War does nobody any good, irrespective of the cause. Dialogue remains the best means of conflict resolution.
At a point during the war, there was shortage of young men of fighting age as almost all had gone off to war to defend Biafra territory, or hiding in the bushes for fear of conscription. Child soldiers were used to compliment the efforts of the adults.
Many were unskilled. To them, it was a fight for freedom and they were happy fighting for their liberation.
These two young soldiers of the Biafran Army, Nonso, 14 (L) and Tochukwu, 16 (R) talk to one another in the city of Umuahia on August 31, 1968 as the Nigerian federal troops continue their advance towards the Biafran territory.
Sadly, both of them perished in the war. They were killed during the Second Battle of Onitsha, November 1968.
During the war, Jaja Wachuku, the Nigeria’s First Speaker of the House of Assembly and the First Foreign Affairs Minister was arrested and locked up by Ojukwu for kicking against using child soldiers to prosecute the war.
he was released by Nigerian troops. They escorted him to his home town of Nbawsi, in Isiala Ngwa North LGA in present day Abia State.
