In ‘THE TRAGEDY OF VICTORY' Alabi-Isama reveals how Nigerian Army cared for Biafrans during Nigeria-Biafra War

Alabi Isama

BY ADA DIKE

It was another of reflection on the Nigeria-Biafra War on Saturday, November 2, 2013, as people from all walks of life converged at Quintessence, Parkview Estate Ikoyi, Lagos, for a book reading and signing.

Titled "THE TRAGEDY OF VICTORY' (on-the-spot account of Nigeria-Biafra War in the Atlantic Theatre), the book was written by Brigadier-General Godwin Alabi-Isama.

The reading which kicked off around 2pm reached its climax with the former Principal General Staff Officer (PGSO) of the Nigerian Army and Chief of Staff of 3 Marine Commando Division (3MCDO) during the 1967-1970 Nigeria-Biafra war, saying that there was no pogrom against the Igbo during the war.

Contrary to the 73 years old retired army officer’s view that he did not see a hungry Igbo man, woman or child during the war (those that were hungry are those that were removed from their villages), Ndigbo launched a book, “The Untold Story of the Nigeria-Biafran War,” last month in Lagos in which the author, Dr. Luke Aneke, a United States based surgeon and lawyer wrote that there was genocide in Igbo land during the war.

The reviewer of “The Untold Story of the Nigeria-Biafran War, Dr. Anele, a senior lecturer of the Department of Philosophy at University of Lagos, said the book was a window into the untold story of Nigeria-Biafran war.  In his words: “The 771-page book, sub-divided into four was an eye witness account of the civil war which revealed the journalistic reportage of the war by foreign media including New York Times, Agence France Presse, Reuters and Associated Press, among others. Tears swelled my eyes when I read how Biafran children were killed to keep Nigeria one,” Anele said.

But Alabi-Isama however, revealed that they didn’t have refugee camp in 3 Marine Commando and added that they gave food to refugees coming from Biafra and allowed them to go back to their houses despite  Igbos’ stand that there was starvation and genocide due to cut in their food supply chains.

According to him, “We fed the people we captured. I was nice to them and they were nice to me. We allowed people to escape. By 1969, many of them went back home and narrated how nice we treated them. We decided not to fight anymore that is why we captured them, fed them and gave them uniforms to join us.

“I have to write a book to show with picture the story of the war. I went to capture Bayelsa, Aba, Calabar and so on, but those who claimed to have captured the east were not there,” he said.

He advised Nigerians to read the former governor of Imo State, Achike Udenwa’s book and also urged Nigerians to unite and move the country forward.