When reflecting on the Biafran War, the spotlight often falls on the Igbo fighters who were the primary actors in the conflict. However, there were also several brave soldiers from other ethnic groups who aligned themselves with the Biafran cause, including Yoruba officers who fought for the secessionist state. Below, we honour four such heroes whose roles in the war are not widely known.
Lt. Col. Victor Banjo
A close confidant of Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, Lt. Col. Victor Banjo was one of the earliest army officers to have graduated alongside Ojukwu and others. Their friendship was well-documented, and after Ojukwu freed the January 15 coup suspects in the Eastern Region, Banjo was housed with him at the Government House in Enugu, while others stayed elsewhere in the city.
Banjo commanded a unit of 3,000 Biafran soldiers known as the “Liberation Army of Nigeria” or the “Midwest Expeditionary Force.” His mission was to march towards Lagos, and by August 9, 1967, his forces had already reached Benin City in just 12 hours. Meanwhile, Nigerian troops were advancing towards Enugu and Port Harcourt. Tactical disagreements between Banjo and Ojukwu resulted in delays that halted the march at Ore. He was later recalled to Enugu, tried, and executed along with Major Ifeajuna and two others in September 1967. Banjo remains the most senior Yoruba officer to have served in the Biafran military.
Major Wale Ademoyega
Major Wale Ademoyega was one of the masterminds behind Nigeria’s January 15, 1966 coup, which attempted to overthrow the government of Prime Minister Tafawa Balewa. Released from prison during the Biafran invasion of the Midwest in August 1967, he was rescued by a battalion led by fellow coup plotter Major Chukwuka.
Ademoyega initially took command of the 19th Battalion in the Biafran army but later assumed the position of Quartermaster General for the “Liberation Army” after Major Ifeajuna’s removal. He later wrote Why We Struck, a detailed account of the January 15 coup. After the war, Ademoyega was captured by Nigerian forces and remained in detention until October 1974.
Capt. Ganiyu Adeleke
Capt. Ganiyu Adeleke was among the officers freed by Ojukwu following the January 15 coup. During the Biafran Midwest invasion, he commanded a company in the 18th Battalion alongside Major Chukwuka. His leadership was crucial in advancing towards Ore, and he later served as an instructor at the Biafran School of Infantry.
Despite the 1974 pardon granted by General Gowon to Biafran soldiers, Capt. Adeleke, along with Lt. Col. Ochei and Col. “Hannibal” Achuzia, was not released from prison and remained incarcerated after the war.
Lt. Fola Oyewole
Lt. Fola Oyewole played a key role in organizing the 18th Battalion of the Biafran army in Onitsha. He commanded the D Company, which successfully liberated Ughelli and parts of Sapele and Warri during the Midwest campaign. Oyewole’s personal account of the war is documented in his book The Reluctant Rebel, which offers a rare perspective from a non-Eastern Biafran officer.
After the war, Lt. Oyewole was imprisoned by the federal government but, like many others, was eventually released in 1974.
Other Yoruba Figures Who Opposed the Federal Government During the Biafran Conflict:
- Wole Soyinka
- Tai Solarin
- Prof. Hezekiah Oluwasanmi – Former Vice Chancellor of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife (1966–1975).
