September 22nd marked the 57th anniversary of execution of Col. Victor Banjo, a brilliant and revolutionary soldier.
Col. Victor Adebukunola Banjo was born on April 01, 1930 to the family of Mr. James Herbert Banjo and Chief Mrs. Sabina Banjo. He was the third child of his parents. Both of his parents hailed from Ijebu-Ode in today’s Ogun State.
His parents were fairly educated. His father was an officer of the British Crown in Nigeria, who had a distinguished career as a Lay Magistrate with co-extensive record of service all over Nigeria and parts of Cameroon. He was a self-taught legal officer who distinguished himself by an unusual understanding of the fundamentals and basic principles of the English law. His mother was a product of Girls Seminary Lagos, a School founded by the Church Missionary Society (CMS). Through her training and upbringing at home and in School, Chief Mrs. Sabina Banjo became a deeply spiritual and prayerful mother who groomed her children in the ways of God to love people unconditionally and work selflessly to uplift the downtrodden.
Col. Banjo’s siblings are all distinguished individuals in their own rights. His sister, the first child of his parent is Professor Felicia Adetoun Ogunsheye (nee Banjo). She is the first female Professor in Nigeria. She is a Professor of Library Science. She will be 98 years old on December 05, 2024. Next to her is Dr. Ademola Banjo, who attended the University College Ibadan, Manchester University, UK and Harvard University in USA. He became the first Nigeria to obtain a doctorate degree in Metallurgical Engineering. Col. Banjo immediate younger brother was Professor Adesegun Banjo. He was the first Nigerian to earn a doctorate degree in Ultra Structure and Electro-Microscopy. He was a surgeon and Professor of Human Anatomy in USA before he became involved in the struggle for the actualization of mandate given to MKO Abiola after the June 12, 1993 General Election. He plotted an armed struggle against the Government of General Sanni Abacha, unfortunately his plan was thwarted by overzealous port officials in Benin Republic who detected shipment of ammunition for the armed struggle. He was arrested and detained and later released in 1999. He died in 2019 due to debilitating cancer of the blood.
Col. Banjo was married to Mrs. Taiwo Joyce Lucretia Marion George, a Creole from Sierra Leone, but of Yoruba extraction. His children made success of their various careers. His first child, Funto Banjo Oyelese became a Director of Education with Lagos State Ministry of Education. Second child, Ayodele Banjo is a Civil Engineer from then University of Ife, now Obafemi Awolowo University. He is also a Chartered Accountant. His third child is Professor Olayinka Olusola Omigbodun. She is the first female Psychiatric Professor in Nigeria and the first female Provost of the College of Medicine, University of Ibadan. The fourth child is Adeyemi Banjo who was born in 1965 and was barely six month old when Col. Victor Banjo was taken into custody on the orders of the Military Head of State, General Aguiyi Ironsi. He barely recognized his father and could not have formed any impression about him beyond some snippets he must have formed from his mother and older siblings.
Col. Banjo attended CMS Grammar School. He joined the Army in November 1953 as a Warrant Officer II. He attended various Military Training Schools in Ghana and in the UK. While in England, he took London GCE A-Level examinations and passed with flying colours, a feat that positioned him for university admission into the University of London. Due to his brilliant performance, he was the 16th Nigerian to be commissioned as an officer, shortly after he joined the Army. In 1958, the Army sponsored him for a degree programme in UK. He obtained a degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of London. General Olusegun Obasanjo, the former President of Nigeria described him as a brilliant officer and that he was the first Nigerian to be sponsored for a degree course by the Colonialists. He said, “For someone to be sponsored for a degree course in the Army at that time showed that he was more than the average person”. Up until 1960, there were about five graduates in the Nigerian Army and Major Adewale Ademoyega was the last graduate to be commissioned in 1961. The five graduates as of 1961 were Col. Odumegwu Ojukwu, Col. Victor Banjo, Major Olufemi Olutoye, Major Emmanuel Ifeajuna and Major Adewale Ademoyega.
After the failure of the January 15, 1966 coup, General Aguiyi Ironsi became the Head of State. Col. Banjo was never a party to the coup. According to Captain Ben Gbulie, Col. Banjo was unrestrained in the condemnation of the coup plotters and described them as being “blatantly destructive” and he boasted that he and his loyal colleagues in the Nigerian Army would crush the coup plotters. He was one of those who persuaded General Aguiyi Ironsi to take over the government when they had crushed the coup when it became apparent that the failed coup had taken many politicians, including the Prime Minister. He was the one who mobilized the troops and organized a meeting of loyal troops to cooperate with General Aguiyi Ironsi to preserve the established hierarchy of the Nigeria Army. He persuaded the Hausa officers to accept General Aguiyi Ironsi as the Head of State.
