Nigerian Peoples’ and Culture - GSS 107

(Airlift to Biafra by Tony Byrne

Forward: Frederick Forsyth)

Team Lecturers:
Dr. Martha C. Egenti
(Dept. of Linguistics)
&
Miss Idara Hanson
(Dept of History & International Studies)
 Course Description
The objective of this aspect of the course is
basically to acquaint the students with the history of
the Nigerian Biafra war and especially to emphasize
the role of the missionaries in breaching the
blockade on food and relief supplies placed by the
Nigerian government in order to force the Biafrans
to surrender.
The missionaries were able to breach the blockade
to provide relief supplies to thousand of children
who were suffering and dying of starvation and
kwashiorkor.
2
 Introduction
 The Nigerian Biafra war in retrospect:

 The colonial amalgamation of the Northern and

Southern Nigeria in 1914 for administration proximity is
somewhat connected to the war

 Oil was discovered in the Eastern Nigeria (now south

south) and there was tension as regards who to be in
control of the oil among the regions

- The first coup led to the death of Abubakar Tafawa

Balewa and Aguiyi Ironsi was sworn in as the head of
state
3
 Introduction
- In 1966, the Northern officers staged a counter coup to
revenge on the south easterners for the first failed coup.
This led to the death of Aguiyi Ironsi and Yakubu Gowon
emerged the Head of state

- The killings of South Easterners in the north continued

during Gowon’s tenure
- Odumegwu Ojukwu (head of the successionist Biafran
State), as the governor of the south east region
expressed disappointment in the military junta and
planned a secession from Nigeria. He declared a
separate independence under the title: ‘BIAFRA’

- In July 6th, 1967 there was a police action to retake the

secessionist territory and the Biafran war started
4
 Introduction
 Major cause of the war:
 The control of the rich oil resource of Biafra (then south
east region). Other minor causes include: massive killing
of the Biafrans in the north and the role of world powers
for economic and political gains (supply of rockets and
MiG fighters and tanks by Russia and Britian)
 What is a Blockade? A barrier placed on something.
-An obstruction, to deny access to, a line of defense, a
barricade e.t.c
* Oddity of the war: govt of the west, the Soviet bloc &
Third World opposed Brafrians the ‘rebels’ but supported
govt. inspite of its dictatorship and corruption

 The official backing and deprivation of government

facilities prompted the churches to take over the
challenge of feeding and caring
5
for millions of sick,
Chapter 1: Too Hot for Pyjamas
Arrival of the young missionaries to Aguleri from
Ireland and a recount of their experiences

 Unfavourable weather condition

 Cultural attires, communal and joyful living of the
people:
-Tight drainpipe trousers, tight skirts (cross no
gutter skirts), push me push you (locally brewed
drink; causes aggression), president Kennedy cut, e.
t.c.
 Humor in the face of adversity (the flood
experience) 6
Chapter 1: Too Hot for Pyjamas
 Norman Wilson – a professional seasoned pilot
with an impeccable record
 Joe Regan – one of the cabin crew on route to
Aguleri
 Tom O’ Mahony – a missionary in Aguleri who
welcomed Joe Regan to the parish

 Joseph Delaney – a missionary that worked in

Aguleri parish. He died of leprosy

 Joseph Okafor – the catechist at Aguleri parish

 Linus Idika – youth leader
7 at the parish
 Chapter 2: Desperate Smugglers
 There was total blockade by land, sea and air giving
rise to untold hardships, scarcity of essential
commodities such as medicine and foods especially
protein.

 Smugglers such as Julius and Linus operated from

Oron villages in Calabar from Cameroon.

 Missionaires such as Frs. Dermot Doran, Raymond

Kennedy and Fittan Kilbride were able to fly in food
and medicine to the dying children
8
 Chapter Two: Desperate
Smugglers
A lot of sacrifices were experienced e.g.
 Fr Tony saved Parker (a British High
Commissioner’s officer) from being killed by the
Nigerian soldiers.

 There was breakthrough in communication with the

caption: “Save Biafra Media Campaign” on
12/6/1968
It began in Britain with documentary on ITV and
Press coverage in the Sun

 Humanitarian response and

9 supports were offered
 Chapter 3: The Gun runner’s
Cargo
 Visit of Cardinal Montini – confidant of Pope John
xxiii, was elected the pope shortly after his visit to
Nigeria

 Rome sent delegates: Monsignor Conway and

Rochcau to Nigeria on Papal peace mission

 The blockade and heavy fighting in Biafra made it

impossible for them to visit Biafra

 Fr. Tony was sent to Rome with a letter through a

gun runner cargo owned by10 Mr Butch Dutting
 Chapter 3: The Gun runner’s
Cargo
 A well thought out plan made the second visit
possible. Similar visits were made to Nigeria and
Biafra byPresbyterian Church of Canada,
Confederation of Missionary Societies and World
Council of Churches

 The “Caritas Internationalis”, a catholic organisation

was commissioned by the pope following from the
reports of the delegates. It was responsible for
sending relief supplies from offshore islands.

