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Col Joe Achuzie, the legendary Biafra war General was buried at his home town in Asaba , Delta state on Saturday, 14th April , 2018 amidst tears, wailings and eulogies from friends, relations, well-wishers and Ohanaeze Ndigbo members who thronged his home in Asaba.
Col Achuzie who at different times led the 11 div, 13div, 14div , 15 div and S Brigade of the Biafran Army fought gallantly at Onitsha, Okigwe, Oguta, Abagana, MId west , Port Harcout and other sectors of the Biafran war were he largely decimated his foes.
The Abagana ambush of the war, where Col Achuzie wiped out a Division of the Nigerians Army and the complete routing of a Brigade of the Nigerian Army at Okigwe, were some of the landmarks that earned him the sobriquet of the “Hannibal of Biafra” and “Air Raid” respectively.
Col Achuzie was later to play a significant role in ending the war but stirred the hornets’ nest in the talks when he threatened to resume Guerilla war fare if the terms of ceasing hostilities were in disfavour of the Biafrans.
As a matter of fact, some Biafrans were already en route to Gabon and the Island of Sao Tome to serve as coordinating centres for the Guerilla warfare when more favourable terms that ended the war were agreed upon.
Contrary to the terms , Col Achuzie and some other Biafran officers were later detained and he was released in 1977.
Col Achuzie was later to be involved in the search for a just and equitable Nigeria.
He participated in the politics of the Second Republic and in Igbo socio-political group Ohanaeze Ndigbo were he was to become a Secretary General in the past.
Col Achuzie supported Biafra of the mind and worked with pro-Biafran groups to seek for a legal means of achieving Biafra in his latter days or Biafra within Nigeria.
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He advocated for Ndigbo to answer Biafra within Nigeria.
Earlier in a night of tribute for the warlord at Enugu and Asaba , the Ohanaeze Ndigbo President General Barr Nnia Nwodo had lauded the qualities of Col Achuzie and called for his immortalisation by Ndigbo and Nigerians.
The Enugu event was anchored by the Enugu Sports club and Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Enugu state chapter ably led by Chief Ben Etiaba and Chief Chiedozie Alex Ogbonnia.
The Asaba event was organised by the family, friends and associates of Col Joe Achuzie in association with Ohanaeze Ndigbo.
Some Ohanaeze Ndigbo Chieftains, Government officials, Academicians, Activists and youth/women/student leaders were within the burial vicinity but the burial proper was exclusively for the family members and members of inner traditional caucus of Asaba.
By Chuks Ibegbu
National Deputy Publicity Secretary, Ohanaeze Ndigbo World Wide