However, on January 17, 1966, barely three days when General Aguiyi Ironsi assumed office as Head of State and within such time, Col. Banjo was becoming too popular for some people’s liking and was arrested on flimsy excuse that he had his service pistol in his pocket while waiting to meet the head of State, which was contrary to the laid down regulation. They further alleged that he was among the January 15, 1966 coup plotters. He was actually waiting to see the Head of State when his comrades in the Army, Major PA. Anruwa and Lt. Col. GT Kurubo pretended to be admiring the latest weapon he was carrying. They both requested his permission for them to handle the sophisticated weapon, which he innocently handed over to them since he had no ulterior motive. He was then arrested on “account of planning a coup to topple General Aguiyi Ironsi in support of the January 15, 1966 coup plotters”.
To say the least, Col. Banjo was very surprised at the turn of event. He was initially detained in Lagos and later in the Eastern part of Nigeria. He was in the East until the outbreak of the civil war in 1967. He wrote to General Aguiyi Ironsi on June 01, 1966 proclaiming his innocence but this was to no avail.
On May 30, 1967, Col. Ojukwu declared the birth of the Republic of Biafra and this declaration was greeted with enthusiasm in the East as virtually everyone and groups in the East embraced it. The East had the most senior officers before the counter coup of July 1966 as many had been killed during the pogrom of July 29, 1966 in the North. Nevertheless, they still had higher numbers of senior military officers than the whole of Nigeria. It must however be said that Col. Ojukwu was not prepared in terms of weapons. Mere zeal and rhetoric were not synonymous with adequate weapons of war. On the day he declared secession, he had few weapons to face the mighty Nigerian Army.
Col. Banjo was released by the new Biafra Head of State; Col. Ojukwu and he Col. Banjo stayed with him in Enugu which was the capital city of the new Biafra. Col. Banjo later formed the 101st Brigade of the Biafra Army. A Brigade is a major tactical military formation that is typically made up of three to six battalions and other elements. A Brigade can be made of up to 3,000 to 5,000 soldiers. He formed this Brigade from scratch and transformed it into a standard fighting force. His position of authority and influence did not go down well with some Biafra military officers, among who was Alexandra Madiebo whose 51st Brigade was under Banjo’s sphere of authority and command. Banjo command covered Nsukka and Nkalagu operational areas. This was one of the first issues Banjo had in Biafra, a non-Biafra with such a large command. He built the Brigade from the scratch and transformed the erstwhile rustic soldiers with crude weapons into a formidable and positively motivated fighting force. He was far ahead of his colleagues in military tactics, operations and strategy. Whilst his colleagues such as Major General Philip Effiong and Major General Alexandra Madiebo concentrated on the defensive position as was in the military textbook, Banjo decided to launch an attack and take the fight to the enemies, sharing the Israeli belief that offence was the best form of defence.
When Banjo was promoted to the rank of Brigadier by General Ojukwu, he made it clear that it would be wrong to use the name ‘Biafra Army’ in the Midwest because that will give an impression that the Biafra Army was an Army of occupation. He said that Biafra still needed the cooperation, even if tacit, of Midwest and South West to push through in confronting the Northern dominated Army in Lagos. He said all efforts must be made to present the Biafra Army as one of liberation, with clear mandate to relieve their people of the burden imposed by the Northern dominated Nigeria State and Army. This was the core of the gentleman agreement between Banjo and Ojukwu. This was what informed Banjo decision to code name the 101st Brigade, “The Liberation Army of Nigeria”. He reorganized the 101st Brigade and chose disciplined officers to execute his plans. He made Lt. Col. Emmanuel Ifeajuna, one of the coup plotters of January 15, 1966 his Chief of Staff. Banjo turned the 101st Brigade into a brutally efficient war machine, recording lightning–speed successes one after the other.
On August 09, 1967, Brigadier Banjo led his Liberation Army into Mid-West in an operation code named “Torch”. He split up his army on reaching Agbor, with the 12th Battalion under Lt. Col. Akhaga moving West and capturing Benin and Ore. The 13th Battalion under Lt. Col. Mike Ivonso took Auchi, Agenebode and Okene. The 18th Battalion under Major Chukwuka took over Warri, Sapele and Ughelli. Within 12 hours, the Liberation Army of Nigeria had completely taken over the Mid-West. David Ejoor, the Nigeria Military Governor was lucky to escape the ambush set up secretly by Ojukwu. The plan to abduct Ejoor was hatched without the knowledge of Banjo and this might have been responsible for his escape.
