BIAFRA: BIAFRAN ARMY RECRUITS AND OFFICER CADETS TRAIN AS FEDERAL NIGERIAN FORCES CLOSE IN.

Record ID: 230373

  • Title: BIAFRA: BIAFRAN ARMY RECRUITS AND OFFICER CADETS TRAIN AS FEDERAL NIGERIAN FORCES CLOSE IN.
  • Date: 28th September 1968
  • Summary: RECRUITS MARCHING; OFFICER CADETS MARCHING; INSTRUCTOR, CADETS IN BACKGROUND; SOLDIERS BUYING FOOD IN MARKET PLACE; SOLDIERS LAUGHING AND JOKING. Initials JH/V/BHH/BB EDITORS: OUR PRODUCTION NUMBER 9691A/68, EFFORTS TO COLLECT AND FEED REFUGEES UNDERWAY, SERVICED 27 SEPTEMBER, 1968, ALSO REFERS. Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 13th October 1968 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: BIAFRA
  • Country: Nigeria
  • Reuters ID: LVA4G4DG0WCIQJFW027UG951PG6H
  • Story Text: THE BIAFRAN ARMY IS TRAINING RECRUITS AND OFFICER CADETS EVEN AS FEDERAL NIGERIAN FORCES CLOSE IN ON THE REMAINING TERRITORY HELD BY THE BREAKAWAY STATE. LAST WEDNESDAY (25 SEPTEMBER), THE BIAFRAN LEADER, LIEUTENANT-COLONEL ODUMEGWU OJUKWU, QUASHED SPECULATION ABROAD ON AN IMMINENT BIAFRAN SURRENDER AND SAID THE WAR WAS JUST BEGINNING. HE SAID THAT "OUR TROOPS ARE POISED FOR A HARDER FIGHT."
    AS PART OF THEIR TRAINING, BIAFRAN ARMY RECRUITS MARCH BARE-CHESTED ALONG A ROAD. AS THEY MARCH, THEY SING AND FIRE THEIR RIFLES INTO THE AIR. AS IS VERY OFTEN THE CASE, THE RECRUITS ARE DRESSED IN A WIDE VARIETY OF CLOTHING, FOOT-WEAR AND CARRY A LARGE ARRAY OF VARIED WEAPONRY.

    AT A CAMP NEAR OLU, BIAFRAN ARMY OFFICER CADETS ARE UNDERGOING THEIR TRAINING. THE CAMP IS THE BIAFRAN VERSION OF SANDBURST, THE BRITISH OFFICERS' TRAINING ESTABLISHMENT. CARRYING THEIR SWAGGER STICKS, THE CADETS ARE TRAINED IN FOOT-DRILL, MANY DRESSED IN VARIOUS TYPES OF UNIFORMS. ONE OF THE CADETS AT THE OLU CAMP WAS WEARING, INSTEAD OF REGULATION COMBAT-BOOTS. A PAIR OF GOLF SHOES. AN ASPECT OF THE UNIFORM THAT ALL CADETS HAVE IS THE BIAFRA FLASH ON THEIR TUNICS.

    AT A CAMP NEAR ORODO, BIAFRAN SOLDIERS GATHERED AFTER FIGHTING. THERE, RELAXING AND LAUGHING, SOME BOUGHT FOOD IN THE MARKET PLACE. ALTHOUGH THE TROOPS WERE WHAT APPEAR TO BE REGULATION COMBAT FATIGUES, THE VARIOUS TYPES OF HELMETS IN USE ARE QUITE NOTICEABLE.

    THE BIAFRAN FORCES LOST MORE GROUND LAST WEEK, WHEN THE TROOPS OF THE NIGERIAN FIRST DIVISION CAPTURED THE AIRSTRIP AT OBILAGU ON SEPTEMBER 20. IT HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN USED BY THE INTERNATIONAL RED CROSS TO FLY IN RELIEF SUPPLIES. MORE RECENTLY, A BIAFRAN COUNTER-ATTACK WAS REPELLED WITH 50 BIAFRANS DEAD. TEN NIGERIANS WERE KILLED IN THE ASSAULT.

    IN LAST THURSDAY'S SPEECH LAST WEDNESDAY BEFORE THE CONSULTATIVE ASSEMBLY AND COUNCIL OF CHIEFS, LT.-COL. OJUKWU WENT ON TO SAY THAT BIAFRA'S "IMPROVED MILITARY SITUATION, DESPITE RECENT SETBACKS, RULED OUT ANY CONSIDERATION OF SURRENDER.

    "ALL OUR SACRIFICES IN MEN AND MATERIAL WOULD HAVE BEEN IN VAIN IF WE WERE TO GIVE UP AT THIS STAGE. THE FIGHT FOR FREEDOM HAS ALWAYS BEEN UNEASY BUT VICTORY HAS ALWAYS BELONGED TO THOSE WHO PERSEVERED."
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2015. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register