Benjamin Adekunle
Encyclopedia
General Benjamin Adesanya Maja Adekunle, Nigerian Army, (Rtd.) (born June 26, 1936), was a Nigeria
n military leader.
. His father was a native of Ogbomosho
, while his mother was a member of the Bachama tribe
. He underwent secondary education at the government college, Okene
(in present day Kogi State
). He enlisted in the Nigerian Army
in 1958 shortly after completing his school certificate examinations. He passed the army selection examinations and was accepted at the prestigious Sandhurst
military academy, where he and his course mates were imbued with a thorough academic grounding in the art of war
fare. He was commissioned 2nd Lieutenant on December 15, 1960. As a platoon
commander, he served in the Kasai
province of Congo
with the 1QONR (1st Battalion) during his first tour of duty with UN peace keeping operations in that country (ONUC). In 1962, Lt. Adekunle became Aide-de-Camp
to the governor
of the eastern region, Sir Akanu Ibiam. The following year, as a Captain, he was posted back to the Congo as Staff Captain (A) to the Nigerian Brigade HQ at Luluabourg - under Brigadier
B. Ogundipe. In 1964, Major Adekunle attended the Defence Services Staff College at Wellington, in India
. When he returned he was briefly appointed Adjutant General
at the Army Headquarters in May 1965 to replace Lt. Col. Yakubu Gowon
, who was proceeding on a course outside the country. However, he later ceded the position to Lt. Col. James Pam and was posted back to his old Battalion (1st Bn) in Enugu as a Company Commander
.
Garrison as a substantive Lt. Col. When the Nigerian Civil War
erupted in July 1967, Adekunle was tasked to lead elements which included two new battalions (7th and 8th) - to conduct the historic sea borne assault on Bonny in the Bight of Benin
on 26 July 1968 (carried out by Major Isaac Adaka Boro's unit). This happened after the federal government gained confidence of most south western ethnic groups as a direct result of Biafran push to mid-west state and probe into Western region. Adekunle was promoted to Colonel
after the Bonny landing.
The 6th (under Major Jalo) and 8th (under Major Ochefu) battalions of the Lagos Garrison
subsequently took part in operations to liberate the Midwest following the Biafran invasion of August 1967. The 7th (under Major Abubakar) stayed behind to hold Bonny. Because Major Jalo's outfit was seconded to Lt. Col. Murtala Mohammed
's 2nd Division, Adekunle was left with only the 8th Battalion at Escravos. He, therefore, protested to Army HQ and got the Lagos garrison upgraded to Brigade
status through the creation of the 31 and 32 Battalions (under Majors Aliyu and Hamman, respectively). This formation, combined with elements of the Lagos
garrison along the eastern seaboard
, was officially designated the 3 Infantry
Division
. However, Colonel Adekunle did not think the name "3 Infantry Division" was sensational enough nor did it project the nature of the unique terrain in which his men had to fight. Therefore, without formal approval from Army HQ
, he renamed it the " 3 Marine Commando
(3MCDO)." The "Black Scorpion" as he came to be known, was easily the most controversial, celebrated and mythologized figure in the war of attrition that laid the foundations for Nigeria's contemporary crisis; and threw a wedge into the national fabric. Benjamin "Adekunle's boys in the Midwest seized Escravos, Burutu, Urhonigbe, Owa and Aladima. They captured Bomadi and Patani, Youngtown, Koko, Sapele, Ajagbodudu, Warri, Ughelli, Orerokpe, Umutu and Itagba".
On opening the war front, the now 3MCO was able to push the Biafran army inward and clear it off most of the ethnic minorities area, allowing the new 12 state structure of Federal Government to be implemented after stiff resistance and high casualties. Two governors of the two new minority state were able to be installed and functional after the 3MCO offensive. Adekunle popularity during Nigeria civil war was due to the speed at which he defeated Biafran army in major battles and speed of advances. However, the advance became stalled and Biafran forces pushed back and recaptured Owerri
, Ikot Ekpene
, and other cities. Also, Biafran troops launched successful ambushes while Adekunle's 3MC gained little and suffered very high casualties. This was the state of 3MC before Adekunle was redeployed back to Lagos for a new commander, Colonel Olusegun Obasanjo who later used the troops to defeat Biafra. What was remarkable was that, the division was the youngest in the war and gained more territory than the other two divisions fighting from the north of Biafra.