Immediately after the Liberation Army of Nigeria over ran the Mid-West, serious disagreement arose between Banjo and Ojukwu. First, Ojukwu was advised by senior Igbo Military officers to take power out of Banjo’s hand, they said, afterall, all the ammunition and soldiers were from Biafra. Secondly, Ojukwu rebuffed Banjo’s advice that new Governor of Mid-West should be from the non-Igbo Mid-Westerners like Lt. Col. David Ejoor, Samuel Ogbemudia or Col. Trimnell. This advice was predicated on the need to make the Mid-Westerners feel at home and not think that they are being ruled by Biafra. Ojukwu ignore this advice and appointed Albert Okonkwo, an Igbo Mid-Westerner as the Governor of Mid-West or Republic of Benin as Ojokwu preferred to name it.
Despite the disagreement between Ojukwu and Banjo as to who should be Governor of the Mid-West, Ojukwu ordered Banjo to proceed to take Lagos at all cost despite inadequate ammunition and personnel to confront the almighty army on the Federal side. Even though Banjo had some good officers in the persons of Lt. Col. Emmanuel Ifeajuna, Lt. Col. Adewale Ademoyega who had also been released from prison by Ojukwu to fight on his side, Lt. Col. Mike Ivonso, Major Chukwuka, Lt. Oyewole and Lt. Adeleke. Both Lt. Oyewole and Lt. Adeleke were also released by Ojukwu from prison to fight on his side. Both were later promoted to captain. Notwithstanding the sterling qualities of these officers, they were no match to the officers on the Federal side that were better armed with good weapons. Such officers were Brigadier Benjamin Adekunle, popularly known as the Black Scorpion and Commander of the dreaded 3rd Marine Commando and one of the major heroes of the civil war. There were Col. Obasanjo who was Ibadan Garrison Commander, Col. Murtala Muhammed, Lt. Col Alani Akinrinade and Lt. Col. Alabi Isama. These were better equipped officers that Ojukwu commanded Banjo to take on with inadequate soldiers and ammunitions, things that the Federal side had in abundance.
Ojukwu gave Banjo three conditions via a letter dated August 22, 1967. The conditions are: First, Banjo should not have anything to do with Military Administrator of the Mid-West territory during his sojourn there before the invasion of the West. Second, during the period of Biafran troops’ presence in all territories subdued, all political measures, statements, or decrees shall be subject to approval in writing by Ojukwu or his authority. Third, should the Biafra troops arrive and liberate Lagos, the government of the Republic of Biafra reserves the right to appoint a Military Administrator for the territory. The last conditions exposed the inordinate ambition of Ojukwu. It is possible he would have nominated an Igbo Military Governor over Lagos and by extension the West just as he did in Mid-West.
Banjo realizing the enormity of casualty that will arise in the heart of Yorubaland if he is to fight his ways to Lagos with little ammunitions and soldiers, took advantage of the visitation of Wole Soyinka and send him (Soyinka) to Obasanjo for Obasanjo to allow him a free passage to Lagos through Ibadan and that Soyinka should let the West understand that the he is not leading a Biafra army but an Army of Liberation made up of other ethnic groups. For obvious reason, Obasanjo refused this plea. Obasanjo told Soyinka to tell Banjo that he can use alternative routes like waterways or air to reach Lagos and that he, Banjo need not come through Ibadan as he will not yield his ground for anybody. It was this errand that almost caused Soyinka his life, but was lucky to have a kind-hearted man in person of General Gowon who rather put him in prison than executing him. He spent more than 24 months in prison until his release in 1969. If he had done same to Ojukwu, he will not live to tell the story and he would have been promptly labelled saboteur which was the in-thing in the Republic of Biafra then. If Soyinka had succeeded in his mission and convinced Obasanjo, the story of the civil war could have been a different one.
Of all the civil war battles, the battle at Ore was the fiercest. It was so deadly that it was named “Oleku, ija Ore” in Yoruba language or simply ‘Deadly Battle at Ore” or “Mother of All Battles at Ore”.
The battle to recapture Mid-West started with the coordinated efforts of Benjamin Adekunle’s 3rd Marine Commandos who took over the towns of Koko, Sapele, Warri, Ughelli, Orerokpe, Umutu and Itaga in the Mid-West. He was also assisted by Lt. Col. Alani Akinrinade and Alabi Isama. On September 20, 1967, Benin fell into the hand of troops led by Col. Murtala Muhammed and that ended the Biafra Government in Mid-West.
During the stalemate when Banjo, by necessity due to lack of adequate weapons and heavy bombardment from the Federal side halted his advance to Lagos, he was quickly labelled a saboteur. This was not true, Banjo simply refused to commit mass murder and waste the lives of his soldiers in the face of a great odd and impossible situation.
