Veteran Nollywood actor Fabian Adibe has revealed how he was arrested and jailed for 30 months after he joined Biafra forces during the Nigeria civil war in the 60’s.
The actor who opened up during an interview with BBC Pidgin said that himself and others were caught in Ibadan and put in the maximum security prison in Lagos.
According to him, they were given explosives to cut off the route of the federal soldiers, including rails and bridges but on getting to Ibadan, they didn’t know that the police and army were aware of their plans as they were arrested and photographed.
He said; “1966 coup happened. The north felt that the coup plotters had them in mind, hence, they started killing Igbos in vengeance, leading to an exodus from the north back to the east, and the three-year war that followed,” he said.
“I went to war with [Odumegwu] Ojukwu’s task force. We were caught in Ibadan and put in the maximum security prison in Lagos. I was there for 30 months. It started when a pregnant woman was killed and her baby ripped out.
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“She was put on the train and we went there to see for yourselves. It hurt the Igbo. If someone offended you and you killed both their parents and their kid for it, you shouldn’t extend hostility to the entire people of their tribe.
“I entered my name to join the army because the agriculture minister made it open. We were taken to join the Ojukwu Special Task Force and trained, climbing mountains, getting immersed in water, and flying on an aircraft.
“We were given explosives to cut off the route of the federal soldiers, including rails and bridges. On getting to Ibadan, we didn’t know how the police and army learned of our plans. We were arrested and photographed.
“No one asked what our mission was. We were imprisoned all through the war. 1970 was when we were released.”