He attributed his problem during and after the war to his rivals in army. In his various interviews, he said there always a rumor of coup linked to him until the army authority feel concern to do something about it. He had large followings in both the army and public at large and is the most popular military commander during the war apart from Obasanjo who succeeded him and brought the war to an end with same 3MC.
Adekunle led the Third Marine Commando Division with such great panache and determination, and the foreign media, in looking for human angle stuff about the Biafran war
found Adekunle a ready source of news. Benjamin Adekunle was promoted to Brigadier-General in 1972. On August 20, 1974, he was compulsorily retired from the Army.
Gen. Adekunle's son wrote an account of his father's military career in a biography titled The Nigeria-Biafra Letters: A Soldier's Story.
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
n military leader.
Early years and background
Adekunle was born in KadunaKaduna
Kaduna is the state capital of Kaduna State in north-central Nigeria. The city, located on the Kaduna River, is a trade center and a major transportation hub for the surrounding agricultural areas with its rail and road junction. The population of Kaduna is at 760,084 as of the 2006 Nigerian census...
. His father was a native of Ogbomosho
Ogbomosho
Ogbomosho is a city in Oyo State, southwestern Nigeria, on the A1 highway. It was founded in the mid 17th century. The population was approximately 645,000 as of 1991; as of March 2005, it is estimated to be around 1,200,000....
, while his mother was a member of the Bachama tribe
Tribe
A tribe, viewed historically or developmentally, consists of a social group existing before the development of, or outside of, states.Many anthropologists use the term tribal society to refer to societies organized largely on the basis of kinship, especially corporate descent groups .Some theorists...
. He underwent secondary education at the government college, Okene
Okene
Okene is a Local Government Area and city in Kogi State, Nigeria based at the town of Okene on the A2 highway.The LGA has an area of 328 km² and a population of 320,260 at the 2006 census.The postal code of the area is 264....
(in present day Kogi State
Kogi State
Kogi state is found in the central region of Nigeria. It is popularly called the Confluence State because the confluence of River Niger and River Benue is at its capital, Lokoja, which is the first administrative capital of modern-day Nigeria....
). He enlisted in the Nigerian Army
Nigerian Army
The Nigerian Army the largest of the Nigerian Armed Forces, has about 100,000 professional personnel. The original elements of the Royal West African Frontier Force in Nigeria were formed in 1900....
in 1958 shortly after completing his school certificate examinations. He passed the army selection examinations and was accepted at the prestigious Sandhurst
Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst , commonly known simply as Sandhurst, is a British Army officer initial training centre located in Sandhurst, Berkshire, England...
military academy, where he and his course mates were imbued with a thorough academic grounding in the art of war
War
War is a state of organized, armed, and often prolonged conflict carried on between states, nations, or other parties typified by extreme aggression, social disruption, and usually high mortality. War should be understood as an actual, intentional and widespread armed conflict between political...
fare. He was commissioned 2nd Lieutenant on December 15, 1960. As a platoon
Platoon
A platoon is a military unit typically composed of two to four sections or squads and containing 16 to 50 soldiers. Platoons are organized into a company, which typically consists of three, four or five platoons. A platoon is typically the smallest military unit led by a commissioned officer—the...
commander, he served in the Kasai
Kasai region
The Kasai region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo is divided administratively into Kasai-Occidental and Kasai-Oriental. It shares its name with the Kasai River....
province of Congo
Republic of the Congo (Léopoldville)
The Republic of the Congo was an independent republic established following the independence granted to the former colony of the Belgian Congo in 1960...
with the 1QONR (1st Battalion) during his first tour of duty with UN peace keeping operations in that country (ONUC). In 1962, Lt. Adekunle became Aide-de-Camp
Aide-de-camp
An aide-de-camp is a personal assistant, secretary, or adjutant to a person of high rank, usually a senior military officer or a head of state...
to the governor
Governor
A governor is a governing official, usually the executive of a non-sovereign level of government, ranking under the head of state...
of the eastern region, Sir Akanu Ibiam. The following year, as a Captain, he was posted back to the Congo as Staff Captain (A) to the Nigerian Brigade HQ at Luluabourg - under Brigadier
Brigadier
Brigadier is a senior military rank, the meaning of which is somewhat different in different military services. The brigadier rank is generally superior to the rank of colonel, and subordinate to major general....
