General Godwin Alabi Isama has stated that the blowing up of the Oluwa Bridge in Ore, Ondo State, was a crucial step taken to stop the Biafran forces from advancing further toward Lagos during the Nigerian Civil War.
In an interview with Edmund Obilo from 33:32, General Isama said before Biafran troops got to Ore, he had alerted key military leaders about the urgent need to destroy the Oluwa bridge so that Biafrans troops would not be able to cross the river. He said when he called Olusegun Obasanjo and told him to blow up the bridge, Obasanjo responded that he had no equipment to carry out the task.
General Isama added that he then reached out to Governor Adebayo of the Western Region who responded immediately after hearing about the threat. He said Governor Adebayo called officials from the Public Works Department, and they were able to blow up the bridge.
In General Isama’s words: “When they got to Ore, at that time it was daybreak and everybody was waiting. I had already telephoned everybody. The only person that did not react well was Obasanjo because when I called he said he had no equipment, he had nothing to use to blow Oluwa bridge. I told him If you blow the bridge they would not be able to cross, they are coming in full force. Then I called Governor Adebayo when Obasanjo said he had no equipment”
