Retired military officer, General Alabi Isama, has recounted the moment an attacking soldier shouted in shock during a raid on his home during the Nigerian Civil War. In a historical video shared by BBC News Africa, the veteran detailed the close-quarters combat encounter that took place on August 8, 1967, at approximately 10:00 a.m.
General Isama explained that he had anticipated the arrival of the Biafran forces and had armed himself with a submachine gun and a grenade. The confrontation began when the armed squad tracked him to his residence and immediately opened fire, shattering his glass front door.
The general used the structural damage to launch a swift tactical response, releasing a live explosive through the ruined entryway before the troops could breach his position. The sudden counter-offensive took the approaching squad completely by surprise.
“They opened fire, it was a glass door and they shattered the glass,” General Isama recalled. “Then I opened my grenade and threw it through the shattered glass and one of them said Chineke. Luckily because they bunched together it killed them.”
The general noted that because the attacking troops had grouped tightly together outside the entrance, they were unable to escape the blast radius. The resulting explosion instantly neutralized all of the soldiers gathered at his door.
This archival account provides an intimate look at the tactical decisions made by military officers during the 1967 conflict. General Isama’s recollection emphasizes how battlefield preparation and quick decision-making under fire determined survival during the crisis…..See More
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