Awka – Nigerian Civil war veteran, Retired Colonel Emmanuel Nworah Nwobosi is dead.
Nwobosi died in the early hours of Tuesday in his country home at Obosi in Idemili North Council Area of Anambra State, aged 81.
The late Col Nwobosi, formally a Captain in the Nigerian Army, later became a Colonel in the Biafran Army.
In the build up to the Nigerian Civil War in 1966, Nwobosi then a Captain in the Nigerian Army, alongside Major Emmanuel Ifeajuna, Major Chukwuemeka Kaduna Nzeogwu, Major Chris Anuforo, Major Adewale Ademoyega, Major Timothy Onwuatuegwu, Major Humphrey Chuwuka, Captain Ben Gbulie, Captain Donatus Okafor, 2nd Lt. G. Onyefuru and a handful of other junior army officers of the Nigerian Army, effected a rebellion and bloody mutiny.
No less than 22 prominent politicians and senior Army officers were killed in the process including Sir Tafawa Balewa, the Prime Minister, Sir Ahmadu Bello, the Premier of the Northern Region and his wife Hafsat, Chief S.L. Akintola, the Premier of the Western Region, Chief Okotie-Eboh, the Minister of Finance and Brigadier Samuel Ademulegun, Commander of the 1st Brigade Kaduna and his wife Lateefat.
Others were Brigadier Zakariya Maimalari, Commander of the 2nd Brigade Lagos, Lt. Colonel James Pam, Adjutant-General of the Army, Colonel Ralph Shodeinde, Head of the NMTC, Lt. Col. Abogo Largema, Commander of the 4th Battalion Ibadan, Colonel Kur Mohammed, Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Colonel Unegbe, Quarter-Master General and others.
As a Colonel in the Biafran Army, Nwobosi held a field command until he was wounded and later became Chief of Staff to the late Biafran Warlord, Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu.
Highlight of his post-military life was his strong position in support of the sovereign state of Biafra and his strong conviction that there cannot emerge a Nigerian President of Igbo extraction.
Speaking today when he paid a condolence visit to the Nwobosi family, Anambra State Governor described him as a legend of the Civil war and extolled his contributions towards the cause of the Igbo man.
“I spoke with the son yesterday (Monday) and promised to come visiting today to see how he was faring due to ill-health. I was shocked when I got the call that he was no more this morning. Col Nwobosi was a great man who played a key role in my administration. The was visible in the organization of the ‘Ozoemezina’ ceremony, which my administration held earlier in 2015, to give befitting burial to all our brothers who died in the civil war. It is a pity we have to lose him now when we need his wealth of knowledge most,” the governor said.
Obiano assured the family of his support in their moment of grief, promising that his government will assist them, give him a befitting burial.