During the war, Ojukwu had some spies whose duties were to visit Commanders at war fronts and secretly interview them on the State of things. Anyone who expressed himself against the Commander-in-Chief on his poor management of the war and tactics was penned down as a saboteurs. Col. Achuzia was Ojukwu favourite spies. According to Phillip Effiong, it got to a stage when even advice must be carefully given, otherwise one will be labelled a saboteur. He said “Ojukwu spies were everywhere”. In his book *_The Cage Bird Sang No More_*, Phillip Effiong maintained that Ojukwu’s “Military appreciation was amateurish ….. he indulged in debates and seminars while the collapse of Biafra was starring us in the face. No saboteurs could have been more effective”. Ojukwu was responsible for the fall of Biafra, unfortunately he needed a scapegoat and found one in some of his officers including Banjo who stood taller above all other officers and who was too independent for him.
Ojukwu invited Banjo to a meeting Enugu, and when Ojukwu was told of his arrival, Banjo was promptly disarmed and arrested on account of planning a coup against the Commander-in-Chief. Lt. Col. Emmanuel Ifeajuna, Major Phillip Alale and Major Sam Agbam had all earlier been arrested but unknown to Banjo. Banjo defended himself against two allegations levied against him. Contrary to the lies in some quarters that Ojukwu obtained his confession. There was no confession anywhere because there was nothing to confess about and no confession statement was tendered at his trial. The two allegation are; one, violation of law and maintenance decree, a charge of insubordination for retreating from Ore and turning back from capturing Lagos and two, subversion as an intention to cause public disorder aiming at capturing power in Biafra. These allegations were a total surprised for Banjo. If truly he wanted to overthrow Ojukwu, he would not have honoured the invite or he would not have gone with just his escort. He would have gone with his troops that would have taken over and shot his way out. After his arrest, he was replaced by another Yoruba man in the person of Lt. Col. Adewale Ademoyega was also released by Ojukwu. He too was later arrested and detained in the same building with Banjo but not the same cell, where Banjo, Ifeajuna, Phillip Alale and Sam Agbam were detained. Ademoyega was never tried and he survived the war. He was briefly ‘freed’ after the war but the Federal forces put him right back in detention for his participation as part of the Liberation Army.
He was finally released along with twenty others during the 1974 Independence Day amnesty.
Ojukwu constituted a Special Military Tribunal headed by Godwin Nzegwu, a lawyer from Onitsha. He was a great lawyer of impeccable character and sense of duty who was committed to upholding the rule of law. Ojukwu had ordered the Tribunal in advance to condemn Banjo and others as he had already adjudged them guilty. Having listened to the defendants and in the absence of any documentary evidence to establish a case against them, not even the purported confession was tendered, Godwin Nzegwu refused to participate in the murdering of innocent souls. For failing to find them guilty as was ordered, he too was arrested by Ojukwu and detained till the end of the war.
Having removed Lawyer Godwin Nzegwu as the Chairman of the Special Military Tribunal and had him detained, Ojukwu looked for a judge that will do his bidding and he found one in the person of Justice George Ekemena with a strict order that the accused must be found guilt. And that was exactly what the Judge did. Col. Banjo presented his evidence as a litigant in person and also spoke for other accused, i.e. Lt. Col. Emmanuel Ifeajuna, Major Phillip Alale and Major Sam Agbam. Ojukwu Special Military Tribunal found all the accused persons guilty and they were condemned to death by firing squad. The trial was conducted and concluded on September 20, 1967. Just a day trial!
Lt. Col. Adewale Ademoyega in his Book *_Why We Struck_*, said he saw the heads of the four condemned men last on September 21, 1967 from his cell, while they were being led out. He said Lt. Col. Emmanuel Ifeajuna last words to him were: *“Wale, we have been condemned to death and unless a miracle happens, we could be shot any time, please take care of my wife and children”*.
The condemned men were shot on *September 22, 1967* and were buried in unmarked graves. It was reported that Col. Banjo was shot several times because he was shouting that he was not dead yet, which made the executioners combined and directed all their fire-power at him. They eventually silenced the great soldier, a great ideologue and a revolutionary. He was just 37 years old when he was killed in his prime not on the battlefield but by a friend turned fiend.
Ojukwu was later pardoned by the Federal Government and had all his benefits paid to him as a Nigerian soldier. This made Col. Achuzia to berate him and condemned what he was paid by the Federal Government as *blood money* because many of those who fought for him were not compensated and Ojukwu did not fight for them to receive their benefits.
Col. Banjo was not dismissed from the Nigerian Army, and neither was his gratuity paid to his family to date. Ojukwu did not release or mention the place where Banjo was buried to date. The Federal Government ought to have declared Banjo dead instead of declaring him *Missing in Action*. The war ended 54 years ago and they knew that he had been executed by Ojukwu.
May the souls of Colonel Victor Adebukunola Banjo, Lt. Col. Emmanuel Ifeajuna, Major Phillip Alale and Major Sam Agbam rest in peace. Amen.
