By Okoi Obono-Obla
One of the outstanding officers of the Nigerian Army who played a significant role in securing the decisive victories recorded under the aegis of the 3rd Marine Commando was Brigadier General Godwin Alabi-Isama.
His father was from Ukwuani in present-day Delta State, which was then part of the Mid-Western State, while his mother was a Yoruba woman from Ilorin, Kwara State. He therefore has a very interesting heritage — an admixture of Mid-Western, Igbo and Yoruba ancestry.
He served as Chief of Staff to the General Officer Commanding the 3rd Marine Commando, Brigadier Benjamin Adekunle, popularly known as the Black Scorpion.
During the Nigerian Civil War (1967-1970), the 3rd Marine Commando was assigned the strategic role of denying Biafran troops the freedom to operate unhindered in the riverine areas of present-day Cross River, Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa and Rivers States, and of denying them access to the Atlantic coast.
Brigadier General Alabi-Isama was a tactics instructor at the Nigerian Military School, Zaria and the Nigerian Military Training College (now the Nigerian Defence Academy), Kaduna, prior to the outbreak of the war. He brought his vast experience as an instructor to bear in his role as Chief of Staff, especially in the planning and execution of Operation Pincer 2, which proved to be a turning point in the war.
Alabi-Isama led forces against the Biafran Republic, successfully liberating various locations including Odukpani, Ikot-Okpora, Iwuru, Akunakuna, Itigidi, Ediba, Ugep, Obubra, Afikpo, Oban and Ekang. He also “closed” the international border with Biafra at Nssakpa, as detailed in his book, The Tragedy of Victory: On-the-Spot Account of the Nigeria-Biafra War in the Atlantic Theatre (2013).
In April 1968, Alabi-Isama and his 3MCDO troops embarked on a major offensive to recapture Creek Town, Itu, Uyo, Ikot-Ekpene, Oron, Eket, Opobo, Abak, Etinan, Bori-Ogoni, Akwete, Afam, Aletu Ekene, Elelenwo, Okrika and Port Harcourt, successfully completing the operation the following month.
After the war, he served as the Nigerian Army’s Principal General Staff Officer and as Acting Governor of the Mid-Western Region in 1973, where he received the first set of National Youth Service Corps members. He retired from the Army as a Brigadier General in 1977.
Conclusion
At 85 years old, Brigadier General Godwin Alabi-Isama (Rtd), born 24 December 1940, remains one of Nigeria’s most distinguished military intellectuals and national heroes. Beyond the battlefield, his seminal memoir, The Tragedy of Victory, has become an indispensable primary source for understanding the Atlantic Theatre of the Civil War and correcting many distortions in the historiography of the conflict. His courage, strategic brilliance, and unwavering commitment to national unity continue to inspire generations of officers and citizens, securing for him a permanent place of honour in Nigeria’s military history.