 Monsignor Carlo Bayer was appointed the director

11
of the Caritas airlift.
 Chapter 4: Law is for the People
 Bayer organised airlift without Nigerian consent to
save lives. He believes that the law
“ is there for the
people and not the people for the law”

To reduce cost, relief supplies were shipped to Sao

Tome from Lisbon and flown from Sao Tome to
Biafra

Bernard Asika –reps of the Biafran govt. in Lisbon

Abie Nathan – organised several shiploads of

suppliers to Sao Tome and
12 visited Biafra himself
 Chapter 4: Law is for the People
Donated foods but not suitable to airlift: banana
spread in jars, mixed pickles and ketchup, meat too
(lack of refrigerator)
Best suitable foods: Protein rich foods - dried fish,
stock fish
Butch Dutting aircraft was seized in Malta during
refilling

The Portuguese (who were totally against the

breakaway) could not assist Tony to ship relief
materials. As a result, a deal was signed with the gun
Butch Dutting who served as a major
runner
freelance pilot flying offshore
13 islands to bring in
 Chapter 4: Law is for the People
 The Spadeville Project
 Fr. Patrick J.O. Conor, an agriculture development
expert and Br. Augustine O’keeffe encouraged
Biafrans to grow more protein foods to augment the
relief supplies

 But this was extremely difficult because of

movement of people to avoid the fighting and
bombings.

 Significant beans, corn, yam, millet and rice were

produced in their quantities.
14
 Chapter 4: Law is for the People
 TheJoint Church Aid (JCA) was established in Sept.
1968 after confederation and a new DC7 aircraft was
procured for caritas after Butch’s aircraft was seized
in Malta during refilling

 Other Non-church relief organisation that

participated in relief supplies:OXFAM, Save the
Children Fund, Red Cross etc.
 The ownership of four planes were given toButch
due to ethics (planes flying without official
permission)
 Spirit of ecumenism prevailed among churches in
15
the relief programme.
 Chapter 5: The Black Stuff -
Marmite
 Sick children flown to hospitals established by
Caritas Germany and its protestant counterpart,Das
Diakonische Werk in Sao Tome & Libreville

 The Black stuff – Marmite is very rich in vitamin

and protein. It is usually spread on bread
 The recuperating children went on hunger strike
because of the marmite on their bread!
 Moses was the leader of the protest
 The Portuguese government gained handsomely
from the airlift throughport charges andtaxes on
every relief material 16
 Chapter 6: All Sorts of Bravery
 False news/reports of churches carrying war
mercenaries into Biafra which were, in the real sense,
never allowed on JCA flights!

 Constant criticism of the church for keeping Biafra

alive

 Tony was the fourth on the wanted list in Nigeria

 Pierre from France was in charge of the training of
the Biafrans (15 years inexperienced young soldiers
with only 2wks of training were conscripted into the
Biafran army) 17
 Chapter 6: All Sorts of Bravery
 JCA aircraft flew over marshland areas of Nigeria
without lights and radio communication after taking
off!

 Von Rosen’s request to carry armaments to Biafra

flouted the directives and he was asked to resign.
Von still offered his services to Biafra but no longer
bound by ethics since he was working on his own.

10 Italian workers were attacked and killed and14

others captured with a death sentence. This led to
crisis in the relief programme
 The 14 Italian prisoners 18
were released after several
 Chapter 7 : Direct Hit
 The flight before the last flight to PH took a topsy-
torvy landing and was partially burnt from Nigerian
anti aircraft bombardment
 Pilots refused to fly!

 There were no regular supplies – No drugs, no

bandages, no cotton wool, no syringes!

 The last flight by Joao Reis spiral-landed.

 Port Harcourt airstrip was captured
 Most JCA airscraft were either shot down or
crashed. 19
 Chapter 7 : Direct Hit
Uli airstrip was Biafra’s main air link to the outside
world
 Ammunitions and military supplies; relief supplies
of food and medicine were brought in through Uli

 Gerry, one of the gun runners revealed a secret to

Tony
 Operation Salt Slogan! – salt and all were brought in
during those times the Nigerian anti aircraft ran out
of bombs!
 Uli airstrip was captured after the final conflict at
Owerri called theOperation20Tail Wind. Ojukwu fled to
Ivory Coast and Philip Effiong surrendered.
 Chapter 8 : Guilty but Insane
 Tony travelled to Rome to devise ways for further
assistance to the Biafrans but he was disappointed
to hear that Ojukwu fled to Ivory Coast
 Millions of lives were already lost as a result of the
war

 There were financial and economic gains for both

the mercenaries and suppliers of weaponry.

 International airspace rules were flouted. Flying

illegally is like breaking the traffic in emergency
situations such as fire out21break
 Chapter 8 : Guilty but Insane
 On 15/1/1970, Bishop Joseph Whelan and57 other
missionaries were arrested on two minor counts:
- Illegal immigrants
- Accepting employment without consent in writing
from the Federal Immigration Officer
 The missionaries were placed on house arrest for
some time before they were tried and sentenced to 6
months imprisonment on 27th Jan. 1970
105 missionaries were deported after short period
in jail following from international protest.

 The missionaries could only share their sense of

22
hurt for the wrong they have suffered for saving lives.
 Chapter 9 : Hopeville
 A home and rehabilitation centre for the physically,
psychologically and emotionally battered Biafrans.

 Shared experiences of the war

 Many lost one arm or leg (amputees)

 The rehabilitation programme helped people to

acquire not only self development skills, but also
how to use their new legs and arms

 The Biafran currency was frozen after the war

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 Epilogue
 The war started inJuly 1967 and ended inJanuary,
1970 (30 months).
 The children in Sao Tome were made to realise that
they were no longer Biafrans (which sometime
existed), but now Nigerians.

 The deported missionaries continued with their

work of promoting peace, development and justice
all over the globe
 The key players after the war either continued with
their work, retired or died, for e.g., Bayer left Caritas
Internationalis in 1970 to work in Vienna; helping
24
people in the Soviet States.
 Text

Byrne, Tony. 1997.Airlift to Biafra: Breaching the

Blockade . Ireland: Columba Press.

25
THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION
AND ACTIVE PARTICIPATION

26 4/24/2019