– Okoro Ukagwu joined the then Biafra Army at the age of 21 in Enugu state
– Upon passing out, from the army, Okoro was deployed 27 Battalion Biafra Army Artillery were he specialized in firing at fighter jets used by the federal troops
– He also operated the Heavy Machine Gun (HMG) during his time in the Army
At 21, Mark Okoro Ukagwu was enlisted into the Biafra Army as a soldier at the Hilltop, Enugu state.
Following his passing out, he was drafted to the 27 Battalion Biafran Army Artillery where he specialized in firing fighter jets that were used by the federal troops during the Nigerian-biafran civil war which ravaged the country for 30 months.
Young Okoro was not deterred from continuing with his mates in the fight even after he was wounded during one of the operations.
However, despite his wounds, he graduated from just being a soldier at the provincial office in Enugu to manning the Heavy Machine Gun popularly referred to as the HMG.
Okoro, who later rose to the rank of a Major told ZENITHBLOG.com in an exclusive interview that, at some point he was required to also operate the Buffer Gun, which was supported by the HMG during the war.
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He said: “First of all, I was recruited in the Army (Biafra Army) in 1967 at Hilltop in Enugu. That was were I was recruited as a soldier.”
After my passing out, I was posted to 27 Battalion Biafran Army Artillery.
Mark Okoro Ukagwu joined the then Biafra Army at the age of 21 in Enugu state
There, my first posting was at Umuahia here, at the provincial office, I was firing air planes that time.
Later, I had a little wound when I was in 27 Battalion, then from there they posted me back to the Artillery.
There I was operating Buffer Gun, fighting planes and the bombers, when they come to bomb our place, then we fight them.
I was using HMG what they call Heavy Machine Gun that was what I used that time,” Okoro said.
Boasting, Okoro said he used his guns to scare the fighter jets that were sent by the army to bomb the area he was deployed.
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He said during the war, the HMG was used as support for the Buffer Gun which needed nine operators.
“We have the arm bearer, the firers, the OPs, that is those monitoring when the enemies are coming,” Okoro told ZENITHBLOG.com.
He said these set of people alert the operators of the Buffer Gun to be ready.
Immediately, the plane enters into the town, they start firing.
Before the ‘enemies’ arrive, Okoro said his team would receive a telephone call through which the caller will give a description of the movement and probably numbers of troops advancing.
He said the efficiency of the Buffer Gun prevent the federal troops from killing as many people as possible.
“Because immediately they entered Umuahia, we start pursuing them, Buffer will be fighting, HMG will be fighting… until they are all scared away,” he said.
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He added that he became a master in the use of HMG after he received training from senior officers who left the Nigerian Army to join the Biafran Army.
He also operated the Heavy Machine Gun (HMG) during his time in the Army
“And I also went to the School of Artillery at Ofeme after that, that was where we captured all manners of guns,” he said.
Concerns about the renewed Biafra agitation
Major Okoro, retired said he is totally in support of the agitation for the freedom of Biafra.
He however, said, while he wants a peaceful secession of the south-east and south-south region of the country, noting that he will not fail to defend himself and his family in any eventuality.
The old Biafra soldier said: “Since we are fighting for our own country, peacefully, we are not killing anybody, we are not fighting anybody but only asking they just give us our right because it is our right.”
We had our home before they (federal government) came to marginalize us in one place.
Now we have realized ourselves because we offended God, that is why God didn’t look after us.
But now, since the Ohamadike, Nnamdi Kanu has come to open our eyes, therefore we agitating to go back to our country being Biafra,” he said.
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The veteran also added that majority of the people from the regions have suffered humiliation and marginalization since 1914 and 1960 when Nigerian was amalgamated and got its independence.
Upon passing out, from the army, Okoro was deployed 27 Battlion Biafra Army Artillery were he specialized in firing at fighter jets used by the federal troops
“And if they come to fight us again, well we cannot fear, we have to fight them because we must get our country.
They have been killing us, and doing all sorts of things to us…We have been enduring,” Okoro said.
The Amnesty International in its November 24, 2016 report said at least 150 peaceful Indigenous People of Biafra members who protested at various times were killed by security operatives.
The international human rights organization said the security forces led by the Nigerian military embarked on a “chilling campaign of extrajudicial executions and violence resulting in the deaths” of these protesters”.
AI also said from its investigation, an analysis of 87 videos and 122 photographs and 146 eye witness testimonies during activities and gathering of the group between August 2015 and 2016 showed that the military operatives fired live ammunition with little or no warning to disperse the crowd.
“This deadly repression of pro-Biafra activists is further stoking tensions in the south east of Nigeria. This reckless and trigger-happy approach to crowd control has caused at least 150 deaths and we fear the actual total might be far higher,” AI’s Nigeria interim director Makmid Kamara said.
Kamara also condemned the decision of the Nigerian government to use military action against the ‘peaceful’ protesters thereby leading to excessive bloodshed.
He further condemned activities of security agencies against some south-east group including the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and the Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB).
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“When we shake, they kill; we do ordinary rally they kill. We cannot continue living like that, that is why we want to go on our own,” Okoro noted.
On actualizing the freedom of Biafra
Seventy one- year old Okoro told ZENITHBLOG.com he is optimistic that Biafra will be actualized during his lifetime.
He said he believed that the marginalization of his people has come to an end with the renewed agitation for Biafra.
Okoro added: “All the whole resources Nigerians are using is from Biafra land, and when they use it like that, they still use it to cheat us.”
ZENITHBLOG.com had reported that a Northern youth group had given an ultimatum to the Igbos living in the North to vacate their region within three months.
The group during a press conference in Kaduna state said the Igbos have long clamoured for the secession of the South-East region and they would like support their agitation.
However, the Acting President Yemi Osinbajo in a meeting with some Northern leaders said the threat given to the Igbos will not be taken lightly by the federal government.
Also, in a recent development, the Senate has ordered the arrest of anyone who calls for the break up of Nigeria.
You can watch ZENITHBLOG.com’s exclusive video of Major Okoro’s tale below:
You can also watch this ZENITHBLOG.com’s exclusive chat with Nnamdi Kanu below:
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