WILBERFORCE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIAL SCIENCES (WJSS)
ISSN: 2504 – 9232
Volume 7, No. 1, June 2022
Pages 95-114
DOI: 10.36108/wjss/2202.70.0160
VILLAIN AND HERO OF THE WARS: BRIGADIER-GENERAL BENJAMIN ADEKUNLE AND THE NIGERIA CIVIL WAR, 1967-1970
RIDWAN TOSHO IDRIS
Abstract
The paper examines the role that Brigadier General Benjamin Adekunle, otherwise referred to as the Black Scorpion or Benjy played during the Nigerian Civil War. Brigadier-General Adekunle served as the Commander of Garrison, the 3rd Marine Commando Division of the Nigeria Army. The study is set to achieve two main objectives. The first is to put into historical perspective, Benjamin Adekunle’s birth, childhood, and military career; the second is to analyze the two sides of Benjy during the civil war, and third, his portrayal as both a hero and villain during the civil war. The study relied on secondary sources of data from textbooks, peer-reviewed journals, internet documents, newspapers and individual commentaries on Benjamin Adekunle. The study reveals that Adekunle was described as a villain because he explored some unconventional and brutal war strategies against Biafrans, who were hitherto Nigerians and so by extension, his fellow countrymen. As a hero,he had an unrepentant strategy to rescue Nigeria from disintegration. The study recommends that while winning is the ultimate goal of any war, officers must be humane and reduce collateral damage in the course of duty.
Keywords: Adekunle Benjamin, Civil War Hero, Nigeria, Villain