B. Ogundipe. In 1964, Major Adekunle attended the Defence Services Staff College at Wellington, in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. When he returned he was briefly appointed Adjutant General
Adjutant general
An Adjutant General is a military chief administrative officer.-Imperial Russia:In Imperial Russia, the General-Adjutant was a Court officer, who was usually an army general. He served as a personal aide to the Tsar and hence was a member of the H. I. M. Retinue...
at the Army Headquarters in May 1965 to replace Lt. Col. Yakubu Gowon
Yakubu Gowon
General Yakubu "Jack" Dan-Yumma Gowon was the head of state of Nigeria from 1966 to 1975. He took power after one military coup d'etat and was overthrown in another...
, who was proceeding on a course outside the country. However, he later ceded the position to Lt. Col. James Pam and was posted back to his old Battalion (1st Bn) in Enugu as a Company Commander
Commander
Commander is a naval rank which is also sometimes used as a military title depending on the individual customs of a given military service. Commander is also used as a rank or title in some organizations outside of the armed forces, particularly in police and law enforcement.-Commander as a naval...
.
Nigerian Civil War
Adekunle later assumed command of the LagosLagos
Lagos is a port and the most populous conurbation in Nigeria. With a population of 7,937,932, it is currently the third most populous city in Africa after Cairo and Kinshasa, and currently estimated to be the second fastest growing city in Africa...
Garrison as a substantive Lt. Col. When the Nigerian Civil War
Nigerian Civil War
The Nigerian Civil War, also known as the Nigerian-Biafran War, 6 July 1967–15 January 1970, was a political conflict caused by the attempted secession of the southeastern provinces of Nigeria as the self-proclaimed Republic of Biafra...
erupted in July 1967, Adekunle was tasked to lead elements which included two new battalions (7th and 8th) - to conduct the historic sea borne assault on Bonny in the Bight of Benin
Bight of Benin
The Bight of Benin is a bight on the western African coast that extends eastward for about 400 miles from Cape St. Paul to the Nun outlet of the Niger River. To the east it is continued by the Bight of Bonny . The bight is part of the Gulf of Guinea...
on 26 July 1968 (carried out by Major Isaac Adaka Boro's unit). This happened after the federal government gained confidence of most south western ethnic groups as a direct result of Biafran push to mid-west state and probe into Western region. Adekunle was promoted to Colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
after the Bonny landing.
The 6th (under Major Jalo) and 8th (under Major Ochefu) battalions of the Lagos Garrison
Garrison
Garrison is the collective term for a body of troops stationed in a particular location, originally to guard it, but now often simply using it as a home base....
subsequently took part in operations to liberate the Midwest following the Biafran invasion of August 1967. The 7th (under Major Abubakar) stayed behind to hold Bonny. Because Major Jalo's outfit was seconded to Lt. Col. Murtala Mohammed
Murtala Mohammed
General Murtala Ramat Mohammed born was a military ruler of Nigeria from 1975 until his assassination in 1976.-Role during 1960s coups:...
's 2nd Division, Adekunle was left with only the 8th Battalion at Escravos. He, therefore, protested to Army HQ and got the Lagos garrison upgraded to Brigade
Brigade
A brigade is a major tactical military formation that is typically composed of two to five battalions, plus supporting elements depending on the era and nationality of a given army and could be perceived as an enlarged/reinforced regiment...
status through the creation of the 31 and 32 Battalions (under Majors Aliyu and Hamman, respectively). This formation, combined with elements of the Lagos
Lagos
Lagos is a port and the most populous conurbation in Nigeria. With a population of 7,937,932, it is currently the third most populous city in Africa after Cairo and Kinshasa, and currently estimated to be the second fastest growing city in Africa...
garrison along the eastern seaboard
Seaboard
Seaboard is a synonym for coast.Seaboard can also refer to:* Seaboard, North Carolina* Seaboard Corporation, an international agribusiness company...
