Major General Alexander Madiebo was born to the noble family of late Chief S. N. Madiebo and late Madam Esther Madiebo of Umuokpu Village, Awka in Awka South Local Government Area of Anambra State on 29th April, 1932. He had his primary education at Saint Matthew’s Primary School, Amawbia and secondary education at the famous Government College, Umuahia from where he joined the Nigerian Army in May 1954 as an Officer Cadet.
Late General Madiebo had his first military training at the Regular Officers Special Training School in Teshie, Gold Coast, now Ghana. From Ghana, he proceeded to Military Officers Cadet School in Chester, England, along with General Yakubu Gowon for further training at the legendary Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst, London and then to the United States of America. In 1956, he was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant of the Nigerian Army.
In 1960, on Nigeria’s independence and following the appointment of late Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe as the Governor General of Nigeria, Lieutenant Madiebo was chosen as the Aide-de Camp (ADC) to Dr Azikiwe. In 1962, General Madiebo served as a Troop Commander of the Reconnaissance Squadron in the Cameroon uprising and in Kinshasa. He also served in Ibadan as the Adjutant of the Third Nigerian Army Battalion during the infamous Western Nigeria political crisis of 1963 before he was deployed to Congo, during the Congo Crisis as part of the peacekeeping force for United Nations Operations.
General Madiebo returned to England and the United States between 1963 and 1964 for further training and in July 1964, he was made the first indigenous Commander of the Nigerian Military Artillery Regiment based in Kaduna. It was while he was in Kaduna in the year 1966 that Major Chukwuma Nzeogwu led the first ever military coup in Nigeria. Though General Alex Madiebo and Major Chukwuma Nzeogwu were close friends, he had no information of the coup.
Yet following Nzeogwu’s coup, General Madiebo was to become a key player in the unfolding events that quickly followed one after the other. He played a major role in ending the disastrous Nzeogwu coup d’etat, his surrender to the General JTU Aguiyi Ironsi government and also later in the attempt to forsee and forestall the June, 1966 coup that ended the Ironsi regime and ultimately led to his death.
With the ethnic profiling of the two major coups of 1966 and inability to manage their outcomes, the Nigerian-Biafran civil war of 1967 became inevitable. At the break out of the war, General Madiebo was appointed the General Officer Commanding the Biafran Army. General Madiebo went on exile to Ivory Coast at the end of the war with General Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu where he found time to write his famous book – “ THE NIGERIAN REVOLUTION AND THE BIAFRAN CIVIL WAR ” finally published in 1980 and reprinted in 2022 with an additional chapter on what followed concerning Biafra, its soldiers and assets after the war.
General Madiebo’s book on the Biafran War and its aftermath remains the most detailed, accurate and unbiased account of the critical historical account of events in Nigeria between 1960 to 1970 and beyond.
Madiebo led the Biafran army without any salary. He led that army with all sincerity and motivation as would make the enemy respect them. He brought to the war all his experience, wisdom and best military tactics which helped in keeping the enemy fighting for three long years contrary to their wish for a short military offensive. He fought to protect the honour of his people. He was dispassionate, selfless and commited to what concerned his people – his tribe.
This great military icon and Biafran hero deserves every form of honour, reward and immortalization by the Anambra State government, Ndi Igbo and even Nigeria in general.
The late General Alexander Madiebo is blessed with a happy and successful family and is survived by his dear wife, Regina, his daughter, Maureen, his sons – Chuka, Uchenna and Richard, his son in-law, daughters in-law, many grandchildren, brothers, sisters and relations – all of whom will ever miss him.
Rest in peace, Major General Alexander Madiebo. May God grant your gentle and noble soul eternal rest – AMEN
INTRODUCTION: As the great Biafran Hero, Major General Alexander Madiebo is laid to rest today at his country home in Umuokpu, Awka, friends and family continue to remember and celebrate him.
In today’s commentary, Kenneth N. Nwoye, a first cousin and Chief Magistrate of Anambra State Judiciary calls for the immortalization of General Madiebo.
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