Ohaneze Youth Council declares four days of mourning for Biafran war veteran Col Joe Achuzie

OHANEZE Youth Council (OYC) officials have declared four days of mourning to celebrate the  death of former Biafran Army war commander Col Joseph Achuzie who passed away yesterday.

Col Achuzie, 91, who died in his sleep yesterday morning, is a veteran of the Nigerian Civil War and one of the most successful commanders of the Biafran Army. Later on, he went on to become the general secretary of pan-Igbo socio-cultural organisation Ohaneze Ndigbo and is a folk hero among Igbo youths.

Yesterday, Onyeka Achuzie, Col Achuzie's son revealed that his father died at about 8am at his residence in Idumojei Quarters in Asaba, the Delta State capital. In a statement issued yesterday signed by Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro, the OYC national president, Mazi Okwu Nnabuike, its secretary and Engineer Obinna Adibe, its publicity secretary, the association described the death as a huge loss.

According to the OYC, Col Achuzie led several Biafran units during the war, among which were the 11th, 13th and 15th divisions and the Commando Unit of the Biafran Army at a point. It said he fought gallantly in the battles especially at Oguta, Abagana, Okigwe and the Port Harcourt sectors of the war.

“Ohanaeze youths will always remember that Col Achuzie was fearless and instilled fear in his opponents and his bravery and suicidal features at war fronts earned him the title of Air Raid. With maternal roots at Ezza in Ebonyi State and paternal roots at Asaba in Delta State, Col Joe Achuzie died defending Igbo cause and seeking for a just, equitable and fair Nigerian state.

“He was a one-time secretary- general of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, the leader of Igbozurume, a founding member of the All Progressives Grand Alliance and at his latter days the secretary-general of the Indigenous peoples of Biafra. He believed that Ndigbo should be freed to answer Biafrans within a just Nigeria," The OYC added.

Furthermore, the OYC stated that Col Joe Achuzie died as a role model and a mentor to millions of Igbo youths and Biafrans. It added that when some Igbo leaders recently denounced Biafran self determination in Lagos, Col Ajuzie roared and stood with the position of Ohanaeze youths and cautioned those elders.

“Ndigbo, Biafrans, Africa and the world have lost a great warrior, fearless soldier and cerebral genius. With his death the rank of the top commanders on both sides of the civil war have diminished," the OYC added.

They urged the governors of the southeast geo-political zone to give Col Achuzie a befitting burial worthy of his status. At the end of the Nigerian Civil War, Col Achuzie was one of those who handed in the Biafran surrender to the then Col Olusegun Obasanjo at Owerri.