, was officially designated the 3 Infantry
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
Division
Division (military)
A division is a large military unit or formation usually consisting of between 10,000 and 20,000 soldiers. In most armies, a division is composed of several regiments or brigades, and in turn several divisions typically make up a corps...
. However, Colonel Adekunle did not think the name "3 Infantry Division" was sensational enough nor did it project the nature of the unique terrain in which his men had to fight. Therefore, without formal approval from Army HQ
HQ
HQ may refer to:* HQ, an abbreviation for headquarters* HQ, an abbreviation for high quality* HQ , a 1975 album by Roy Harper* Hagströmer & Qviberg, a Swedish investment bank* Harley Quinn, a DC Comics character and enemy of Batman...
, he renamed it the " 3 Marine Commando
Commando
In English, the term commando means a specific kind of individual soldier or military unit. In contemporary usage, commando usually means elite light infantry and/or special operations forces units, specializing in amphibious landings, parachuting, rappelling and similar techniques, to conduct and...
(3MCDO)." The "Black Scorpion" as he came to be known, was easily the most controversial, celebrated and mythologized figure in the war of attrition that laid the foundations for Nigeria's contemporary crisis; and threw a wedge into the national fabric. Benjamin "Adekunle's boys in the Midwest seized Escravos, Burutu, Urhonigbe, Owa and Aladima. They captured Bomadi and Patani, Youngtown, Koko, Sapele, Ajagbodudu, Warri, Ughelli, Orerokpe, Umutu and Itagba".
On opening the war front, the now 3MCO was able to push the Biafran army inward and clear it off most of the ethnic minorities area, allowing the new 12 state structure of Federal Government to be implemented after stiff resistance and high casualties. Two governors of the two new minority state were able to be installed and functional after the 3MCO offensive. Adekunle popularity during Nigeria civil war was due to the speed at which he defeated Biafran army in major battles and speed of advances. However, the advance became stalled and Biafran forces pushed back and recaptured Owerri
Owerri
Owerri is the capital of Imo State in Nigeria, set in the heart of the Igboland. Owerri consists of three Local Govern Areas including Owerri Municipal, Owerri North and Owerri West, it has an estimated population of about 400,000 as of 2006...
, Ikot Ekpene
Ikot Ekpene
Ikot Ekpene, known throughout Nigeria as " The Raffia City", or locally simply as "IK," is a historic town in the Niger Delta of Nigeria, and is in the densely populated state of Akwa Ibom. It is the political and cultural capital of the Annang ethnic group in Nigeria...
, and other cities. Also, Biafran troops launched successful ambushes while Adekunle's 3MC gained little and suffered very high casualties. This was the state of 3MC before Adekunle was redeployed back to Lagos for a new commander, Colonel Olusegun Obasanjo who later used the troops to defeat Biafra. What was remarkable was that, the division was the youngest in the war and gained more territory than the other two divisions fighting from the north of Biafra.
Role after the civil war
Adekunle was latter put in charge of decongesting Lagos port that was having a chronic problem of clearing imported goods. This was his position before he was put on compulsory retirement.He attributed his problem during and after the war to his rivals in army. In his various interviews, he said there always a rumor of coup linked to him until the army authority feel concern to do something about it. He had large followings in both the army and public at large and is the most popular military commander during the war apart from Obasanjo who succeeded him and brought the war to an end with same 3MC.
Adekunle led the Third Marine Commando Division with such great panache and determination, and the foreign media, in looking for human angle stuff about the Biafran war
War
War is a state of organized, armed, and often prolonged conflict carried on between states, nations, or other parties typified by extreme aggression, social disruption, and usually high mortality. War should be understood as an actual, intentional and widespread armed conflict between political...
found Adekunle a ready source of news. Benjamin Adekunle was promoted to Brigadier-General in 1972. On August 20, 1974, he was compulsorily retired from the Army.
Gen. Adekunle's son wrote an account of his father's military career in a biography titled The Nigeria-Biafra Letters: A Soldier's Story.