Veteran journalist and author Kanayo Esinulo has revealed a key political calculation behind the appointment of Lt. Col. Victor Banjo to lead the Biafran military advance toward Lagos during the Nigerian Civil War.
Speaking on the Edmund Obilo Podcast, Esinulo explained that Biafran leader, Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, deliberately chose Banjo, a Yoruba officer to head the operation in a bid to gain the trust and support of the Yoruba people.
According to Esinulo, Ojukwu believed that Yoruba acceptance of the Biafran advance depended heavily on seeing one of their own in command.
“Ojukwu believed that we needed the Yorubas to understand that their own son was leading the expedition to capture Lagos. That was it,” Esinulo said.
This strategic decision, as revealed by Esinulo in his book, shows that Ojukwu’s war strategy went beyond the battlefield and was rooted in ethnic diplomacy. By placing Banjo at the helm, Ojukwu hoped to soften resistance from the Yoruba population and avoid being seen as leading an Igbo-dominated invasion of the Western Region.
Lt. Col. Victor Banjo, a former Nigerian Army officer of Yoruba descent, had been detained before the war but was released by Biafra and given a central role in the Mid-Western offensive, however, the campaign faltered at Ore and Banjo was later accused of sabotage and executed by the Biafran authorities.
Esinulo’s account sheds light on the complex mix of military, political and ethnic considerations that defined the Biafran leadership’s approach during the war. It also underscores Ojukwu’s awareness of Nigeria’s fragile ethnic balance and his attempt to navigate it during a time of deep national crisis.
Love Reading Authentic News Stories, Click The Button Below
