A Glimpse into the Life of Gen. Godwin Alabi-Isama: An Anioma Patriot Shaped by War, Guided by Truth, and Devoted to Peace

A Glimpse into the Life of Gen. Godwin Alabi-Isama: An Anioma Patriot Shaped by War, Guided by Truth, and Devoted to Peace

By Emeka Esogbue

Few Nigerian military figures embody the paradox of war and peace as profoundly as Gen. Godwin Alabi-Isama (Retd.), an Anioma-born officer, historian, and patriot whose life bridges courage on the battlefield and truth in historical reflection.

Born on December 24, 1940, in Ilorin, into a family of mixed Anioma and Yoruba heritage, the retired general rose to prominence during the Nigerian Civil War as Chief of Staff of the Third Marine Commando Division, where his tactical brilliance and unflinching discipline became legendary. Yet beyond the uniform, Alabi-Isama’s enduring legacy lies in his lifelong devotion to truth, peace, and the Anioma cause, values that later defined his service as President-General of Izu Anioma.

He was born to Pa Alabi Isama of Ikilibi, Utagba-Unor (Ndokwa area of Anioma), who migrated to Ilorin, Kwara State, in search of work and married a Yoruba woman. Though Godwin grew up in Ilorin, his Anioma identity remained deeply ingrained in him, a heritage he proudly reclaimed in his later years.

Commissioned into the Nigerian Army, Alabi-Isama rose steadily through the ranks in the years preceding the Civil War. During the conflict, he served as Chief of Staff of the Third Marine Commando (3MCDO), the division that executed some of the war’s toughest operations across the Niger Delta and the Southeast under Col. Benjamin Adekunle, the infamous “Black Scorpion.”

Alabi-Isama’s Anioma background continues to intrigue military historians who note that his people (Anioma) played roles on both sides of the Nigerian Civil War. Their participation highlights the region’s complex identity, with loyalties straddling Nigeria and Biafra. In a symbolic sense, Alabi-Isama stood as a bridge between Anioma and Ilorin, between East and North, embodying a soldier whose ancestry and career reflected the divisions and unity of the Nigerian nation.

As Chief of Staff, he coordinated operations across riverine and swampy terrains, remembered for his bold strategies, logistical acumen, and close partnership with Adekunle until a later fallout. Many military analysts regard him as one of the finest strategists produced by the Nigerian Civil War.

Under Adekunle’s daring leadership and Alabi-Isama’s masterful coordination, the Third Marine Commando Division achieved some of the most decisive victories of the war. Operating across the difficult coastal zones of the Southeast, it captured more Biafran territories than any other division, liberating Bonny, Calabar, Port Harcourt, Owerri, and Uyo, among others, cutting off Biafra’s access to the sea and crippling its supply lines.

Indeed, many historians attribute the collapse of Biafra largely to the strength and resilience of the Third Marine Commando Division. It was the most celebrated and feared of all the Nigerian formations beloved by the press and dreaded by the opposition. Col. Benjamin Adekunle became the war’s most famous face, granting numerous interviews, but the operational backbone remained the strategic coordination of his Chief of Staff, Godwin Alabi-Isama.

In personality, Gen. Alabi-Isama stands out as a fusion of military precision, intellectual depth, and fearless candour. He is often described as disciplined, patriotic, outspoken, and unafraid of controversy. Never one to mince words, he expressed his convictions with blunt honesty, earning both respect and resentment in equal measure. As he once wrote:

“I am not afraid to speak because I was there. I saw it, I lived it, and I survived it.”

He first drew attention for controversy when he changed his name from Abdulrahman Alabi to Godwin Alabi-Isama, surprising peers who assumed he was fully Yoruba. His Ilorin-born mother spoke Ukwaani fluently, an uncommon trait that reflected the family’s hybrid heritage.

According to Gen. Yakubu Gowon (Retd.), then Head of State, in The Tragedy of Victory (2013), Alabi-Isama’s decision to reclaim his roots “created both challenges and opportunities” during the war, as he was viewed with suspicion by both sides unsure of his true loyalties.

After the early victories at Bonny, Port Harcourt, and other riverine strongholds, a serious rift developed between Alabi-Isama and Adekunle. The disagreement, partly strategic, partly personal saw Alabi-Isama accusing Adekunle of arrogance and self-promotion, while Adekunle felt undermined by his Chief of Staff. The fallout led to Alabi-Isama’s reassignment under Col. Olusegun Obasanjo, who took over command after Adekunle’s withdrawal.

Later, he also clashed with Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo (Retd.), this time over historical interpretation of the Civil War. Alabi-Isama accused Obasanjo of distorting facts and claiming credit for victories that predated his command. In The Tragedy of Victory: On-the-Spot Account of the Nigeria-Biafra War in the Atlantic Theatre (2013), Alabi-Isama countered Obasanjo’s My Command, calling parts of it “falsehoods” and “self-glorification.” He maintained that the 3MCDO had already broken Biafra’s resistance before Obasanjo’s arrival.

Gen. Gowon, intervening in the debate, observed that while Obasanjo was not present during major frontline victories, he received Biafra’s surrender as the division’s commander hence his symbolic association with victory.

Even Gen. Alexander Madiebo, GOC of the Biafran Army, acknowledged Alabi-Isama’s leadership qualities:

“Gen. Alabi-Isama, though inexperienced at the beginning of the Civil War, was always keen and disciplined. These qualities of leadership and man-management are well reflected in his accounts of the military operations undertaken by his division.”

On Anioma officers who fought for Biafra, Alabi-Isama was candid often controversially so. He described their participation as a tragic miscalculation, arguing that they were neither fully trusted nor protected by Biafra’s leadership. He wrote that “many Anioma men fought bravely, but their land became the first victim of the war and the last to be remembered.”

Still, he recognized their courage; men like Col. Michael Okwechime, Col. Sylvanus Nwajei, Major (Dr.) Albert Okonkwo, and Col. Joe Achuzia, whose loyalty and sacrifice became part of the region’s historical memory.

In retirement, Gen. Alabi-Isama (Retd.) turned his energy to Anioma socio-cultural advancement, eventually becoming President-General of Izu Anioma, the apex organization representing the Anioma people of Delta North. In this role, he championed unity, inclusion, and cultural pride, using his trademark frankness to challenge marginalization and misrepresentation. His leadership reflected the same discipline that once defined his military command—steady, fearless, and deeply committed to truth.

In the end, Gen. Godwin Alabi-Isama stands as one of the few men whose life unites the contradictions of Nigeria’s turbulent past, a soldier of war who became an advocate of truth and peace. From the creeks of the Niger Delta to the councils of Anioma leadership, he remained unwavering in his conviction that history must be told honestly and that nations are strengthened, not weakened, by truth. His writings, particularly The Tragedy of Victory, continue to serve as both a record and a challenge, a record of courage and sacrifice, and a challenge to future generations to confront history with sincerity. In every sense, Alabi-Isama’s story is that of an Anioma patriot who lived for service, fought with conviction, and retired into truth, a man shaped by war but eternally devoted to peace.