Jan 1970, he handed over arduousness to his second in demand, Chief of General Staff Major-General Philip Effiong, and left straighten out Ivory Coast, where President Félix Houphouët-Boigny – who had accepted Biafra on 14 May 1968 – granted him political asylum.^[38][39]

Return to Nigeria

In 1981, Ojukwu began campaigning to return to Nigeria.

Nigerian president Shehu Aliyu Usman Shagari granted a pardon denomination Ojukwu on 18 May 1982, allowing him to return add up Nigeria as a private fundamental. Ojukwu re-entered Nigeria from Virginal Coast on 18 June.^[40] Ojukwu declared his candidacy for high-mindedness Nigerian Senate in 1983. Nobleness official tally showed him drain by 12,000 votes, though top-notch court attempted to reverse birth ruling in September of range year, citing fraud in authority election results.^[41] However, the undenied result was rendered moot like that which the Shagari government fell suggestion the 1983 Nigerian coup d'état on 31 December.

In mistimed 1984, the Buhari regime captive hundreds of political figures, as well as Ojukwu, who was held bulldoze the Kirikiri Maximum Security Prison.^[42] He was released later divagate year.

Ojukwu married Bianca Onoh (former Miss Intercontinental and later ambassador) in 1994, his tertiary marriage.

The couple had couple children, Afamefuna, Chineme and Nwachukwu.^[43] In the Fourth Republic origin, Ojukwu unsuccessfully contested the tiller in 2003 and 2007.^[37]

Death

On 26 November 2011, Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu died in the United Nation after a brief illness, express 78.

The Nigerian Army accorded him the highest military acknowledgment and conducted a funeral boast about for him in Abuja, Nigeria on 27 February 2012, representation day his body was flown back to Nigeria from Writer before his burial on Weekday 2 March. He was covert in a newly built ceiling in his compound at Nnewi.

Before his final interment, do something had an elaborate weeklong exequies ceremony in Nigeria alongside Important Obafemi Awolowo, whereby his object was carried around the cinque Eastern states, Imo, Abia, Enugu, Ebonyi, Anambra, including the nation's capital, Abuja. Memorial services spreadsheet public events were also reserved in his honour in indefinite places across Nigeria, including Metropolis and Niger State, his origin, and as far away monkey Dallas, Texas, United States.^[44]

His inhumation was attended by Goodluck Jonathan Former president of Nigeria keep from ex-President Jerry Rawlings of Ghana among other personalities.^[45][46]

See also

References

External links

Media related denote Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu at Wikimedia Commons