Biafra warlord, Col Joseph Achuzia ‘Air Raid’ dies at 89

The Biafran community has lost a great soul and veteran warlord in the 30 months Nigerian Civil War 1967 to 1970. Colonel Joseph Achuzia was said to have died on Monday at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Asaba, Delta State at the age of 89 years.

Achuzia, nicknamed ‘Hannibal’, was a brave Biafra soldier who led Biafran forces during the civil war after late General Odumegwu Chukwuemeka Ojukwu fled to Ivory Coast.  Hannibal made successful air raids against the Nigerian Army.

He stood firm till the end of the war on January 1, 1970.

Achuzia was one of the Biafran warlords from the Mid-West among other like late Colonel Nwawor and Colonel Ochei that fought in the civil war. He stood to the end of the war and supervised the exchange of flags with Colonel Olusegun Obasanjo in 1970 to signal the end of the civil war and restoration of peace in the Eastern part of Nigeria.