The Tragedy of Victory by Alabi-Isama, Godwin -- Read -- Imperial Library of Trantor

Index

COVER PAGE HALF TITLE PAGE TITLE PAGE COPYRIGHT PAGE DEDICATION CONTENTS FOREWORD (I) FOREWORD (II) FOREWORD (III) FOREWORD (IV) FOREWORD (V) ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS PROLOGUE PART ONE - THE EARLY YEARS

Chapter One — What Attracted Me to the Army

Military training To the Congo Helicopter, jeep and rat Encounter with a hippopotamus Politicisation of the army

Chapter Two — The Turning Point

My mother and the 4th Area Command 4th Area Command Moses and the Red Sea My main mission

Chapter Three — Posting to Asaba

Action time Biafra’s first military blunder Captured by Biafrans Alabi-Isama, a Biafran officer? Note from Major Ndiomu

Chapter Four — Escape from Biafran Captors

Federal troops advance Head of State (Gowon)’s call to Lagos Kirikiri experience Police interrogation Asaba-River Niger crossing and 2 Division Significance of Kirikiri Prison experience My beloved mother and sister at prison’s gate

Chapter Five — Operation Tiger Claw

Loss of Captain Buba Yaro The Famous lunch of human steak The capture of Obubra

Chapter Six — Return from Obubra

Locals as intelligence agents Prisioners of war dilemma Debating the Port Harcourt attack 80 kilometres versus 480 kilometres Concerns over Biafran counter-attack The vanishing of Adekunle’s maps Archibong shot for espionage Special Forces Training Logistics nightmare Why Port Harcourt must be taken within 30 days Why Adekunle was not at Calabar to Porth Harcourt 30 days’ advance

Chapter Seven — The Challenges

3MCDO Sector - Atlantic Theatre Peculiar challenges 3MCDO Operation problems Operational Radios Rivers Weather and vegetation The people Biafran propaganda Transporting supplies Building the home-made pontoon Those who built the Pontoon Terrain challenges to 3MCDO and Biafrans Captain Duke, the Doubting Thomas Port Harcourt advances organogram The Battle Plan The main challenges The Logistics Team My visit to hospitals 3MCDO ladies Maintaining order in civil society Visitors to 3MCDO Contrasting 3MCDO situation with other divisions

PART TWO 3MCDO TROOPS ADVANCE: CALABAR TO PORT HARCOURT APRIL 17TH TO MAY 18TH, 1968

Chapter Eight - The 30 Days March to Port Harcourt

The Strategy and Tactics The Nigerian Navy Onward to Port Harcourt: The Battle for Oron The Nigerian Air Force The Infantry (3MCDO) Using ‘Dilemma’ as strategy The five-pronged attack The Plan of Attack... Calabar — Port Harcourt Advance D.Day = April 17th, 1968 Col. Hillary Njoku Unorthodox 3MCDO tactics Excerpts of Battle Plan and Instructions The Fall of Port Harcourt Medical facilities Unforeseen situations Afam Electric Power Station operation Abana at Bakassi Peninsula Opportunity Targets Final battle for the capture at Port Harcourt The radio announcements Send-off party? How we lost Captain Fashola and Major Isaac Adaka Boro Port Harcourt, here we come Port Harcourt Captured! Adekunle arrives war front from Lagos

Chapter Nine — Adekunle in Port Harcourt

Effect of gas flaring on 3MCDO operation Was Port Harcourt the aim? Biafran Navy joins the fray Akinrinade and Azuatalam Why not advance from Bonny to Port Harcourt Abubakar, 3MCDO’s Man Friday Limping Civilian at Opobo Abubakar, the Port Harcourt Administrator

Chapter Ten — Biafra Recaptures Ikot Ekpene

How Audu Jalingo lost his two legs Mike Ajegbo wounded Biafrans recapture Azumini, Akwete The bombshell Emotional Upheavals in 3MCDO The re-organisation of 3MCDO

Chapter Eleven — OAU and the Death of Shande

3MCDO’s attack on Oguta The attack on Owerri Biafra recaptures Owerri The Pincer Strategy Death of Major Ted Hamman at Owerri Utuk’s 16 Brigade breaks out at Owerri

Chapter Twelve — The Beginning of the end

Why Owerri was difficult The Abagana Massacre The Battle of the Bulge The Plan of Operation Pincer 2 Operation Pincers 1, 2, and 3 briefing The thinking behind Operation Pincer 1 — Operation ‘A’ The Plan of Operation Pincer 2 — Option ‘B’ The thinking behind Operation Pincer 3 — Option ‘C The ambush My mother insisted on seeing an attack The death note (failed ambush)

Chapter Thirteen — Exit Adekunle, enter Obasanjo

Obasanjo’s first battle experience — a fiasco Tragedy of Adekunle’s fall Major blunders of the civil war by 3MCDO The Lost Evidence (Records) The conspiracy: Tide turns against me after Dimka’s coup Bid to nail me begins Can we have unity in Nigeria? What was the outcome of the civil war Bits and pieces of the war explained 3MCDO source of information on Biafra Why the war lasted so long Operation Pincer 2 was the plan

PART THREE

Chapter Fourteen — Expose on Obasanjo’s My Command

Introduction Chapter III of My Command: The Turning Point Chapter IV of My Command: The Midwest Operation Chapter V of My Command: The Southern Sector Chapter VI of My Command: Change of Command Chapter VII of My Command: Mastering the Job Chapter VIII of My Command: The Reorganistion Chapter IX of My Command: Straightening the Line Chapter X of My Command: The Link-up and Operation Tail Wind (The Final Offensive) Chapter XI of My Command: Surrender

EPILOGUE

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