THE NIGERIAN CIVIL WAR: AN IBUSA PERSPECTIVE — DOCUMENTING THE UNTOLD STORIES

 THE NIGERIAN CIVIL WAR: AN IBUSA PERSPECTIVE — DOCUMENTING THE UNTOLD STORIES

Pen Master (Emeka Esogbue) has continued his oral history documentation, engaging several Ibusa indigenes within the community to gather firsthand accounts and historical testimonies for his forthcoming book, The Nigerian Civil War: An Ibusa Perspective.

This particular interview was especially fascinating, as it offered a wealth of historical information. My interviewee, an eyewitness to the war, demonstrated considerable knowledge of the conflict and its devastating impact on the Ibusa community.

Among the issues discussed were the role of Oliewunaji during the war; how Colonel Murtala Muhammed narrowly escaped shelling in Ibusa; the circumstances surrounding the death of Emma Nwosu, a Biafran soldier; and how some Ibusa civilians were separated from other indigenes in Okpanam and subsequently transported to the St. Patrick's College Asaba Refugee Camp.

While several Ibusa civilians were conveyed in military vehicles, Obi Egbuke Ajudua and another Obi of the period were transported in a jeep. They were all taken to the Asaba Refugee Camp, where Obi Mordi, the wartime Diokpa of Ibusa, was already being held.

The camp operated under strict segregation, with male and female inmates housed separately. Remarkably, only one Ibusa couple was granted the privilege of remaining together throughout their internment.

Obi Mordi would, however, pass away shortly after Rev. Kunirum Osia facilitated his return to Ibusa. Obi Egbuke Ajudua subsequently succeeded him and, during his reign, introduced a significant cultural reform that brought an end to a particular traditional practice in Ibusa.

According to my interviewee, Ibusa suffered an extraordinarily high number of casualties during the war, with hundreds of lives lost. In his estimation, the community may have suffered more fatalities than any other Anioma community. Yet, despite the magnitude of these losses and the destruction occasioned by the conflict, very little documentary evidence exists to adequately preserve the wartime experiences of the people.

He recalled, for instance, how a single bombing raid resulted in the destruction of virtually all the merchandise and property his father had in his shop, located around the present site of Keystone Bank. This personal account illustrates the devastating consequences of the war for ordinary Ibusa families, whose livelihoods and possessions were destroyed in the violence.

Another remarkable historical detail was the visit of General Yakubu Gowon to Ibusa in 1970, immediately after the end of the war. He reportedly came to salute and pray for the people. His prayer, during which he renamed the General Hospital, Ibusa, with a blessing that the sons and daughters of the community would continue to prosper in their various endeavours, remains a cherished historical memory.

Perhaps one of the strongest sentiments expressed during the interview was the disappointment felt by those who witnessed the war over the failure of Ibusa's leadership to adequately honour Rev. Father Kunirum Osia for his extraordinary humanitarian intervention during the conflict.

No true Ibusa indigene who experienced the war, according to my interviewee, could be comfortable with the apparent neglect of a man whose courage, compassion and selfless service helped save lives and restore dignity to the people during one of the darkest periods in their history.

Indeed, merely naming an institution after Father Kunirum Osia would hardly suffice as adequate recognition of his immense contributions to Ibusa. His deeds deserve a more meaningful and enduring form of appreciation.

This interview, alongside other firsthand testimonies and historical accounts gathered from Ibusa indigenes, will feature in the forthcoming book, The Nigerian Civil War: An Ibusa Perspective.

The objective is simple but important: to preserve our history, document the experiences of our people, honour those who made sacrifices, and ensure that future generations have access to authentic accounts of what Ibusa endured during the Nigerian Civil War.

Please support this historical documentation project. Buy a copy of the book when it is published. Our history deserves to be told, documented and preserved.