AREWA STAR

Nigerian civil war and
role in the Asaba
Massacre
At the start of the Nigerian Civil War,
Mohammed led the newly established 2nd
Infantry Division. [2] The first major act of the
division was to stop the march of Biafran
troops that had overran the Mid-West region
and were marching towards the Western
region. The division repelled the Biafran forces
at Ore, Ondo State and later pushed back the
rebels, driving them out of the Mid-West. The
actions of the division during this period,
mostly in Asaba became a subject of
speculation. In a 2017 book Professors S.
Elizabeth Bird and Fraser Ottanelli document
the 1967 mass murder of civilians (often
referred to as the Asaba Massacre ) by troops
of the 2nd Division under his command. They
also discuss the events leading up to the
massacre, and its impact on Asaba and on the
progress of the war, as well as other civilian
massacres carried out by soldiers of the 2nd
Division at Onitsha and Isheagu. [5] .
The 2nd division was responsible for the
beating back of the Biafran Army from the
Mid-western region, as well as crossing the
River Niger and linking up with the 1st
Division, which was marching down from
Nsukka and Enugu. However, this was only
achieved after several failed river crossings in
which thousands of troops were killed by
drowning or enemy fire. During his time as
Division Commander, Murtala Muhammed was
implicated in several violations of appropriate
conduct; Lieutenant Ishola Williams, an officer
who served under then Colonel Muhammed
alleged that Muhammed ordered the summary
ex*****on of Biafran prisoners of war. [6]
In June 1968, he relinquished his commanding
position and was posted to Lagos and
appointed Inspector of Signals. In April 1968
he was promoted to colonel.
After the war
Between 1970 and 1971, he attended the Joint
Service Staff College in England, his
supervisor's report attributed him to having ''a
quick agile mind, considerable ability and
common sense. He holds strong views which
he puts forw

LATE ALHJI AMADU CHANCHANGI. may his soul rest in ferfect peace admin.