Biafra: Actor Fabian Adibe recounts terrifying experience during Nigeria civil war

Fabian Adibe, a veteran Nollywood actor, has shared his life story during the Nigeria civil war, also known as the Biafran war.

Fabian Adibe
Fabian Adibe

According to the thespian of South Eastern extraction, he served 30 months in prison for enlisting in the Biafra forces during the war.

The actor discussed how the Ojukwu Special Task Force recruited him after the 1966 pogrom in an interview with BBC Igbo.

He claimed that despite his acting career, he decided to enlist in the army after witness a pregnant woman been publicly murdered.

Adibe further asserted that he underwent arduous training before his team was sent to Ibadan for an explosives operation.

Thespian added that they were all detained for 30 months in Lagos until the civil war was over in 1970.

In his words;

“1966 coup happened. The north felt that the coup plotters had them in mind, hence, they started killing Igbos in vengeance, leading to an exodus from the north back to the east, and the three-year war that followed,” he said.

“I went to war with [Odumegwu] Ojukwu’s task force. We were caught in Ibadan and put in the maximum security prison in Lagos. I was there for 30 months. It started when a pregnant woman was killed and her baby ripped out.

“She was put on the train and we went there to see for yourselves. It hurt the Igbo. If someone offended you and you killed both their parents and their kid for it, you shouldn’t extend hostility to the entire people of their tribe.

“I entered my name to join the army because the agric minister made it open. We were taken to join the Ojukwu Special Task Force and trained, climbing mountains, getting immersed in water, and flying on an aircraft.

“We were given explosives to cut off the route of the federal soldiers, including rails and bridges. On getting to Ibadan, we didn’t know how the police and army learned of our plans. We were arrested and photographed.

“No one asked what our mission was. We were imprisoned all through the war. 1970 was when we were released.”

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