The late Major General Alexander Attah Madiebo, retired, was a foremost Nigerian Military Army Officer. He joined the Nigerian Army in May, 1954 as Officer Cadet and rose through the rank to become Chief of Staff of the Biafran Army. He flew into exile with General Emeka Odumegwu Ojukwu at the twilight of the Civil War and came back in 1976.
The late Major General Madiebo, born on April 29, 1932, hailed from Umuokpu Awka in Awka South Local Government Area of Anambra State. He was a student of Government College, Umuahia and had his military trainings at the Regular Officers’ Special Training School in Teshie, Gold Coast, now Ghana, along with General Yakubu Gowon, with whom he also trained at the legendary Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst, England, and United States of America.
When he joined the Nigerian Army in May, 1954 during the colonial era as an Officer Cadet, General Madiebo, after a series of Military trainings, was commissioned Second Lieutenant in December, 1958. Before the Nigeria Civil war, he was promoted to become the first Regimental Commander of the Nigerian Army Artillery. At Nigeria’s independence in 1960, he was made the Aide De Camp, ADC to Nnamdi Azikiwe, the then Governor General.
In 1967, when the civil war broke out in Nigeria, General Madiebo became the Commander of Biafra’s 51 Brigade. He was in this position for two months before assuming full command of the Biafran Army with the rank of Major General, from September 1967 till the end of the war.
General Madiebo returned to Nigeria from exile in 1976 and in 1980 published his book, ‘The Nigeria Revolution and the Biafran War’’ a book that is seen as the greatest book on the Nigeria-Biafra civil war. During his days as battalion commander, Brigadier Commander and Major as Chief of Staff of Biafran Army, Major General Madiebo recorded every day activity in his diary. In the 466-paged book, he gave a very detailed first-hand eye-witness account of the Nigerian revolution and the two coups of January and July, 1966.
A Biafran icon, a good manager, a great writer and a historian, late Major General Madiebo used his managerial acumen to manage the army under his command during the Nigeria-Biafra civil war. With these traits, he was able to face a better equipped Nigeria Army during the civil war.
On the 11th of January 1970, a day to the end of the civil war, late Major General Madiebo left Biafra through the Uli airport and flew with General Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, Dr. M.I. Okpara, Mr. N.U. Akpan and Mr. C.C. Mojekwu in a Biafra Peace Mission to Ivory Coast leaving the Biafran Army to continue the fight under General Philip Effiong.
The late General Madiebo was married to Mrs. Regina Ifeyinwa Madiebo and the marriage was blessed with four children: Mrs. Maureen Obiageli Nweke, Mr. Kenneth Chuka Madiebo, Mr. Peter Uchenna Madiebo and Mr. Richard Nwora Madiebo who is today the Chairman and Chief Executive, Anambra State Internal Revenue Service, AIRS.
On June 3, 2022, the Biafran icon departed this world at the age of 90. According to the family, the remains of late Major General Alexander Attah Madiebo, Nzeamalu, will be interred tomorrow Friday August 26, 2022 at his home, Umuokpu Awka, Awka South Local Government Area of Anambra State after a funeral service at St. Paul’s Anglican Church, Umuokpu Awka. That would be after the service of songs which will be held in his honour today at his home which begins exactly at 5pm. Condolence visits holds on Saturday August 27, 2022 while on Sunday, August 28 an outing service will be held at St Paul’s Anglican Church, Umuokpu, Awka.
May the soul of the late gallant soldier, Major General Alexander Attah Madiebo (Nzeamalu) rest in peace, Amen.
Written by SYLVIA TOCHUKWU-NGIGE
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