Nigerian Civil War veteran, Col. Joseph Achuzia (rtd.), yesterday died at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Asaba, Delta State, at the age of 90 years.
His son, Onyeka Achuzia, told our correspondent, at his residence that the warlord died while smiling. Achuzia’s demise during a brief illness has thrown his neighbourhood at No 2, Idumojei Quarters in Oshimili South Council Area of Asaba, the state capital, into mourning.
Sympathisers, his kinsmen and supporters of the Indiginous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB), the Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) as well as the Biafra Independent Movement (BIM) besieged his residence. Onyeka said Dane guns were shot to announce his father’s departure. Achuzia, who hold the title of ‘Ikemba of Ahaba’ (Asaba), was known during the Nigerian-Biafran Civil War as ‘Air-Raid’ or ‘Hannibal’, owing to his gallantry.
The deceased fought on the side of Biafra. He was a living example of what transpired before, during and after the war, maintaining ‘no victor, no vanquish’ stance. At different fora, he had juxtaposed the current agitation by IPOB, MASSOB and BIM members with the massacre of the Igbo in 1967, where he revealed how the Federal Government failed and frustrated the Igbo from honouring the heroes of the war.
Recounting his last moment, Onyeka, supported by his younger sister, said: “My father died smiling. I could not believe he is dead because he smiled unto death this morning at FMC after a brief illness. He was hale and hearty as at yesterday (Sunday).” Onyeka, who said his father’s death had been communicated to the state government, said at the appropriate time, his burial arrangement would be made known to the general public.
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